Graduation Day
Graduation Day
Twenty Tirlán dairy farmers are making their mark as the inaugural cohort of farm family suppliers to graduate from the Tirlán and Baileys Sustainable Farming Academy
This is the first Sustainable Farming Academy class to graduate with their Diploma in Environment, Sustainability and Climate from University College Cork, which was designed to provide them with the most up-to-date knowledge, skills and know-how needed to farm even more sustainably into the future.
The year-long, intensive programme supports farm families’ positive environmental actions and empowers the Tirlán family farm milk suppliers with the most relevant and up-to-date support to continue to address sustainability challenges. The Academy is also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Academic partner, University College Cork, delivered the accredited and fully funded Level 7 Diploma.
Modules studied included Earth Science, Climate Change and Sustainable Development as well as Ecology, Applied Geographical Information Systems, Environmental Protection and Practical Environmental Management.
Darren Barcoe, Head of Global Sales at Tirlán, congratulated the first cohort of graduates and said: “The sustainability landscape continues to evolve, on-farm, in our Co-op and in the marketplace. Our farm family suppliers that are graduating with their Diplomas once again demonstrate the willingness of our suppliers to adopt to the sustainability challenges. We’re proud to support Irish farming communities in addressing environmental, economic, and social challenges. Our farm families remain committed to their on-farm sustainability journey, as part of our Co-op wide Living Proof sustainability strategy.”
Robert Murphy, Global Supply Director for Baileys, said: “We’re proud Tirlán partners since 1974 and it makes sense that we would work together to upskill and educate farmers in sustainable farming practices, so that together we can drive positive change and shape the future of farming in Ireland. We believe the Sustainable Farming Academy can drive fundamental changes in farming practices and we are immensely proud to support this initiative and to acknowledge this first class of graduates. Together, we are working for change.”
Above Tirlán Dairy Farmer Amanda Mooney (L) is pictured at her Sustainable Farming Academy Graduation with Tirlán’s Carol Power
Graduate, Amanda Mooney, described the experience as extraordinary, adding: “It was great to learn not only from the lecturers but from my peers. It’s quite remarkable how you can have 20 different people doing the same thing but all a little bit different, yet all achieving the best they can on their family farms. I’ve learnt a lot from the course and the real serious issues we have. I can do small things to help and if we all do our little bit, it will make a big difference.”
Watch the video below to learn most about the Sustainable Farming Academy, what it means to the graduates, and Tirlán’s partnership with Bailey’s and UCC.
A new cohort of 20 students has joined since September this year and will follow in their footsteps, with their year-long studies also tailored to fit in with each farmer’s full-time, on-farm responsibilities.
Farming Made Sustainable
Farming Made Sustainable
Living and working sustainably on the Fitzgerald farm
‘Good for the family, good for the cows and good for the environment’
It is possible to achieve the holy trinity on a farm – you can work with nature, have a good work/life balance and turn a profit, says third generation dairy farmer Shane Fitzgerald.
The Waterford man farms 93 hectares with his father John, his fiancé Kate and her brother Seán in the shadow of the magnetic Comeragh Mountains in Portlaw and is one of 10 farmers taking part in the Teagasc/Tirlán Signpost Future Farm Programme.
Shane recently hosted an open day on his farm in conjunction with Tirlán and Teagasc and the Future Farm Programme. Watch the video below to learn more about how the Fitzgerald family farm focuses on three pillars – the economics, the environmental, the social and how they strive to get the balance between the three of them.
Balance
“Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We aim for a productive and profitable herd while leaving room for nature, protecting water quality and reducing our emissions, as well as having a work life balance.
“It’s not always an easy thing to do but we’re showing it here on the farm – that they can go hand in hand. You can have a productive and profitable herd, make the farm sustainable and streamlined. We enjoy a break away from the farm as well. If myself and Kate want to get away, my Dad and Seán are here.
“Farmers get a lot of the blame for increasing emissions and polluting the waterways. We don’t have any streams or rivers on this farm but have a number of open drains. They obviously get into a watercourse somewhere along the line, so we are very conscious of that.
“Starting from the farmyard, the biggest investment we made was in a road sweeper. We keep our concrete yard clean all year round, so any dirt or muck is swept away and only clean water goes into drains. We resurfaced our silage pits due to cracks which could easily lead to effluent losses from the silage pits.”
