Organic Lamb Finishing Events, ‘From Farm to Fork’
What's Next for Organic Lamb? A series of three Organic Lamb Finishing events, ‘From Farm to Fork,’ aim to bring together farmers, researchers, processors, and industry leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges for organic lamb production.
These events are designed for both organic and conventional sheep farmers who want to improve finishing performance and profitability.
The Organic Lamb Finishing events are supported by leading organisations including Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Bord Bia, the Irish Organic Association, Organic Trust, IFA, ICM, ICSA, Leitrim Organic Farmers Co-op, NOTS, OBLIG, and INHFA.
Each event will combine practical on-farm demonstrations with the latest research and expert discussion, giving attendees valuable insights they can apply to their own enterprises.
Highlights will include:
- A live demo of drafting lambs with the aim of helping farmers make better decisions in terms of choosing lambs fit for slaughter.
- Latest research from Teagasc, Athenry on the organic lamb finishing feeding trials
- Financial analysis of finishing lamb
- Discussion forum: Processors and Industry Stakeholders will debate the challenges and successes of finishing lamb and accessing premium markets for organic lamb.
Dates for your Diary
The three organic lamb finishing events will take place on Wednesday, 5th August in Westport, County Mayo, Tuesday, 11th August in Kenmare, County Kerry and Wednesday, 12th August in Fenagh, County Carlow.
Micheal Holmes, Westport, Co. Mayo
The series of three events kick off, with the first event in Westport, County Mayo with on Wednesday, 5th August at 6.30pm.
Hosted by Micheal Holmes, Newfield, Mulranny, Westport, Co. Mayo, the first event takes place on a farm that combines commonage with enclosed grazing across both productive and more challenging land types.
Micheal farms predominantly Mayo Blackface and crossbred ewes, lambing from late March and early April. Since entering organics in 2023, he has successfully adapted to the system, overcoming challenges such as sourcing organic feed and controlling weeds.
In 2025, Micheal finished all his lambs organically and produced over 18 kg carcases for Irish Country Meats. The majority were finished from grass, with the remainder supplemented using organic concentrates and hay produced on the farm.
Micheal is a firm advocate of weighing and assessing lambs before sale. A highlight of the event will include a live demonstration of weighing and grading lambs that will interest both organic and conventional sheep farmers.
Register for the Mayo Organic Lamb Finishing Event here!
Kenmare Livestock Mart
On Tuesday, 11th August, these events move to Kenmare Livestock Mart in Gortamullen, Kenmare, County Kerry at 7pm.
This event will feature a practical live demonstration of drafting lambs, designed to help farmers identify animals that are fit for slaughter and make more informed finishing decisions.
Attendees will hear the latest findings from Teagasc’s organic lamb finishing feeding trials, followed by an analysis of the financial performance of lamb finishing systems.
The evening will conclude with an engaging discussion forum featuring processors and industry representatives, who will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with finishing lambs and accessing premium markets for organic lamb.
Register for the Kerry Organic Lamb Finishing Event here!
Joe Nolan, Fenagh, Co. Carlow
The series of events will finish on Wednesday, 12th August at 6.30pm on Joe Nolan’s farm in Fenagh, County Carlow.
Joe operates a diverse 98-hectare organic sheep and tillage enterprise, integrating spring cereals, protein crops, grassland, red clover swards, riparian grassland, and native woodland.
His farm includes a 310-ewe March lambing flock, twenty pedigree Charollais ewes and approximately three hundred store lambs carried over the winter.
Since making the move to organics, Joe has altered the sheep system, moving towards the Easy-Care breed of sheep. Cover crops of rape and leafy turnip, sown after tillage crops, form the basis of the winter diet, while protein crops are under-sown with grass and clover to provide overwinter grazing. Cereals and legumes produced on the farm are also used. Post grain cleaning, barley, and oats are used to supplement store lambs, while peas were fed to ewes to boost milk production.
Joe has also developed a comprehensive flock health plan that balances productivity with organic principles. Key management practices include targeted worm control based on regular faecal egg counts, vaccination against clostridial diseases, careful management of medicine withdrawal periods, the use of non-organophosphate products for flystrike prevention and foot health, strategic mineral supplementation, and routine fluke control. As his Easy-Care flock develops, Joe also aims to phase out tail docking.
Click here to register for the Carlow Organic Lamb Finishing Event!
The Organic Lamb Finishing Events, ‘From Farm to Fork,’ offer a unique opportunity to learn from leading organic producers, hear the latest research, and engage directly with processors and industry experts.
Whether you are already farming organically or considering the transition, these events will provide practical advice, valuable networking opportunities, and the latest thinking on producing high quality organic lamb profitably, while meeting the demands of an evolving marketplace.