While we were in Ireland, we traveled across a large portion of the country. We stayed in the cities of Cork, Galway, and Dublin. Driving from place to place was one of the best parts of the trip - it was so neat to see the lush, green countrysides and the various sheep and cattle grazing in the stone-fenced pastures. In addition to touring cultural sites such as Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and Cliffs of Moher, we had the opportunity to tour two universities, two farms, the Department of Agriculture, Irish Examiner, and the Farmers Journal. At several of the stops I had the opportunity to visit with the hosts to ask about their views of sustainability and sustainability initiatives in Ireland. Below, I share the views of some of the incredible individuals that I had the opportunity to meet.
Billy Nicholson- We traveled to Billy Nicholson's beef operation near Crosshaven on Monday, November 24. This farm will be 100 years old in 2015 and Neil, Billy's son, will be the four generation to manage the farm. Nicholson has a 182 hectare property with 94 hectares in grass, 40 hectares in tillage and fodder beets; with a 100-cow herd of Charolais and Simmental. All the calving on the Nicholson farm occurs in the spring. Male cattle are typically finished as young bulls and they do not keep heifer calves as replacements. The Nicholson farm is part of the Beef Quality Assurance Scheme and has been since the program was introduced. Nicholson said joining the program was an easy decision because of the price incentives they receive as part of participating in the program.
"Sustainable farming is being able to make a comfortable living, while still being able to re-invest in buildings and farm infrastructure," - Billy Nicholson, third generation Irish farmer
On Monday we also toured Teagasc at Moorepark. Teagasc is the semi-state authority in Ireland responsible for research and development, training and advisory services in the agri-food sector. Moorepark is one of the leading dairy research centers in the world and specializes in pasture based systems of milk production. Next year the EU is eliminating milk quotas and Ireland is working to double milk production by 2020. This is putting pressure on Teagasc to provide more intensive services to its clients. The growing global population was the primary driver in the decision to eliminate milk quotas. Ireland's goal is to be one of the top 5 dairy exporters in the world (currently they rank 28th).
"Sustainability from an economic/financial perspective is about a farmer's ability to make a profit and environmentally it's about protecting the environment..socially it would probably be important to consider work-life balance," Tom O'Dwyer, Teagasc dairy specialist.
On Wednesday, November 26 we visited the Department of Agriculture Press Office and met with Ultan Waldron, press and information officer for the department. The mission of the department is to lead the sustainable development of a competitive, consumer agri-food sector and to contribute to the rural economy and society. Waldron was so helpful in explaining the sustainability initiatives in Ireland and even followed up after our meeting with additional information.
"Being sustainable is about producing more with what you have; inputs and outputs," - Ultan Waldron, Ireland Department of Agriculture press and information officer.
I greatly enjoyed my time visiting with these individuals and so appreciate their willingness to share their thoughts on agricultural sustainability. Although their definitions varied, they each stressed the importance of sustainability in the agriculture industry on a global level. Based on the research I have been doing for my thesis, I knew that the literature suggests that sustainability is an increasingly important topic. However, I really enjoyed hearing it directly from these agriculturalists and learning about their individuals views on the topic.
Next time I will conclude this mini-series, I hope you will come back to check it out. I plan to share my main takeaways from the trip, as well as compare and contrast agriculture in Ireland and the U.S.
Until next time,
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