John and Stephanie O’Hanlon farm 38.88 hectares in County Longford. They joined the Organic Farming Scheme in 2023 and have since fully converted.
The farm comprises 31.23 hectares of grassland, 6.12 hectares of forestry, and 1.53 hectares designated as a Riparian Buffer Zone.
John’s goal in joining the Growing Organics Programme was to make a genuine effort to run an efficient and profitable organic suckler herd on mixed-quality land, all while working full-time off the farm.
Suckler to store system
The primary farming system revolves around a spring-calving suckler herd of 30 cows, with progeny sold at approximately 15 to 16 months of age during the summer months to maintain cash flow. The cows are crosses of Simmental, Limousin, and Hereford breeds, run alongside a Charolais bull. To date, all cattle have been sold conventionally through the local mart. Calves born since April 1, 2023, are now in conversion and are sold as organic once they reach 15 to 16 months.
Since transitioning to organic farming, several key changes have been made on the farm, including modifying animal housing to meet organic standards, addressing soil fertility through liming, creating additional paddocks, and establishing red clover and multi-species swards.
John met with Organic Advisor Enda O’Hart in January to discuss the transition and share his plans for 2025.