A free farm talk and BBQ is being hosted by Smart Farming participant Joe Deverell and his family in Geashill, Co. Offaly, on Friday, August 31, at 1:45pm.
The president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Joe Healy, and the chairman of the IFA’s Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, Thomas Cooney, have invited farmers and their families to attend the event.
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, and IFA president, Joe Healy, will open the event.
The Smart Farming programme focuses on “eight key areas that have the highest costs on farms, or offer the greatest savings to farmers”.
Teagasc will be promoting Pasture Base and David Wall will be speaking at the event on using GrassVESS to determine good soil structure.
Martin Ryan from Glanbia will be there to offer feed management and fodder advice. Bord Bia’s Mick Houlihan will be explaining the link between sustainability and profitability in agriculture. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) will be on hand to inform attendees about home insulation, dairy vacuum pump and roof-top solar grants.
The National Biodiversity Data Centre will also be present to discuss actions to help pollinator populations in the countryside.
Kevin Kinsella from the IFA will be explaining the current state of play on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the IFA’s Ethan Cleary will be sharing ideas on how IT can be used in agriculture to improve performance.
Farmers will also be given the opportunity to register to take part in the Smart Farming programme in 2019.
The IFA’s Thomas Cooney stressed that all are welcome to attend and that the event will be an “informative evening“.
People interested in the event are asked to confirm their attendance by contacting Elenor Ryan by e-mail at: [email protected] or by calling: 01-4260343.