Watercourses
“We’ve created buffer zones too along the farm, creating a 3 to 4 meter corridor away from watercourses where there’s no slurry or pesticides or fertiliser. It’s really protecting our watercourses and is a fantastic corridor for wildlife. We’re also using protected urea which is more environmentally friendly than traditional fertiliser. We’ve put in a few owl boxes and recently dug out a pond, which will hopefully attract further wildlife onto our farm.
“Some of the bad publicity farmers get can be very frustrating. I became very aware of this when I was studying at college. I studied business and a lot of my friends were not farming. I quickly became aware that not a lot of people are aware of where their food comes from. It made me get interested in educating people about what farmers do.
“Some people get their information from social media. Others get frustrated with farmers when they see a tractor holding up traffic on the road or spreading slurry. It gives a bad perception of farming and some people don’t see it as an attractive way of life. When things are done efficiently, when things are done right, farming is very sustainable.
“All farmers are doing their best to farm the land, we are the custodians of the land. If you ask any farmer in the country about the future, no farmer wants to leave it in a worse place than when they got it. That perception is completely wrong and it’s up to us as farmers to tell our stories, to open up our gates and show the public the reality beyond the farm gate. We got people onto our farm with the support of Agri Aware and Tirlán during the summer. Lots of people are now three or four generations removed from the farm and it opened their eyes about the reality and the way farmers farm.”
Improving the soil
Watch the video below to learn about how Tirlán’s sustainability action payment programme is helping improve soil fertility.
Shane is a firm believer in sowing multi-species swards. They include six different types of swards, all of which help to improve and enrich the soil in different ways, reduce the potential for soil erosion while also providing key nutrients for his 215 cows. It also reduces the farm’s dependence on fertiliser. Shane can see a huge improvement in the biodiversity below the soil where he has multispecies sown, with huge earthworm activity present. Shane also places a large emphasis on soil fertility, ensuring nutrients are balanced within the soil.
The buffer zones Shane has introduced throughout the farm are not wasted spaces – they provide extra grazing space for smaller numbers of animals later in the year.
“We graze our field margins in September/October. You could cut them or graze them. We have about 2,000 metres that is grazed off once a year. We have more than enough space for nature by allowing these field margins and the buffer zones give a corridor for wildlife that can live there and in our hedgerows. More different and diverse plants will grow back after they have been grazed, bringing benefits for all of nature throughout the year.”
Future plans
Shane hopes that consumers will begin to understand the extra lengths that farmers are going to each and every day to farm with nature.
“I do hope that down the line, consumers will take on board that farmers are farming to a higher environmental standard and that they can get paid more as a result.”
So what are Shane’s plans for the future? He hopes to plant more hedgerows but other than that, it’s all about keeping a close eye on the simple things and ensuring that when it’s his time to hand over the farm, it’s in even better shape than it was when his grandfather first worked the land in Portlaw in the early 1950s.
Driving Change
Driving change
Thomas Ryan, Head of Agri-Sustainability and Customer Engagement, has been out and about sharing our Living Proof story with the food industry
Thomas joined the Food Integrity Global Conference in London on October 18th. This conference focuses on discussing topics including food safety, sustainability, transparency, trust and food safety – all very important topics for the food industry. The audience was comprised of retailers including Tesco, Sainsburys and Walmart, manufacturers including Mars, Nestlé and PepsiCo and suppliers including Ornua UK and Dawn Foods to name a few. Thomas told Overherd: “This conference provided Tirlán with an important opportunity to showcase our unique relationship with our farm family suppliers and how this relationship is important to drive change in the food industry.”
Thomas participated in a discussion panel which focused on the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change COP Conference starting at the end of the month, exploring whether previous conferences have delivered for the Food and Beverage industry. Referring to previous remarks by UN Secretary General António Guterres, Thomas recalled the importance of partnerships and collaboration with all stakeholders in the supply chain, to deliver the sectors’ shared sustainability journey.
Events such as these are extremely important for Tirlán to participate in for several reasons. It is important to show the industry and the key opinion leaders within the industry that it is possible to make positive strides in sustainability with the dairy industry. Agriculture can become part of the solution for food security and climate change, but it is only through building relationships with our farmers and supporting them with initiatives such as the Sustainability Action Payment, Future Farm and Sustainable Farming Academy, that this can happen. Tirlán is a leader in driving sustainability for the dairy industry and we need to continue to show the positive impact we are delivering.
Chewing the cud with… Shane Aston
Chewing the cud with… Shane Aston
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our November newsletter, we’re talking to Agri Training Coordinator Shane Aston
Shane Aston is the newly appointed Training Co-Ordinator for the Agri category farmer-facing and retail teams. Shane has only been in the role since February this year but has already made his mark and is quickly getting to know the teams across the Tirlán branch network as well as the farmer-facing teams.
