In this instalment of the 'NDC Farmer Ambassador' series, we meet Co. Waterford-based farmers Kate and Shane Fitzgerald, who have highlighted the importance of farmer-consumer engagement at major events.

The young couple runs a grass-based, spring-calving system in Portlaw, milking 200 cows.

Shane began full-time on the farm in 2016 working alongside his father John, who is still on the farm.

Upon finishing secondary school in 2009, Shane pursued studies in business and accountancy, and after this four-year course, he went on to Kildalton Agricultural College to do the dairy herd management programme, where he also won the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year award.

He got opportunities to travel and do work placement abroad during his studies, which he feels was important to broaden his horizons.

Kate grew up on a beef farm. She has previously worked in childcare and factory roles, and met Shane in 2019.

By late 2021, she was helping out on the farm in the evenings and on weekends - which she loved - and her role on the farm grew from there to now being full-time.

Kate in recent years did the distance Green Cert course, and also went on to win the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year award for 2024.

Becoming NDC Farmer Ambassadors

The NDC advocates for dairy farmers, and one way of doing this is through the Farmer Ambassador programme.

In 2022, just 47% of the population said they trusted Irish dairy farmers to care for the environment.

Today, that figure has risen to 74%, marking a 2% increase since May of this year.

The increase shows that NDC messages are cutting through, using positive, evidence-based stories of dairy farming, often told directly by farmers.  

Thanks to the farmers implementing multiple on-farm measures to produce high-quality milk in an increasingly sustainable way, NDC has much to draw on, as it share the stories of Irish dairy, advocating with the wider public.

In their role as ambassadors, Kate and Shane have taken part in initiatives and major events where they engage with consumers and help to educate them on dairy farming in Ireland.

Shane said being an Ambassador centres around telling their story as dairy farmers.

He outlined how his passion to share this story with others stems from his time in college - then called Waterford Institute of Technology - where a lot of the friends he made did not come from farms.

"I became very aware very quickly of how little people outside of farming knew about agriculture," he explained.

"I became interested in trying to educate people and trying to tell that positive story.

He added that as farmers get a lot of negative publicity, it is important to speak positively about the sector, and an important message to get out there is around the environmental measures that farmers take.

"We're always trying to find the balance between the economics, the social and the environmental pillars. You can't have one without the others," he said.

"We want to have a profitable and productive herd but we also want to make sure we have a good work-life balance.

Kate said she came on board as an Ambassador this year.

Having seen the important work Shane has carried out in the role over the last number of years telling his story, is enjoying the opportunity to do the same.

Bord Bia Bloom

At Bord Bia Bloom in June 2025, the NDC presented 'The Grass Advantage', a show garden created to highlight Ireland’s pasture-based dairy system.

Designed by Robert Moore, the garden used a mixed white-clover, multi-species sward to mirror the kind of grassland Irish dairy cows graze on.

At its centre stood a 5m milk churn sculpture, a visual symbol of the heritage and identity of Irish dairy.

The purpose of the installation was to tell the story of how grass-based dairy production supports food quality, environmental care and community value.

Throughout the festival, visitors could meet dairy farmers who were available for 'Ask the Farmer' sessions, giving people a chance to talk directly with farmer ambassadors, including Shane.

Shane finds the engagement with consumers at Bloom "always very positive", with this year being no different.

"Most people are very impressed and surprised I think by some of the work that farmers are doing for the environment, especially," he said.

At Bloom, he highlighted the positive measures farmers are undertaking for the environment and also around the technology that farmers adapt.

Shane said "a lot of people don't realise" the amount of technology used on farms.

"We've come such a long way in the last number of years; as dairy farmers we're very reliant on it [technology] now."

He said it is also important to him as an ambassador to show consumers that farmers "can have a good work-life balance" and that farming "can be an attractive career".

Savour Kilkenny

At the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival in October this year, Kate joined well-known chef Rachel Allen on stage for a cooking demo.

While a little "daunting", Kate said it was a great opportunity, believing that "you have to put yourself out of your comfort zone".

She said it is important to engage with consumers at events like this to "explain to people what farmers are doing and where food is coming from" and to "break that barrier".

On stage at Savour Kilkenny, Kate told her story of how she got into farming and explained the characteristics of the farm's grass-based system.

She discussed the importance of grass in a cow's diet and also communicated how farmers carry out grass measuring and soil sampling, for example.

She said it was an opportunity to show people "the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes" before a product appears on shop shelves.

Like Shane, Kate feels it is important to communicate the positive attributes of a career in farming - "it's an enjoyable way of life".

She added: "I know the weather can be against you sometimes, but it's a lovely way of life, to be able to work with your husband and father-in-law - and we work well as a team."

Click here to read more from the NDC Farmer Ambassador series.