The Teagasc Newbie new entrant competition is now open for entries. The competition is open to newcomers to farming, successors and farmers who have diversified their enterprise.

The Newbie project

The Newbie network will feature the dissemination of new business models and new entry models, to all potential new entrants.

The Newbie network brings together new entrants, successors, advisors, researchers, important regional and national actors and relevant stakeholders in national networks to deal specifically with regional issues of concern to new entrants.

Sustaining a cohort of new entrants is crucial for the agricultural sector and rural regions in Europe. New entrants bring new ideas, increased vigour and practical skills into the agricultural sector. However, new entrants face considerable challenges when starting a career in the sector.

The Newbie network will address the challenges faced by new entrants when establishing sustainable farm businesses in Europe.

Newbie actions:

  • Develop case studies featuring successful examples of new entrants;
  • Discuss issues and solutions with new entrants nationally in a series of discussion circles;
  • Engage national stakeholders in Newbie steering groups;
  • Create and engage with a network of new entrants. Please register on the network here;
  • Develop a practical set of tools (toolkit) featuring recommendations and guidelines targeted at new entrants and stakeholders.

New entrants

New entrants are defined in the Newbie network as anyone who starts a new farm business or becomes involved in an existing farm business. They comprise a wide range of agricultural experience, ages and access to resources.

Newcomers and successors can enter farming or diversify their business at any stage in their working lives and is not limited to “young farmers”. All new entrants face similar barriers: access to land; labour; capital; housing; markets; knowledge; and the networks to assist in overcoming these barriers.

2019 competition winner

Steven Ryan was the overall winner of the 2019 Newbie competition. On returning home to the farm with his family, Steven looked at many options to increase the viability of the farm.

After much research, Steven made the decision to setup a snail enterprise alongside the existing beef and sheep enterprises.

Steven, like many new entrants, learned many lessons the hard way using techniques more appropriate to Mediterranean climates which added great cost to the farm before realising that the Irish climate is perfect for outdoor snail production.

Steven has streamlined the system greatly reducing cost and labour input as well as complementing the other enterprises. Steven is working to promote snail farming in Ireland and to develop markets for Irish-produced snails.

Learn more about Steven’s interesting enterprise by watching the following video (below).

Dairy Farm Partnership

Enda Keaveney farms in partnership with his parents in Co. Galway. In 2015, the Keaveney farm was at a crossroads; substantial investment was required in the milking facilities. The decision to invest was dependent on the future of the farm.

Having returned from New Zealand, Enda entered discussions with his parents and it was decided that a Family Farm Partnership would be the best route to secure the farms future.

In this video (below), Enda and his father Eamon outline their experience.

€500 contribution

The newbie competition is a great opportunity for successful new entrants to gain recognition of their work and to promote their business.

The prize includes a €500 contribution to training or a foreign study trip, a plaque for display on-farm and the development of a video featuring the winning farmer.

For further information and to enter, please click here