North-Tipperary farmers shortlisted for Bord Bia’s Origin Green Farmer Awards
John Maher, a dairy farmer from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, and Nicholas Bergin, a beef farmer from Roscrea, Co. Tipperary have been shortlisted for Bord Bia’s Origin Green Farmer Awards. The biennial awards recognise and reward the exceptional performance being achieved by members of its Sustainable Quality Assurance schemes for beef, horticulture and dairy.
John Maher and his wife Rena, who supply Arrabawn co-op, have been nominated in the ‘Small-Medium herd’ category at the awards. Milking a herd of 76 British Friesians, the Mahers have been farming in Gortmore since 1950. Nicholas Bergin has been nominated in the ‘Suckler to weanling store’ category at the awards. Based in Coolnagh, Nicholas is a breeding enthusiastic who also works off farm for an artificial insemination (AI) company.
Both the Mahers and Bergins, along with the 37 other participating farms, meet high standards around hygiene, farm safety, traceability, animal welfare, remedy use and commitment to their locality. The overall category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co. Laois on Wednesday 12th December.
With the Origin Green programme, Ireland is the first country in the world to audit and carbon footprint its livestock farms, currently at a rate of 650 a week, under what is in effect a national programme providing measurement and feedback to farmers for continuous improvement in how they farm sustainably. The results represent a unique selling point for Irish food exports, proving that farmers are operating with due care for the surrounding environment, resulting in a low *carbon footprint.
Chief Executive of Bord Bia Tara McCarthy paid tribute to the achievements of all the finalists, saying: “The farmers chosen as finalists for these awards are already regarded by the industry as being among the very best. Their commitment to sustainable production through the Origin Green programme and willingness to have their achievements judged by a panel of experts shows their ambition to be the best and to make the Irish food and drink industry a world leader.”
She added: “These are the farmers Bord Bia will be looking to when we are demonstrating to food buyers the solid foundations on which the Irish food and drink industry has been built and why it is sustainable into the future.”
Selection Process
The beef and dairy finalists were visited over recent weeks by the judges from Bord Bia, Teagasc and the Farmers Journal who were impressed with the practices being adopted to raise efficiency and profitability. These include measures to improve animal performance, herd health and fertility, while controlling inputs such as concentrate feed and fertilizer.
The 39 beef, horticulture and dairy finalists (listed below) represent the most efficient farmers in the country, producing what the market demands in a sustainable manner. The overall category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, 12th December 2018.
Award Finalists by Category:
Beef Finalists
Twelve finalists have been selected from the 51,000 members who are certified members of Bord Bias Sustainable Beef & Lamb Assurance Schemes, based on their sustainability credentials. These farms are among the top performers surveyed with regard to carbon footprint, biodiversity and water quality. Each of these finalists is efficiently producing prime cattle suitable for our major markets. There are three entrants from each of the following production systems:
- Suckler to Beef
- Suckler to Weanling / Store
- Weanling / Store to Beef
- Dairy Calf to Beef
Herd Owner | Address |
Seamus O’Toole | Rathbawn, Tullow, Co. Carlow |
Sean Cooney | Ballinaloola, Glenealy, Co. Wicklow |
Richard Lynch | Stickillen, Ardee, Co. Louth |
Joseph O’Reilly | Lurganboy, Togher, Co. Louth |
Derek Peoples | Tullyannon, Carrigans, Co. Donegal |
Willie Kelly | Lavagh, Skreen, Co. Sligo |
Alan Wood | Mullinmure, Crossmolina, Co. Mayo |
David Aughmuty | Ballygalda, Co. Roscommon |
Paul O’Brien | Coome, Glenville, Co. Cork |
Clive Buttimer | Ahaliskey, Ballinascarthy, Bandon, Co. Cork |
Noel Farrell | Rathgallen, Golden, Cashel, Co. Tipperary |
Nicholas Bergin | Coolnagh, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary |
Dairy Finalists
Fifteen dairy finalists have also been selected from the 16,200 dairy farms which are members of the Bord Bia Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme. Similarly, based on the results of their sustainability surveys, these are among the leading farms nationally with regard to the efficient, sustainable production of high quality milk. The 15 dairy finalists represent different Co-ops which are themselves participating in the Origin Green programme.
CO-OP | Herd Owner | Address |
Arrabawn | John Maher | Gortmore, Ballywilliam, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary |
Aurivo | Michael Gunn | Carrowclogher, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon |
Bandon | Vanessa Kiely O’Connor | Russell Hill, Upton, Innishannon, Co. Cork |
Barryroe | Noel O’Donovan | Ballymacwilliam, Clonakility, Co. Cork |
Boherbue | Peter Murphy | Tureenglanahee, Ballydesmond Mallow Co. Cork |
Dairygold | Trevor Crowley | Hornhill, Lissarda, Co. Cork |
Drinagh | Timothy & Shane McCarthy | Dromusta West, Drimoleague, Co. Cork |
Glanbia | Shane O’Loughlin | Oghill, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare |
Kerry | Michael McMahon and Family | Kilcarroll, Kilrush, Co. Clare |
LacPatrick | David Hall | Lassarley, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan |
Lakeland | Mairead McLoughlin | Thomastown, Rath, Birr, Co. Offaly |
Lee Strand | John & Niall Mason | Ballinduganig, Ballyseedy, Tralee, Co. Kerry |
Lisavaird | Michael Dullea | Ahaguilla, Clonakility, Co. Cork |
North Cork | Patrick M Dennehy | Coolmahane, Kilbrin, Kanturk, Co. Cork |
Tipperary | Edwin Thompson | Kilmore House, Golden, Cashel, Co. Tipperary |
* Carbon foot printing livestock farms is a measure of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of 1kg of output. Ireland has the lowest carbon footprint in Europe for dairy, while the carbon footprint of Irish beef has been shown to be the 5th lowest in the EU.
Horticulture Finalists
12 producers were shortlisted under this category, based on their overall audit performance in the Sustainable Horticulture Assurance Scheme since it was launched in November 2017 under the following four categories:
- Mushrooms
- Field Vegetables
- Potatoes
- Fruits and Protected Crops
Each shortlisted finalist was visited by an independent judging panel and were assessed across 17 sustainability topics including crop husbandry, health and safety, farm labour, local community involvement, environmental/biodiversity measures and energy usage. These finalists are among the top performing horticultural farms in Ireland producing high quality fresh produce.
Company/Producer Name | Address |
Reilly’s Mushrooms | Walderstown, Athlone, Co Westmeath |
Clune Mushrooms | Clune, Clonoulty, Co.Tipperary |
Eamonn Murphy | Kinsealy Lane, Malahide, Co Dublin |
Leo Murphy Produce Ltd | Beechwell, Kinsealy Lane, Malahide, Co. Dublin |
John B Dockrell | Munroe, Screen, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford |
Hilltown Growers Ltd | Hilltown House, Garristown, Co.Dublin |
John/David/Joe Rodgers | Murragh Farm, Oldtown, Co.Dublin |
Kilmore Potatoes Ltd | Ringbawn, Kilmore, Co Wexford |
Martin Kehoe | The Moate, Rahvilly, Co Carlow |
Martin Flynn | Bealinstown, Swords, Co Dublin |
Danescastle Soft Fruit Farm | Danescastle, Wellingtonbridge, Co. Wexford |
Lispopple Apples | Lispopple, Swords, Co Dublin |