10 August 2024

Strong Teagasc presence planned at Tullamore Show

Whether your query relates to reducing your farm’s carbon footprint, organics, forestry, water quality or diversification, Teagasc staff will be on site at the Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show, tomorrow, August 11.

The Sustainable Livestock Village

First formed in 2023, the Sustainable Livestock Village returns to tomorrow’s Tullamore Show. A collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Teagasc, Bord Bia, ICBF, Animal Health Ireland, Meat Industry Ireland and Dairy Industry Ireland, and supported by FBD, this village will offer practical tips to improve your farm’s carbon footprint.

The Teagasc involvement centres on supporting farmers to adopt sustainability practices. Along with showcasing AgNav, a sustainability toolkit jointly developed by Teagasc, ICBF and Bord Bia, with the support of DAFM, key actions farmers can take to reduce emissions – such as liming, reducing the age of first calving and reducing finishing age – will be shared.

In addition to this, there is also the opportunity to engage with members of the Teagasc Signpost Advisory Programme – a programme available to support all farmers to commit to, select and implement climate and sustainability actions that will be appropriate and impactful on their farms.

A new addition to the Sustainable Livestock Village for 2024 is the Speaker’s Corner, where panel discussions will take place throughout the course of the day on topics such as reducing your carbon footprint, protecting water quality and nurturing nature on your farm.

Table 1: Speaker’s corner timetable

Throughout the day at the Sustainable Livestock Village, ICBF and Animal Health will be giving informative presentations. Elements such as the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and the role of animal health in boosting sustainability will be discussed.

Teagasc Organics at the Tullamore Show

With an increased interest in organic farming in Ireland in recent years, the Teagasc Organic team will also feature at the upcoming Tullamore Show.

At farm level, the sector has experienced a large influx of new farmers, with presently 5,000 farmers now farming approximately 5% of the utilisable agricultural area. Organic farming can suit all systems regardless of soil type or location. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine financial incentive provided by the Organic Farming Scheme is proving attractive to many farmers. This is a five-year, standalone scheme and supports farmers with per hectare payments as well as a participation payment.

To discuss if organic farming is an option for your farm, what are the key factors to consider, and what are the steps involved when converting to organics, call and have a chat with advisors from the Teagasc Organic team who will be in the NOTS (National Organic Training Skillnet) Organic Tent located in Stand L1 in the Livestock area.

The Forestry and Sustainable Living Section

The Forestry and Sustainable Living Section is not to be missed at this year’s Tullamore Show. Co-ordinated by the Teagasc Forestry Development Department, it will host a wide range of trade stands from across the forestry and renewable energy sectors and will showcase an array of products, services and activities.

Teagasc advisory and research staff will be on hand to assist with all your farm forestry queries. Whether your inquiries relate to farm income enhancement, environmental benefits or climate change mitigation opportunities, a visit to the Teagasc Forestry stand will be most worthwhile. It will allow you to avail of the latest advice and cutting edge research that is on-going within Teagasc. As well as free information packs available for all visitors, there will also be free competitions for both adults and kids; so make sure to visit us at Row W (443 & 444) on the day. The Forestry and Energy Section will be located on Rows W & X, adjacent to the Yellow Catering Village (or the Yellow Car Park entrance, Gate 8) so be sure to visit.

Teagasc Advisory

Members of the Teagasc advisory team will also be in attendance who will share key insights on the recently launched Teagasc Better Farming for Water Campaign – 8 Actions for Change. Key elements to this campaign include nutrient management, farmyard management and land management. Along with outlining the campaign, details will be shared on how solar water pumps can be utilised effectively to prevent cattle access to watercourses and thus bring about an improvement in water quality. Additionally, for those interested in diversifying into food production, the advice, training and broad range of supports Teagasc provides will be outlined. Teagasc representatives working in the areas of education, ACRES, Signpost, dairy, drystock and tillage will also be in attendance.