Never one to miss an opportunity Cllr Willie Aird pounced on the revelation this week by Cllr Pauline Madigan that she is a farmer’s daughter and comes from a farming background.
Cllr Aird, admitted that this was news to him and something he had not realised before. Now that the cat was out of the bag he asked Cllr Madigan would she have some time to do a bit of relief milking for him while he was out canvassing for the forthcoming elections.
The bit of friendly banter emerged at the presentation to the winners of the inaugural Chairman’s Award for Good Environmental Practice on the Farm.
This is an excellent initiative undertaken by the current Council Chairman, John King in conjunction with the local authority’s environmental department. It is hoped that it might become an annual event.
This was the first year that the Council held such an agricultural competition, open to all Laois farms, to recognise those farmers who conduct good environmental practices on their land on a daily basis.
The winners of the inaugural award were Patrick and Ronan Kavanagh of Clonard, Kilbricken, Mountrath and the runners-up Joe Hyland from Aghaboe.
Both farm families said they knew each other well from farming and hurling. Pat Kavanagh is a well-known figure around Mountrath Mart for years.
Council Chairman, himself a man of many talents as a former fireman, said that in a previous life he had been a butcher from a farming background. He said that he was keen to acknowledge good farming practices and the origins of our healthy food supply by initiating these awards.
In accepting the award, Ronan Kavanagh said they were absolutely delighted to be recognised for the hard work they put in to maintaining their farm over the generations.
They were grateful for this recognition and thanked their Teagasc Advisor, Peter Doolin for all his support and expertise.
The chief Executive of the Council, John Mulholland spoke of the importance of animal welfare and commended the farming community for what is a labour of love as they look after the land for future generations.
The criteria for the awards included nutrient management and protection of water courses; disposal of waste and farm plastics; hedgerow protection and care; the management of biodiversity areas; and the maintenance of the farm heritage buildings, gates and machinery.
The judges for the awards were Catherine Casey the Laois Council Heritage Officer; Barbara Sullivan of the Irish Wildlife Trust and Con Moloney of Teagasc.
With the thoughts of the looming local elections now never far away from any discussion at the Council, Cllr Pauline Madigan also told colleagues that she had been in contact with her brother who is now running the family farm and he has agreed to reuse some of her election posters on the farm for borders and such like.
“The rest he can use to scare the crows away,” she said he had joked.
To which Cllr Noel Tuohy quipped: “Your brother better have a big farm Pauline because there are going to be over one million posters which will have to be got rid of after the elections.”
Cllr Aird said commended Cllr King for coming forward with these environmental awards. He said that the attitude of farmers to the environment was over and above the call of duty and things had improved dramatically over the past twenty years in terms of hedgerows, trees and shrubs.
“Everyone benefits from biodiversity and the protection of special species and many farms now even host beehives for beekeepers who don’t have their own land to do so and this was all encouraged by Teagasc,” he said.
Cllr Jimmy Kelly, noting Pat Kavanagh’s long association with Mountrath Mart said that the closure of the mart was a severe loss to the local community in terms of the business it generated.
He said that the Mountmellick-Borris electoral district accounted for 42% of the county, many of them farm families.
Cllr Tom Mulhall spoke of the spotless farmyards and immaculate fencing which was now the norm thanks to schemes like REPS and he recognised the role of the IFA and Teagasc in improving standards all the time.
Now that we are coming in to the busy summer months on the farm he urged vigilance in terms of health and safety in terms of animals and machinery as accidents could happen so quickly with devastating consequences.
Pat and Ronan, Kavanagh, Kilbricken, winners of the ChairmanÕs Award for Good Environmental Practice on the Farm competition are presented with their award by Cathaoirleach John King MCC and Ann Carroll, LCC at County Hall, Portlaoise. From, left: Phina Kavanagh, Cathaoirleach John King, Pat and Ronan Kavanagh; Ann Carroll, LCC and Georgina Kavanagh.
Picture: Alf Harvey.
Picture: Alf Harvey.
Joe Hyland, Aghaboe is presented with his award for runner up in the ChairmanÕs Award for Good Environmental Practice on the Farm by Cathaoirleach John King MCC at County Hall, Portlaoise with Mikey Hyland on right.
Picture: Alf Harvey.
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