The 2024 Growing Organics programme has gotten underway at a dairy and tillage farm in the south of Laois.
The year’s opening farm walk took place at Bill and Marianne George’s dairy and tillage farm earlier this week in Arles
This is the second year of the Growing Organics programme, which include four regional farm walks spread across the main farming enterprises of beef, dairy, sheep, and tillage.
The programme is jointly run and will be resourced and staffed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and Bord Bia.
Green Party Senator, Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine took part in the event.
“Today’s farm walk has been a great way to begin the month of May, which I think all farmers are hoping will bring good weather to allow us get on with the work that has been building up in recent weeks and months,” Minister Hackett said.
“It’s been a long, hard winter for Irish farmers. We’re facing challenges like never before around generational renewal, water quality, climate change, and ensuring that farmers have a decent standard of living and quality of life.
“I think stories like that of Bill and Marianne, and a farm system like theirs, will give farmers real food for thought coming off the Winter of 2023/24.”
To illustrate the increased level of supports to farmers under the Organic Farming Scheme, a payments calculator has been developed for farmers and is available here.
This calculator displays the value for each farmer of converting to organic.
“Bill and Marianne’s farm has been organic for over 20 years,” Minister Hackett said.
“The stocking rate on the grazing platform without artificial inputs is running at 2.5 livestock units per hectare, with the overall stocking rate on the farm at 1.7 livestock units per hectare.
“Like any farming system, there are challenges to be overcome when switching to organics, and it was great to hear Bill and Marianne discuss those challenges, and the solutions, so openly.
“There has been plenty of discussion about organics and its pros and cons over the last few years, but nothing beats talking to an organic farmer and getting honest answers to your questions.
“I’d really encourage farmers to keep an eye out for organic farm walks in their area over the coming weeks and months, and to go along if they can at all to hear for themselves how it works day-to-day on the ground.”
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