The formation of a family farm partnership between Joe Murphy and his parents, Michael and Catherine, has allowed new blood to enter and develop their farming system in Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny.
Historically a beef and sheep farm, the move to dairy occurred in 2019. This created new opportunities for the family; it allowed Joe to return home and work alongside his parents, while it created a pathway for succession for his parents.
“I always wanted to farm and work with my parents, and the partnership built that together,” Joe said.
Prior to returning home to farm with his parents, Joe attended Kildalton College, before progressing to the Level 7 Dairy Farm Managers Course in Moorepark.
On why he chose this route, he explained: “I wanted to get more knowledge on dairying before I went home. The Farm Managers Course was the answer for that.
“The two-year Farm Managers Course was mostly placement, and it was three or four days a month in college. I was on two very good placement farms, and you’re with the best farmers around.”
The partnership, Michael explained, provided clarity around farm roles – with Joe looking after grassland management and the herd of cows – while it also allowed the drawdown of TAMS to aid on-farm development for the move to milk production.
“You wouldn’t go into milking unless you had someone coming on,” he said. “The partnership made that possible.”
Initially starting with a herd of Friesian cows, before introducing some Jersey genetics, the herd-focused approach is delivering for the Murphys. Cows produced over 500kg of milk solids in 2024 and are on track to produce 540-550kg of milk solids in 2025. Technologies such as sexed semen are employed when breeding the next generation, allowing for beef semen to be used more widely across the herd.
Additionally, the family value work-life balance, with cups on every evening between 3.30-4pm, this means Joe can enjoy his pastimes away from the yard and his parents aren’t tied to the farmyard.
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