This year’s Teagasc National Dairy Conference will feature compelling stories of collaboration, renewal, and opportunity within Irish dairy farming.   

It is taking place across two days later this month - on November 26 in the Talbot Hotel, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, and November 27 in the Kilmore Hotel, Co. Cavan.

From managing cows and grass to drive financial outcomes, to embracing new ideas on collaborative management structures, top class farms and farmers will be centre stage at the dual conferences.

Clonmel

In Clonmel, Michael Dunphy and John Gilvarry will showcase the strength of collaborative farming when experience and ambition combine.

Michael, who hails from a dairy farm in Co. Sligo, completed a Dairy Business degree before building years of financial planning experience with IFAC.

After returning to hands-on farming, Michael entered a collaborative arrangement with Killala dairy farmer John Gilvarry.

John began milking on a greenfield site in 1997 with 70 cows. Nearly three decades later, he has grown the operation to 330 cows across 221ha, balancing owned and leased land while remaining deeply engaged in local initiatives.

His decision to partner with Michael in 2023 reflects a forward-looking approach: future-proofing the business, and creating space for innovation while providing a young farmer with an exceptional career pathway.

Cavan

In Cavan, the spotlight turns to Conor Wynn, whose journey illustrates that new entrants can - and do - find successful routes into farming.

Without a direct family farm to inherit, Conor built his experience through relief milking and formal training in Kildalton College.

A strong working relationship with Kevin - a local dairy farmer planning to step back - led to a carefully structured seven-year lease.

Conor now manages the farm, stock, buildings, and machinery, with a gradual herd-purchase plan that supports Kevin while enabling Conor to work toward owning his own farm.

Also in Cavan, Tony McCormack will bring the perspective of a farmer who has successfully navigated both succession and lifestyle balance.

Having taken over the family farm in Co. Westmeath and expanded the dairy enterprise, Tony managed off-farm work alongside farming for many years.

In 2021, he entered a collaborative arrangement that allowed him to step back from day-to-day operations while keeping the farm thriving.

The partnership has proven mutually beneficial, ensuring continuity for the business and flexibility for Tony and his family.

Dairy management

Of course, any dairy farm, be it under traditional ownership or a collaborative farm arrangement, will only be as successful as the quality of management in place.

That means getting the day-to-day decisions right and having a viable longer-term strategic plan.

Setting and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) for breeding, grassland, costs and returns, is essential to this.

In Clonmel, delegates will hear from Tony Kenny, who farms 155 cows in Ardfinnan with wife Marie and son Stephen, supplying Dairygold Co-op.

The Kennys operate a simple but high-performance system based on maximising returns from grazed grass.

Regular reviews of farm performance are undertaken with the help of the ANC discussion group.

In Cavan, Oisin Gallen will speak to common themes. Oisin is originally from Co. Cavan and now farms 90 high Economic Breeding Index (EBI) cows in a grass-based system on the shores of Lough Swilly in Ramelton, Co. Donegal.

He puts great emphasis on matching grass supply to herd demand through optimising stocking rate and calving date.

These excellent farms are over 400km apart yet the principles of breeding, efficient milk solids from grass, labour efficiency and cost control are remarkably similar.

Their stories will add hugely to a conference programme that also features the latest science from Teagasc Moorepark, as well as a close look at milk markets and dairy production cost projections for the year ahead.