Setting up a new grassland farm

Patrick and Danny Cremin


Setting up a new grassland farm (.pdf)

 

Description

  • Setting up a new grassland farm
  • Focusing on higher production and lower costs
  • Setting up a 2nd milking platform- grazing infrastructure
  • Increase output on the farm
  • Justifying an extra labour unit, benefit from economies of scale and produce more milk from grass
  • Bank loan repayments
  • More milk being sold to the co-op
  • Economic results
  • Good support team- advisors, discussion group, bank
  • Job satisfaction for the farmer
  • Pasturebase Ireland

Reason for the innovation

Produce more milk from grass

  • Justifying an extra labour unit, benefit from economies of scale and produce more milk from grass
  • More milk being sold to the co-op
  • Good support team- advisors, discussion group, bank

Farm description

Environment

  • Soil type: Clayey-loam
  • Climate type: Oceanic Temperate Climate
  • Agricultural area (ha UAA): 170
  • Permanent grassland area (ha) : 170
  • Average stocking rate (agriculture area) (LU/ha UAA): 2.9
  • Altitude: Variation across the farm (200m)
  • Slope: Variation across farm (20%)

Grassland management

  • Grazing: Yes
  • Grazing management type: Rotational grazing

Structure

  • Main animal type: Dairy
  • Total Livestock unit (LU): 380
  • Breed type 1: Fr*Je
  • Breed type 2: Fr

Animal performance

  • Milk production per head (l/year/dairy animal): 5300l
  • Grassland management type: Rotational
  • Length of grazing period: 260-270 days
  • Fertilization rate (kg N/ha): 240

Why it is working

  • Setting up a 2nd milking platform- grazing infrastructure
  • Increase output on the farm
  • Justifying an extra labour unit, benefit from economies of scale and produce more milk from grass
  • More milk being sold to the co-op
  • Economic results
  • Good support team- advisors, discussion group, bank
  • Job satisfaction for the farmer
  • Pasturebase Ireland

Additional information

Farming system

conventional farming

Domains of innovation

farm system, grazing management system

Main types of animal

dairy cattle

Country

Ireland

Product type

Farmer portrait

Language

English

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