Virtual Farm Walk – Focusing on reducing carbon footprint

A virtual Farm Walk will take place from the Fitzgerald family farm in Waterford on Thursday 1st October at 11.00 am as part of the Glanbia Ireland/Teagasc Open Source Future Farmer program, in collaboration with the European Milk Forum.

Shane Fitzgerald is farming with his father near Portlaw Co. Waterford. They are farming 92 Ha of which 30 Ha is leased. All the land is available to cows. The heifers are contract reared. They are currently milking 200 cows with an EBI of €138. The plan is to milk 210 cows and increase the solids produced per cow by 40 kg trough better genetics, fertility and grass.

The EBI of the younger stock is €185. All infrastructures on the farm have been upgraded. The calving interval for the herd is 371 days with a six week calving rate of 88%.

They make their own silage and spread their own fertilizer and slurry.

The Fitzgerald’s are part of the Glanbia Ireland / Teagasc Open Source Future Farm programme

On Thursday October a virtual farm walk will take place on the farm. The European Milk Forum are supporting this event with Teagasc and Glanbia Ireland.

The focus of the day is how the Fitzgerald’s are planning to reduce the carbon footprint of their farm. The day will start with an hour long webinar at 11.00am. The contributors to the panel will be:

• Shane Fitzgerald
• Zoe Kavanagh, spokesperson European Milk Forum and CEO National Dairy Council
• Shane McElroy, Glanbia Ireland
• Brendan Horan, Teagasc Moorepark

After the webinar, the Fitzgerald’s in collaboration with the European Milk Forum will take over Teagasc's Twitter and Instagram pages. The main focus on the day will be:

• Grass and how managing this better will reduce nitrogen use
• Breeding and managing the cow to reduce carbon footprint
• The plan to improve biodiversity on the farm
• Water quality and actions taken to improve
• Improving the work life balance

Register for the Fitzgerald virtual farm walk here.

First Published on 15 September 2020