Farming near Tobercurry, Co. Sligo is Pat Carthy, a suckler-beef farmer calving 30 cows in a split spring/autumn calving system. Pat finishes all his beef progeny through ABP Food Group’s Advantage Beef Programme which rewards him with a 20c/kg sustainability bonus on all cattle slaughtered through the scheme. As well as running a suckler to beef enterprise, Pat buys in 100-150 store lambs in winter and keeps these to finish.

His farm encompasses 120ac of fragmented land and Pat farms it on a part-time basis. He works-off farm also as a sales rep. 34 years ago, Pat was involved in a car accident in which he lost the power off his legs but his positive can-do ‘get up and go’ attitude and his farm infrastructure which has been set-up to suit him, sees him operating his farm enterprise to the highest of standards. Pat has invested in equipment, machinery, fencing, sheds and livestock-handling equipment which allows him to manage his farm to an excellent standard.