24 September 2022

Organic Beef Open Day on John Purcell’s Farm

Teagasc, Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – DAFM are jointly organising a National Organic Beef Open Day on the farm of John Purcell, Cashel, Co Tipperary on Wednesday next, 28th September 2022.

The open day aims to provide:

• up to date best practice for existing organic farmers
• an insight into organic farming methods for those farmers contemplating converting their farms.

Introduction to John Purcell’s Organic Farm

John took over the running of the farm from his late father Michael Purcell in 1997. The farm had always been associated with a livestock enterprise and in 1998, John converted the farm to organic and continued with the beef model. The overall farm operation of 950 acres consists of owned and leased land and all together produces over 1000 finished beef cattle per annum for the market.

The farm walk is on a block of 500 acres. The farm produces most of the winter feed for the operation and houses 600 cattle during the winter months. Combination crops and clover grass swards are grown as part of the winter-feeding system. John’s farm does not exclusively focus  on beef production, he also has incorporated biodiversity corridors/habitats. He has also planted over 10,000 trees in the last three years to sequester carbon and is planning to claim carbon natural status by 2025.

Farm Details

The farm on which the walk is taking place is made up of one block of land, which is located in the Golden Vale. 141 Ha of owned land and 62 Ha of leased land makes up the block. Giving a total area of 203.56 Ha.

Land Use

The farm is primarily a grass-based system where cattle are out grazing the land for much of the year. Combination crops are grown to provide high quality forage for the cattle during the winter period. A combination crop is a mixture of a cereal and a combinable pea. A number of biodiversity corridors have been created to enhance wildlife throughout the farm and add to the overall farm ecosystem.

In the clip below, meet our Teagasc organic specialists Elaine Leavy, Joe Kelleher and Martin Bourke who outline to us what you can expect to see at the upcoming OrganicBeef22 Open Day on the farm of John Purcell in Cashel, Co. Tipperary on Wednesday, 28 September 2022

Combination Crops on the Farm

On the farm, the aim is to have a closed system in terms of producing all the feed requirements for the cattle. John has found that red/white clover is sufficient to finish Angus/Hereford cattle, however, to finish the continental breeds (60% of cattle); a higher energy feed is required. Therefore, the grass/clover silages are supplemented with a combination crop of peas and barley/oats. 

Crop Rotation

Crop rotations are a very important aspect to all organic farms. A crop rotation is a planned sequence of different crop types. Crop rotations have many benefits including:
– Replenish Soil Nitrogen
– Suppress Weeds
– Reduce Pest & Disease Levels
– Maintain Organic Matter (OM) levels and Soil Structure

Livestock Enterprise

The farm is a store to beef enterprise where cattle are sourced both from organic livestock mart sales (30%) and direct from farmers (70%). Good relationships have been developed between John and organic store producers over the years.

Cattle are bought all year round between 16 – 18 months of age at an average weight of 450kg. Both heifers and steers are bought, the breeds vary. Cattle either are finished off grass or are housed for the winter to be finished. When cattle arrive at the farm, they are isolated to minimise health or disease issues. When possible, the cattle are kept in the groups they came in to reduce stress.

Cattle Performance

John aims to supply a steady quantity of cattle all year round, particularly in the winter to spring period. The aim is to have the heifers ready for slaughter at 24 months at a weight of 330kg and the steers finished at 30 months at a weight of 360kg.

In 2021, the cattle arrived on the farm at an average of 452kg. The heifers put on an average daily gain of 1.1kg and the bullocks put on an average daily gain of 0.9kg. The cattle were on the farm for an average of 245 days before they were slaughtered. 

Grazing Management on the Farm

Cattle are batched into different groups on the farm depending on weight, sex and breed. The aim is try and reduce stress on the animals, as minimising stress will increase animal performance. Cattle are usually stripped grazed, so they always have access to fresh pasture. They are moved to a new pasture every 10 days to break the worm
cycle.

Cattle are out on grass from March onwards and housed for the winter from November. In wet conditions, cattle are moved more frequently than normal to avoid poaching and to protect the clover in the sward. Once paddocks are grazed, they are topped regularly to increase tillering in the pasture while managing weeds and increasing organic matter levels in the soil.

Event details

Date: 28 September 2022
Event Time 10am – 3pm
Venue Farm of John Purcell, Ross, Golden, Cashel, Co Tipperary Eircode: E25 RP20

More information on organic farming is available here on our website