The Dairy Edge

Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year, Patrick O’Neill, and Teagasc Grass10 Manager, John Maher, join James Dunne on this week’s Dairy edge podcast to discuss Patrick’s award-winning farming system.  

Patrick outlines the farm performance, how he deals with adversity that was the spring of 2024 and details the transition to grass clover swards. 

John also outlines what it takes to win the competition and highlights the ...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

As we enter June, Joseph also discusses measuring every 5 days using PastureBase Ireland and he has a grazing update from Christopher Cahill who farms in Co. Westmeath.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-28thMay

For m...

Germinal Technical Director, Mary McEvoy, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the future of the grass seed industry.

Mary explains how the Pasture Profit Index (PPI) has changed the way farmers look at seed varieties and how the PPI, from a seed industry perspective, validated the breeding programmes that were in place.

Mary then spoke about the timeframe involved in bringing a seed to market a...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

Joseph discusses keeping grass under control as we approach peak growth on Irish farms & he has an update from Brian Meade, Co. Meath.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-21stMay

For more episodes from the Dairy Ed...

There has been welcome improvement in both growth rates and grazing conditions over the last couple of weeks and much of the attention on farms now turns to correcting the impact the spring has had on grass quality and making sure herds meet their nutritional needs throughout the breeding season. 

For this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, Teagasc senior research officer, Dr Mike Dineen, joins James Dunne to highlight the true nu...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, as growth rates increase, Joseph Dunphy is joined by dairy farmer Michael Doran from Co. Wexford to discuss the management decisions he is making this week on his farm.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-14thMay

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Da...

Attracta Dooley from FRS Training and Chloe Walsh, a secondary school teacher who helps her husband Pat on their farm outside Durrow in Co. Laois, join Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to talk about the upcoming FRS Training Best Practice in Milking Courses which commence on May 22nd in Pallaskenry Agricultural college.

For Chloe, she wanted to learn more about the whole milking process which was her incenti...

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

As grass growth is finally predicted to increase Joseph also discusses grazing management and he has a grazing update from Sustainable GFOY nutrient management category joint winner, Killian Brennan, from county Cavan.

Link to this week’s Grass1...

With the difficult grazing conditions throughout the spring it’s no harm to reflect on the last number of months as to what worked well and what can be improved for the future. 

It’s maybe more important though to identify the priorities in order to get back on track with the least impact, and on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, James Dunne is joined by Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, Dr Joe Patton.

Joe offers adv...

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

With grass growth stubborn to increase as we enter May, Joseph discusses grazing management and he has an update from Sustainable GFOY Nutrient management category winner, Michael Carroll from Co. Limerick.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter...

On this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge, Stuart Childs is joined by Aurivo Joint Programme Monitor Farmer and DairyBeef 500 Ambassador, David Gannon, and John McCabe, Monitor Farm advisor with the Aurivo Joint Programme, to discuss the beef breeding plan for David’s farm for 2024.

David starts by outlining the background to his herd and then spoke about how he plans to use the beef bull team he has selected along with Joh...

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

With surplus grass on many farms, Joseph also discusses grazing advice and he has a grazing update from County Sligo, with Young Category Winner of the Sustainable GFOY Evan Hunt.

Link to this week’s newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-23rdApril

Fo...

David Quinn, Superintending Veterinary Inspector at the Department Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is on this week’s joint episode of the Dairy Edge and the Beef Edge with hosts James Dunne and Catherine Egan to dispel some of the myths around TB (Bovine Tuberculosis). 

David gives a detailed breakdown on Ireland’s TB statistics. He describes the testing methods and why they are used and outlines the issues around fal...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

With an improving weather forecast, Joseph discusses getting back on track with grazing and fertiliser and has a grazing update from Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year Overall Winner Patrick O Neill, Co. Longford.

Link to this week’s news...

With the difficult conditions at farm level, much of the conversation over the last number of weeks has centred around ensuring the milking herd are properly fed.

These conditions have also meant that maiden heifers have remained housed on a lot of farms for longer than normal this spring and on this week’s Dairy Edge, James Dunne is joined by Teagasc dairy specialist, Stuart Childs, who offers some advice to farmers aroun...

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 

Joseph explains the options for farmers starting their second rotation and those with low % grazed & we also hear from featured farmer Stephen Buttimer from county Cork.

Link to this week’s newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-9thApril

For more...

On this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge, Donal Patton, Teagasc Ballyhaise and Mike Egan, Teagasc , discussed at a recent Teagasc webinar the current weather conditions and scenarios facing farmers across the country and how best to deal with them.

Donal first talked through the current situation in Ballyhaise and then discussed trial work that was done over a 4 year period there which mimicked the situation that many farm...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week.

As the wet weather continues, Joseph discusses grazing management advice and he has an update from Shane Seymour in county Tipperary.

Link to this week’s newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-2ndApril

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go...

Recognition of the high forage quality and the nitrogen (N) fixation benefits of grass-white clover pastures has led to a resurgence of interest in its use as a means of reducing the economic and environmental costs in livestock agriculture. 

On this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, Teagasc grassland researcher Caitlin Looney and Teagasc Grass 10 advisor Joseph Dunphy, outline the benefits of grass white clover swards, the findi...