The winners of this year’s RDS forestry and livestock awards have been announced at the two-day RDS summit on biodiversity and sustainability starting today (Thursday, May 2).
The event under the theme ‘Finding Common Ground’ will discuss issues around biodiversity and sustainability through an “evidence-based” lens across agriculture, arts, equestrian, enterprise, and science and technology.
As part of the programme, the RDS forestry and livestock awards took place today and nine awards were presented to foresters and farmers showing best practice in adopting environmentally conscious, forward-looking practices.
RDS forestry awards winners
Community Woodlands Award – Mallow Castle Demense and Town Park, Co. Cork
Mallow Castle Demesne and Town Park consists of 88ac of woodlands and parks nestled in the heart of Mallow town, adjacent to the River Blackwater located at the crossroads of Munster. Cork County Council bought Mallow Castle and its estate in 2011.
Cork County Council has undertaken significant native tree planting and biodiversity works in the grounds to build upon the historic planting already in place. The aim is to create a natural outdoor amenity for the community while promoting local biodiversity.
Production Forestry Award – Ross Buchanan, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal
The award was open to farmers and landowners using sound silvicultural management. Buchanan’s woodland is almost as far north as it is possible to go, and contains what is probably the most northerly oak stand being managed for quality timber on the island.
The woodland is a diverse mixture of productive stands being managed using a range of management styles and objectives. Buchanan’s products include the use of spruce brash for stream stabilisation and wood chip for suppression of Japanese knotweed.
Teagasc Farm-Forestry Award – Derek and Yvonne McCabe, Co. Cavan
The McCabe’s have been recognised for having the vision and foresight to future-proof their farm and combine commercial forestry with their organic farming operation, thus ensuring the viability of their farm for the current next generation.
They planted their first 8ha in 1990 and progressively built it up to 70ha of commercial woodland. They are suckler farmers with mixed pedigree angus and continental breeds. They also breed Irish Draught horses and have had a wood business on the farm since 2010.
Native Woodland Conservation Award – Coill an Fhaltaigh, Kilkenny
Coill an Fhaltaigh occupies the entire townland of woodlands on the outskirts of Kilkenny city and is the largest of the Peoples Millennium Forests. In the 17th century the wood was part of the Brittas Estate home to the O’Rourke family.
The woodlands came into state possession in the 1930’s and it was replanted in 1950’s. A recent survey of plant life of Coill an Fhaltaigh found that 125 different species were present which are mainly oak and ash trees with a lot of alder, hazel and birch.
Livestock awards winners
The RDS livestock awards highlight those farmers who are at the forefront of the economic and environmental sustainability of Irish agriculture. The awards are linked to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and Sheep Ireland databases.
RDS-ICBF Euro-Star Replacement Index Award – Ciarán Lenehan
Lenehan is heavily engaged in various schemes such as the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP), and more recently the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).
ICBF have nominated Lenehan for the Best Beef Cow Award for one of his cows which is an “excellent example” of a good replacement index commercial cow. She has an “exceptional” replacement index figure of €263, according to the RDS.
RDS-ICBF Euro-Star Herd Award – Paul Keating, Co. Wexford
Keating operates a suckler-to-beef system and currently has 69 commercial suckler cows. The most recent 2023 figures for the herd showed an average calving interval of just 369 days, with calves per cow per year running at 0.97.
He uses 100% artificial insemination (AI), and his current replacement index is €134 which lies in the top 5% nationally. Keating takes several Beef Gene Ireland straws each year. The use of these Gene Ireland bulls forms a key part of the farm’s annual breeding plan.
RDS-ICBF Economic Breeding Index Award – Donal Martin Murphy, Co. Wexford
Murphy won the award for a dam of AI bull FR6772 who came through the ICBF Gene Ireland Programme in 2021. This bull has 7,057 dairy calving records in the database which is “extremely impactful” on the overall industry, the RDS said.
He operates a split calving herd of cows, calving 40-50% of the herd in October/November with the remainder in the spring. He tries to maximise the inclusion of grass in the diet. Maize and beet is used in the winter diet to complement high-quality grass silage.
RDS-ICBF Dairy EBI Herd Award – Terry Cassin, Co. Kilkenny
Cassin is the 6th generation of his family to farm in Bennettsbridge. Together with his wife Ann and their four children, he has 72 cows and their followers on 100ac between owned and rented land in a spring-calving system.
His herd is an “excellent example” of how the economic breeding index (EBI) makes a “positive impact”. The current herd EBI is €268 which is in the top 1% nationally, according to the RDS. He has been participating in the ICBF Gene Ireland Programme since 2006.
RDS-Sheep Ireland LambPlus Award – Jim and Frampton Jeffery
The Jeffery’s run a flock of pedigree Charollais, Suffolk and Texel ewes. They constantly strive to improve their genetics in the texel flock through the purchase of physically correct stockrams, true to breed type with superior indexes on the LambPlus system.
Last year proved to be an “excellent” year for them with one of the leading averages at the Sheep Ireland sale. Four rams sold from an average of 1425gns to a top of 1700gns, according to the RDS.