Tipperary farmers scoop awards at ICBF Dairy Farmer Finisher awards
The recent ICBF Beef Quality Awards saw a number of Tipperary farmers recognised for their work, including in the Dairy Farmer Finisher awards
A number of Tipperary farmers were justly rewarded at the recent ICBF Beef Quality Awards recently, including two among the six Dairy Farmer Finisher award winners.
Rory Dunne, Borrisokane and William St Leger, a farmer at Knock near the Laois border were both recognised at the awards, which rewards farmers who are achieving outstanding results through genetics, performance recording and efficient beef production.
Rory Dunne was recognised as the ABP Dairy Farmer Finisher Award winner, reflecting the performance achieved across his integrated dairy-beef enterprise.
Farming alongside his wife Lucy, daughter Michelle and long time staff member Peter Moyles, Rory manages a 250-acre operation centred around a 106-cow dairy herd. The dairy herd supplies cattle for beef finishing with ABP, while store lambs and tillage add diversity.
Rory’s approach combines dairy-beef production, crop rotation and home-grown feed to improve resilience to changing markets and weather. He comes from a strong farming tradition, with his father Michael purchasing the farm in 1968 and Rory taking charge from 1972. Staff member Peter Moyles, has worked alongside Rory since 1987 and is now considered family. Peter takes ownership of all tractor work, leaving Rory to work with the stock which he prefers.
William St Leger from Knock, on the Tipperary/Laois border, was crowned Ashbourne Meats Dairy Farmer Finisher.
William inherited the farm from his father, who played an important role in shaping the enterprise and William’s approach to farming. His father remained actively involved on the farm into later life and is greatly missed by the family
Although dairy farming is his primary enterprise, William has developed a highly successful beef finishing system built on quality cattle, careful management and attention to detail.
William operates a simple but highly effective system. He milks 70 Holstein Friesian cows, producing just under 500kg of milk solids per cow, while also rearing all calves on whole milk before bringing them through to slaughter. The success of the system demonstrates the value of careful management and attention to detail.