It’s no surprise that Shane has made such as a strong start. As a former athlete and National Champion, specialising in the decathlon discipline, Shane now relishes the challenge of getting to grips with his new role.
“For me it’s the breadth of Tirlán’s business that I find most interesting. The biggest challenge is the geographical spread and getting around to all the 52 branches. It’s also the amount of different products and services that we provide in the branches and in-yard directly to farmers. On a basic level, I need to ensure everyone is compliant with the legislation required for all Agri-input products, as well as health and safety requirements.”
“Previously, I had a basic understanding of farming in general and it’s been a bit of a baptism of fire for sure getting to know the sector. But everyone here is super friendly and always there to answer my questions.”
When he started the role, Shane began with a training gap analysis for the team and set-up a centralised training database with all the training skills and certificates. “Now that we’ve figured out where we are, we can plan for training across the full team and can look at closing any gaps identified during the analysis.” He also works on what he calls ‘the value-add training programmes” such as new-starter induction, customer service and retail skills courses.
Shane feels strongly about the importance and opportunity the Tirlán FarmLife branch network has in terms of its place in communities.
“It should not be overlooked how important the Tirlán FarmLife branches are in local communities. Each one is a community hub. And it’s certainly a testament to the people in the teams that they are really respected by the locals, maintain great relationships with their customers and do their jobs really well on top of that.”
Shane delivers some of the training himself, such as manual handling and customer service, a role he relishes.
“I love travelling around the branches, chatting to people and understand what their training needs and wants are. I really want to understand their training needs beyond compliance and look to build on it. In my previous role with Athletics Ireland I delivered hundreds of courses so I’m comfortable teaching and training. I believe you can have fun while learning and build relationships with people at the same time.”
And how does Shane manage his busy schedule?
“I’m not the type of person to say no. James Kinsella, my manager, is excellent on keeping me on track. I would have a head full of dreams and James is really good at focusing my mind. It’s a skill I have to work on. I try to use the Tirlán gym twice per week and I’m contemplating the yoga class there as well.”
Outside of work, Shane is just as busy. He’s currently mastering the art of surfing!
“I’ve only starting surfing about 18 months ago but I’m fully committed. During Covid I picked it up as a new hobby but I always had an interest in it. I started off with surf lessons in Lahinch and I loved it, I try to get to Tramore every weekend. I’m not that good at it but that’s probably why I like it because I like the challenge and I didn’t have any water skills previously.
“I’ve competed in athletics since I was 15 and I’ll be 30 next year. I was training seven nights a week. Now that I’ve finished with athletics, I still like to train but not as intensely. I really like a challenge so I go for new hobbies. Doing the Two Peaks this year instilled a bit of a love of mountaineering in me so maybe that’s next!”
Revamps and Relocations
Revamps and Relocations
New and improved stores open across Tirlán’s branch network
Hundreds of farmers and families from the local community recently turned out to celebrate the official opening of Tirlán CountryLife in Athboy, Co Meath.
Having expanded to include a garden centre and a store extension of an additional 6,100 square foot, hundreds of new agricultural, horticultural, pet and household product lines are now on offer to customers in an appealing environment. Car parking at the site has also been increased, with two new electric car charging points added.
Above: Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy officially opens the newly revamped CountryLife Store in Athboy, Co Meath
Cutting the ribbon and officially opening the branch which serves Tirlán suppliers and the wider public in the Meath and Louth area, John Murphy Tirlán Chairperson, said the investment clearly demonstrates the cooperative’s promise to continue to invest in rural Ireland and improve vital services in the communities it serves. “Improving the customer experience and adding a state-of-the-art garden centre future proofs this branch for years to come.”
Darren Kelly, Store Manager, said. “We’ve been hugely grateful to the surrounding community for their support since we opened our new garden centre earlier this year. I’m proud to lead the team here in the store to continue to ensure we can act as a heartbeat for the local community. We’re also delighted to have increased our staff numbers to 13 as a result of this increased investment.”
Above: Athboy Store Manager Darren Kelly pictured in the recently opened Garden Centre
You can watch the official opening video below…
New Tirlán Farmlife store opens in Clonmel
The Tirlán Farmlife Clonmel branch has relocated to a bigger store branch in the Ard Gaoithe Business Park. This is the latest store in Tirlán’s 52 branch network to benefit from an €11 million investment package.
