A group of 22 dairy farmers from Co. Waterford who sponsored their local GAA club told Agriland they are continuing to “educate and raise awareness” about the importance of the agriculture sector in Ireland.
One of the farmers, Cathal Herlihy from Knockanore, said that “it can be frustrating to hear some of the negativity that has been portrayed about farming in Ireland”.
“There are a lot of harmful mistruths being spoken in the media which we wanted to rectify,” he said.
Farmers
Herlihy explained that the “main aim” of the GAA team sponsorship is to show people how food is produced in “an environmentally sustainable way”, along with demonstrating the measures farmers use to enhance biodiversity.
The group updated their local club, Shamrock’s GAA team jersey with a “sustainable dairy” logo, designed by the National Dairy Council (NDC), in conjunction with the farmers.
They also held an on-site farm open day for children from Knockanore National School.
Herlihy said that the group of farmers explained the “day to day” running of the farm business.
The children were shown videos of the milking process and silage cutting, along with the journey from “grass-to-glass” in dairy farming.
There was also a stand for biodiversity, while the children were also given a chance to meet some cows and calves.
“In among all the negative news, sometimes what is often forgotten about is the the enormous economic contribution that agriculture plays in Ireland.
“In Waterford alone in 2022, there were €283 million worth of milk payments paid. That’s colossal to a local economy,” Herlihy said.
Each of the farmers have had to adapt and develop their practices to enhance sustainability.
On Herlihy’s farm in particular, he uses low emission slurry spreading (LESS) technology, has incorporated multi-species swards and converted to using protected urea.
The farmers hope to run more on-site farm visits and perhaps make it an annual event to highlight the importance of the agriculture sector.