Farming: Irish Grassland Association announces National Dairy Summer Tour
Roy and Trevor Cobbe are farming in partnership.
The Irish Grassland Association (IGA) Summer Tour for 2024 will be held on Tuesday, July 9, in Co. Laois. Two exceptional farms will host the tour, with a wide range of themes showcased on the day.
Bruce Thompson who is farming outside the village of Ballyfin is an eighth-generation farmer. The farm, which was traditionally a mixed farm, is now a commercial dairy farm with a herd of 275 cross-bred cows. Bruce is a popular and well-known Farming for Nature Ambassador and Nuffield Scholar.
Roy and Trevor Cobbe are farming in partnership. The family has a long history in farming, with this the third and fourth generation farming at Doolagh, outside Portarlington. Trevor was the 2021 FBD Young Dairy Farmer of the Year and since returning home has consistently adopted best farming technologies and efficiencies, and has been hugely supported and encouraged by his father Roy. They run the Doolagh pedigree registered Holstein Friesian herd of 120 cows.
AIB again sponsors the IGA Summer Tour, and Mick Conlon, AIB Agri Advisor said: “AIB is delighted to continue our long association with the Irish Grassland Association.
“This year’s summer tour is a great opportunity to see and hear from two progressive farms. Bruce is running a large-scale commercial dairy farm, with a focus on the environment, while the Cobbe’s are an excellent example of the typical intergenerational partnerships that are in place on many farms around the country.
“Both farms will have very different stories and insights to share but the fundamentals of cows, management and grass are key to the success of both farms.”
The Cobbes’ are managing this 120-spring calving, grass-based, cow herd on a total land block of 81 ha. The milking platform consists of 43 ha and is stocked at 2.7 LU/ha. Young stock and silage are managed on supporting blocks of land.
Trevor came home farming full-time almost 15 years ago to a herd of 40 dairy cows operating as a mixed farm. The herd has grown and developed since then with a critical focus on herd performance through breeding improvements with a strong focus on EBI.
Roy and Trevor will discuss the progress in their herd, the suitability of the cow type to their system while optimising output and stocking rate to drive the technical efficiency and financial sustainability of the business.
Trevor has clear discipline when it comes to grassland management. This starts with a farm walk every five days from late March on. This allows both Trevor and Roy to make the right grazing decisions for the week ahead and have an effective plan for keeping quality grass in front of cows throughout the season. They invested in LESS slurry spreading equipment a number of years ago and this combined with clover inclusion to reseeds has allowed them to better manage available slurry and reduce their chemical nitrogen usage. This has been assisted through regular soil sampling, a liming programme and addressing P & K where needed. PastureBase records show 15.2 t/DM/ha grown in 2023.
Increasing the herd from 40 to 120 cows has required investment and development in key areas of: grazing infrastructure (paddock system and farm roadways), additional animal housing and slurry storage and calf rearing. This investment has been clearly planned and carried out on a phased basis. The final piece of the jigsaw now is the upgrading of the milking facilities.
Bruce operates a grass-based, spring calving herd of 275 cross-bred cows. Leaving secondary school in 2001 in very different economic times, he studied engineering before returning home to help his father, Ian, on the home farm through a difficult TB breakdown.
Since then, they have leased land and housing facilities, purchased quota and grown the herd steadily to the 275 cows that will be milked for 2024. Total land area farmed is 250 ha with 100 ha on the milking block. The 12-unit herring-bone parlour was upgraded to a 40-bail rotary parlour in 2018, around the time when the decision was taken to incorporate Jersey genetics into the mainly British Friesian herd.
Bruce said: “The herd is young, but we’ve consistently increased production over the last three years so I’m looking forward to maturity!” 310 cows were carried on the 100 ha block in 2023 but Bruce has taken the decision that 275 cows is a more appropriate stocking level for his system in 2024.
Key areas for focus at the event will be: development of the farm business since Bruce took over; grassland management and the breeding performance goals for the herd; farm labour management – people and effective communications; biodiversity – space for nature within a profitable system.
Bruce has two full-time members of staff, Nick and David. He takes a student every year and has two relief milkers for weekends. The bulk of the slurry and silage operations are carried out by contractors but due to the fragmented nature of the farm most of the fertiliser spreading is kept in-house.
In order to effectively manage and prioritise day-to-day and seasonal tasks, Bruce is very keen to assess and adopt any technology that can streamline the labour input on the farm.
Bruce and his team use phone apps such as Trello and TimeTree which offer shared calendars, identification and notification of tasks, scheduling/checklists etc.
Bruce has installed heat detection collars and converted the calf feeding system to reduce the amount of time needed to train young calves. Bruce and Nick also take a unique approach to grass measuring again with the goal of doing the job more efficiently.
As part of his farming practices Bruce focuses heavily on what he can do for wildlife and enhancing habitats on the farm. In 2020 he undertook a Nuffield Scholarship focussing on the plight of the dung beetle. By reducing anthelminthic use he has not only helped build a thriving dung beetle population but also reduced costs without compromising on animal performance.
Bruce has gone on to co-ordinate an EIP project within his discussion group that focuses on a targeted and selective approach to animal wormers in order to protect and increase dung beetle populations on the land.
Other nature actions taken on his farm include planting and managing hedges for biodiversity, planting native trees and installing two ponds.
Bruce is recognised as a strong advocate and champion for biodiversity within conventional farming circles. In 2023 Bruce was conferred as an ambassador as part of the Farming for Nature network. The aims of the organisation are to promote and work with farmers to enhance the natural health of the countryside. Bruce stands as a testament to the impact an individual can have in adopting sustainable practices into profitable farming operations.
Tickets to the bus tour can be purchased via www.irishgrassland.ie. Booking is essential as places are limited.
The IGA are hosting an additional member’s event on the evening before the Dairy Summer Tour at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise. This evening is open to all, regardless of industry. The evening will kick-off at 7:30pm with a three-course Gala dinner. The menu, as always, is of a very high standard using quality-assured local Irish Produce.
Tickets to this social night are €50 per person and can be purchased via www.irishgrassland.ie. Bedrooms can be secured by contacting the hotel directly on 057 8678588 and quoting “IGA”. 24-hour free parking is also available for all delegates staying at the hotel.
