Articles
Steps to improving the sustainability of Irish tillage farms
Steps to improving the sustainability of Irish tillage farms The recently published Teagasc Farm Sustainability Report shows that tillage farms have the lowest carbon footprint at 2.5 t/ha, compared to other farming enterprises. Under the tillage Signpost programme a number of farm practices are been implemented to further improve the sustainability of […]
20 October 2022
Bees and food production: chaos, corruption and dodgy honey
Bees and food production: chaos, corruption and dodgy honey Laura Healy is a Teagasc PhD student and Walsh Scholar in Food Chemistry and Technology at TU Dublin, she writes about the ‘Rotten’ TV show’s portrayal of how some of the bee-keeping industry operates. The title of the first episode of Netflix’s Rotten sounds more […]
20 October 2022
Energy and Biosecurity Key Considerations for the Poultry Industry
Energy and Biosecurity Key Considerations for the Poultry Industry Teagasc organised an ‘Energy and Biosecurity – Considerations for the Poultry Industry’ event this week which took place in the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan. This event was run in conjunction with IFA, Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the […]
20 October 2022
Examining Weight for Age
Examining Weight for Age Pearse Kelly, Head of Drystock Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc, explains how weight for age is a very good indicator of the performance of a group of animals. Unfortunately most beef farmers do not get to see this until the day they sell an animal. If it is below target, […]
19 October 2022
The Soil is Alive & Willing to Help
The Soil is Alive & Willing to Help “To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.” (Xenophon, 430 – 354 BC). Cathal Somers writes about the soil microbiome and how to safeguard it. Farming has come a long way in the last fifty years, with huge […]
19 October 2022
Increasing farm biodiversity with Tim Leader, Teagasc Signpost Farmer
Increasing farm biodiversity with Tim Leader, Teagasc Signpost Farmer Grainne Hurley, Teagasc Dairygold Joint Programme, Adrian Curtain, Teagasc, and Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, visit the farm of Tim Leader, Signpost Farmer, to find out how he has increased biodiversity on the farm. Tim Leader farms a Dairy, Dairy Replacements and Calf […]
18 October 2022
Launch of new Sustainable Fertiliser training course for agri-professionals
Launch of new Sustainable Fertiliser training course for agri-professionals Teagasc, in collaboration with the ICOS Skillnet and the fertiliser industry, has developed a 20 hour blended training course in Sustainable Fertiliser for professionals involved in the sale, purchasing and advice relating to fertilisers. The purpose of this course is to develop the […]
18 October 2022
Help nature thrive on your farm through ACRES
Help nature thrive on your farm through ACRES Help nature thrive on your farm alongside food production – with possible support from ACRES, says Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist, during Sustainability Week. Three key messages are: Don’t top Escaped hedges and don’t let Topped hedges escape 3 Rs for upland grazing: […]
18 October 2022
Sustainability performance of Irish farms in 2021 revealed
Sustainability performance of Irish farms in 2021 revealed At the start of Teagasc Sustainability Week, Teagasc released its latest sustainability report focusing on the year 2021. The report uses the Teagasc National Farm Survey to track the performance of dairy, cattle, sheep and tillage farms across Ireland to understand changes in their […]
18 October 2022
Signpost Dairy Farmer Edwin Thompson – Reducing emissions from chemical nitrogen
Signpost Dairy Farmer Edwin Thompson – Reducing emissions from chemical nitrogen Edwin Thompson, Signpost Dairy Farmer, gives us some insights into his family farm in Co. Tipperary and what they have done to improve their environmental sustainability. Edwin is farming in Kilmore House, Golden, Co. Tipperary with his family. They are milking 158 […]
17 October 2022