The Limerick and Tipperary Organic Farming Group has organised a farm walk this week, which is its second in a series of events this summer to highlight the organic farming sector in Ireland.
The farm walk will focus on organic grassland management; the latest research on including clover into swards; maintaining clover and silage quality for the winter months; and multi-species grassland.
John Purcell will host the farm walk on his organic beef farm tomorrow (Thursday, July 21) at 6:30p.m in Thomastown, Golden, Co. Tipperary.
The organic beef farm, which spreads across an area of 1,000ac, mainly buys strong store cattle and finishes 1,000 animals in total per year, the group said.
Cattle on the farm are finished off grass on the fields for at least eight months of the year. The main emphasis of Purcell’s farm is to have livestock over the winter months and feed them with silage made on the farm.
“They are trying to be as self efficient as possible and not buy any grains, and to have, as far as they can, a grass-based system for finishing the cattle,” the organic farming group said.
Visitors attending the farm walk will hear from the product and technical manager at seed company DLF, Dr. Thomas Moloney, who will discuss multi-species grassland mixes and management.
Teagasc researcher, Owen Cashman will also provide an update on clover research.
Farm walks
Established in 2016, the not-for-profit organisation is a network of organic farmers, processors and service providers, which aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between farmers, and strengthen the organic sector in Ireland.
The group recently held its first farm walk this summer which discussed topics including soil management; the establishment of a grass-clover crop; and livestock-free crop rotation.
The use and benefit of red and white clover, on their own, as cover crops was well demonstrated at the farm walk hosted by Pat O’Connor in Tipperary last month, the farming group said.
The Limerick and Tipperary Organic Farming Group, which has planned several farm walks this summer, said it was fantastic to see the turnout at the event and the amount of networking among farmers.