Above: Tirlán Board Member, Bill Carroll cuts the ribbon, officially opening the new Farmlife Store in Clonmel. He’s joined by Store Manager Aidan Quigley, with Tirlan’s Head of Retail, Senan Foley far left and Director of Agribusiness, Ailish Byrne far right
The new branch is a positive move for Tirlán and Clonmel; it’s bigger, brighter and better laid out than the former location. The new store allows for the sale of a wider range of goods, with more yard space and increased parking.
This investment showcases the strategic importance of Tipperary, Tirlán’s fourth biggest supplier of milk, and demonstrates how Tirlán is living up to its promise to support local jobs and rural economies, as outlined in our Co-op’s ‘Living Proof’ sustainability strategy.
Above: Tirlán colleagues and customers celebrate the new branch opening in Clonmel
For Tirlán, our landmark retail channel investment programme is part of a range of measures to futureproof our agri, retail and garden centre services in rural communities across 12 counties, Senan Foley, Head of Retail at Tirlán said. “These major investments clearly demonstrate our promise to play a key role in supporting local jobs and rural economies. The needs of farmers, customers and the communities, of which we are part of, are evolving. Many rural communities have lost their post office or other vital services. In many instances, these services are now incorporated into our branch network to ensure Tirlán delivers on its promise of creating a modern network of stores that meet current and future demands across all of our communities across 12 counties.”
Super Milk Super Science!
Super Milk Super Science!
Avonmore Super Milk Super Science competition launches in primary schools nationwide
The Avonmore Super Milk Super Science Experiment is an exciting initiative encouraging primary schools nationwide to engage in a STEM-based lesson, while learning about the importance of bone health. The campaign teaches children about how the nutrients in Avonmore Super Milk – in particular Vitamin D and calcium – contribute to long term bone health.
Students have a chance to take part in a fun experiment to make their own “bones” using Super Milk and be in with a chance to win €3000 for their school. Now in its fifth year, this engaging programme has become an annual class lesson in many primary schools nationwide with high participations levels across the country.
Gain the Advantage
Gain the Advantage
The 2023 GAIN The Advantage Series comes to a close
Above: L-R – John Hore (GAIN Equine Nutrition Business Manager), Philip Gilligan (GAIN Equine Nutrition, Irish Country Manager), Andrew Slattery (2023 GAIN The Advantage Series Leading Trainer), Michael Phillips (GAIN Equine Nutrition Business Manager), Niall O’Neill (GAIN Equine Nutrition Business Manager)
After nine legs, the 2023 GAIN The Advantage Series came to a close on Sunday 22nd October at Leopardstown Racecourse. The last race of the series was won by Yuzu for Mrs. Jessica Harrington.
The overall leading trainer title for the series was won by GAIN customer Andrew Slattery after he accumulated some last minute points in the final race to secure the prize of €5,000 worth of GAIN Equine Nutrition products.
The breeder draw was won by Randolf Stevens Ltd. who will receive one tonne of GAIN Equine Nutrition products and the stable staff draw was won by Melissa O’Neill who will enjoy a night away with dinner at the Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny.
Above: Trainers and stable staff enjoying the GAIN branded stable staff canteen and complimentary lunch at Leopardstown Racecourse
As part of our brand activation surrounding the final, GAIN Equine Nutrition sponsored the stable staff canteen on the day which was a very popular endeavour.
The series is a fantastic initiative that has grown in popularity over the past three years and gives us the opportunity to show our support to the thoroughbred racing and bloodstock industries, which are vital parts of our business.
The series remains popular throughout the industry because it acknowledges not only the owner with increased prize money, but also the trainer with the league table, the breeder and the hard-working stable staff.
Competition Winners
Competition winners
In last month’s edition of Overherd at Tirlán we gave three lucky readers the opportunity to win prizes thanks to SuperMilk, Mooju and Avonmore Soup!
Congratulations to Kevin Doyle from Belview who won a €100 Portwest voucher for correctly telling us that 90% of people don’t get enough Vitamin D from the food we eat. Simply adding Avonmore Super Milk to your tea, coffee, smoothie and cereals is an easy way to increase your Vitamin D.
Ciara Scallon from Drogheda correctly told us that the high voltage/lightening emoji on Mooju Vanilla packaging signifies energy⚡. Congrats Ciara, you’ve won a €100 One4All voucher!
Finally, congratulations goes to Brian Doherty, also from Belview, who sent in a picture of his favourite Avonmore Wholesome Chicken and Veg soup to win a family pass to Dublin Zoo.
