On Thursday (September 10), we brought our readers on a virtual tour of Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme participant Martin Connolly’s farm.
During the day, AgriLand released a number of videos showcasing the improvements Martin has made since enrolling on the programme, before ending the day with a panel discussion.
The second phase of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme was launched in the spring of 2019.
Since then, Martin – along with 11 other participating farmers – have been working on implementing farm plans aimed at achieving a net margin of €500/ha before farm subsidies are taken into account.
If you missed any of the action, or would like to have another look, all of the content can be viewed by following the links below.
Introducing Martin Connolly: Our host farmer for today’s Virtual Farm Walk
Virtual Farm Walk: Small changes reap big silage quality rewards
Virtual Farm Walk: Chasing heavier carcasses in Co. Roscommon
Virtual Farm Walk: Improving pasture quality through reseeding
Virtual Farm Walk: Calf health is your wealth
Virtual Farm Walk: The final chapter
Martin, who farms part-time just outside Castleplunket, in Co. Roscommon, runs a calf-to-bull beef system on 60ha of fragmented and slightly heavy land.
Each year, he purchases 120 spring-born, dairy-bred male calves and brings them through to slaughter at under 22 months-of-age.
Throughout the day, Martin explained some of the main aspects of the farm system, how the first 18 months of the programme have gone for him; he also discussed the targets he is aiming to hit as part of the adjusted farm plan.
We also spoke to the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme management team – Alan Dillon, Seán Cummins and James Fitzgerald – and Martin’s local Teagasc advisor Gerry Cregg, on topics such as: silage quality; calf-to-beef system; growth targets; calf health; vaccination; and calf prices.