My two daughters Adrianna aged 6 and Erika aged 3 love to help me out on the farm and when I can persuade her, my wife Natasha gives a hand too.
I have been farming as long as I can remember as I grew up on the family farm. Both sides of my family were farmers and today I farm a relatively small holding alongside my role with Irish Hereford Prime.
My two daughters Adrianna aged 6 and Erika aged 3 love to help me out on the farm and when I can persuade her, my wife Natasha gives a hand too.
Hereford cattle have been part of my farming system since 2017, although I have experienced them throughout my life. Their docility and fleshing ability are what prompted me to make them part of my own farm. I have always been amazed by their docility, it makes it so much easier to manage them on a daily basis. They are also known for their vigour another reason why I farm them, they are a hardy breed and adapt well to the elevation of my farm.
I am a part time farmer which allows me to fulfil my role as Strategic Account and Operations Manager with Irish Hereford Prime. In 2006, I graduated from UCD with an Agricultural Science Degree, providing a scientific perspective to compliment my practical experience. More recently, I have gone on to complete a Diploma in Leadership for the Agri-Food Sector at UCC.
I love being able to bring my farming experience and expertise to a role such as this, seeing the benefits of what our Producer Group was set up to do, coming to life and benefiting our farmer members and our commercial partners.
My love of the outdoors, working with animals and especially with Herefords makes my job with Irish Hereford Prime extremely enjoyable.
One of the huge benefits of Hereford cattle is their ability to graze outdoors for the majority of the year. This means that grass management is a priority on all Irish Hereford Prime member farms and mine is no exception. On my farm electric string fencing makes managing the grass quality much easier. It also aids moving or gathering the cattle, making the benefit far outweigh the initial cost.
I am lucky that the farm has hedging all along the East boundary with trees on the North and South ends of the farm creating the perfect environment for shelter and shade for the cattle. Not only that it all contributes towards helping with biodiversity. We are all conscious of the laws around hedge cutting and on the farm I cut only part of the hedges at any one time to do what I can to help with wildlife and biodiversity.
At the end of the day it’s all about the beef and my favourite Irish Hereford Prime cut is a rib-eye steak, the taste and succulence never let me down, excellence every time.
