Gurteen Farm, in Bandon, Co. Cork, which is jointly owned by the four West Cork dairy co-operatives - Bandon, Barryroe, Drinagh, and Lisavaird - has been operating under a share farming model for over nine years.

The current share farmer, Kerry Desmond joined the operation in January 2024 and is the third share farmer following the conversion of this farm from its original drystock enterprise to a commercial dairy farm in 2016. 

This share farming arrangement involved the land owner, Shinagh Estates, and Kerry entering an agreement whereby they would operate two separate businesses on the same block of land.  

Shinagh Estates provides the land and facilities and covers the costs associated with farm maintenance. while Desmond provides the livestock and labour, and covers livestock health and breeding costs.

All other costs are split 60:40, with Kerry covering the 60%. The monthly milk cheque is then divided on a 60:40 basis.

On Thursday, 22 May, at 11:00a.m, Teagasc, in collaboration with Shinagh Estates and Carbery, will host a 'Share Farming and Succession Pathways' open day at Gurteen Farm, Shinagh Estates, in Bandon, Co. Cork (Eircode: P72P298).

The goal of the open day is to showcase practical pathways for young farmers to progress, and demonstrate alternative transition pathways for farmers who wish to step back.

Come and hear from the team of Teagasc specialists, co-op representatives, and industry stakeholders on all areas relating to collaborative farming models.

About Kerry

Kerry is a native of Bandon, Co. Cork and grew up on a small beef farm.  

He had the traits that Shinagh Estates were looking for in a share farmer - he had been to Clonakilty Agricultural College and completed his levels 5 and 6, he had travelled to New Zealand where he gained great experience and, on his return, he completed the two-year farm managers' course in Moorepark, during which he gained valuable knowledge on two excellent host farms. 

The main learnings that Kerry took from these experiences was to develop the necessary skills to run a successful business and thus return a profit year-on-year – this helped him to put the business plan together for his current business structure.

About the share farming agreement

The share agreement is for seven years and Kerry is optimistic that he will, in time, move on to a leased farm or alternatively get involved with a share farming arrangement with someone else. 

When asked why he has gone this route, Kerry said: “I was milking someone else’s cows for enough years and wanted to milk my own cows. 

During the open day, the existing share farming arrangement in place between Kerry and Shinagh Estates will be discussed, along with other collaborative arrangement options.  

Attendees will also hear from Padraig Cunnane, a former share farmer at Gurteen Farm, who used his time there as a stepping stone to forward his career in farming on a leased farm.

Reflecting on the share-farming opportunity, Padraig said: “It not only opened doors for me, it blew them off the hinges”.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ruth Fennell, Teagasc collaborative farming specialist, said, “This open day offers something for everyone, whether you’re a farmer looking to take a step back from day-to-day operations, or a young farmer eager to develop a career in dairying.  

"As well as exploring the collaborative models used in Gurteen, we will be covering the financial planning, tax, and legal aspects involved, key areas that people often have questions about when considering share farming or succession pathways.”