Following the launch of the LIC Premier Club, LIC Ireland is inviting farmers to a monitor farm event on Tuesday (November 14).

At the event, farmers will get the chance to see how LIC genetics have benefited Joe and Kathleen Kirwan on their farm in Laurel Lodge, Co. Tipperary.

The husband-and-wife team – who currently milk nearly 200 cows on their 104ac farm – will open the gates on Tuesday to farmers from across Ireland, as part of the LIC Ireland Monitor Farm programme.

Industry-leading speakers

Ahead of the farm walk at 1:00pm, there will be a mini conference in the Horse and Jockey Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Industry-leading speakers, including: Dr. John Roche, Down to Earth Consultancy; Beth Jowsey, LIC’s Pasture to Profit farm consultant; and Niall Walsh of Zurich, will be in attendance.

Speaking ahead of the event, John Roche said: “Genetic gain presents a huge opportunity to many Irish dairy farmers. And many of the opportunities lie in making every cow in your herd as profitable as possible.

On Tuesday, I plan to address how getting the breeding fundamentals right is crucial for the long-term performance and profitability of your herd.

Roche is a man who Irish farmers will be familiar with and his expertise on the impact of nutrition on different breeds will be of particular interest to many Irish farmers.

An advocate of grass, Roche will draw on his experiences from Ireland and New Zealand. He will highlight the fundamentals of herd improvement and how management and nutrition can benefit dairy farmers’ profitably levels.

Farm visit

The afternoon farm walk will focus on the performance of the Kirwans’ herd since they made the move from 70 high-yielding Holstein Friesian cows to nearly 200 crossbreds.

After setting out a robust plan for expansion, Joe and Kathleen’s key goal is to ultimately make the farm big enough to be a viable unit for the next generation.

Joe Kirwan picture on his farm last spring

Aiming to manage 220 cows as a husband-and-wife team by 2020, Tuesday’s event will give farmers a chance to check in on the Kirwans to see how these plans are progressing.

In addition, Teagasc’s Lorcan Dooley will be on hand to give an overview of the nutrient management plan for Laurel Lodge – another key component of the Kirwans’ expansion plans.

LIC’s Europe sales operations manager Timothy Bunnett is encouraging anyone interest in LIC genetics to come along on Tuesday.

He said: “We’re keen for as many people to come along as possible on Tuesday, as we feel we have a lot to offer those attending.

“Amongst much more, there’ll be tips, ideas and valuable advice; along with some good debate on grass, cows and feed – all with the ultimate goal of helping farmers to achieve their business growth objectives.”

For those interested in attending the event on Tuesday, just get in touch by call LIC at: 1800-604020.