Waterford family win Oat Grower of the Year Award

For the third year running Flahavan’s is delighted to announce the winners of their “Oat Grower of the Year Awards 2024.” The Gray family from Co. Waterford emerged as winners in the Conventional category, continuing their tradition of supplying high-quality oats to Flahavan’s for generations. Specialising in winter oats, they achieved top results this year with a bushel weight of 59.5 for Harvest 2024. Known for their exemplary farming practices, the Gray family focuses on crop rotation and has shifted from minimum tillage to direct drilling, underscoring their commitment to sustainability. Their attention to detail includes chopped straw management and active participation in a local farming discussion group, reinforcing their reputation for excellence.

The awards were split into two categories - Conventional Oat Growers and Organic Oat Growers, with strong competition in both categories reflecting the high quality of entries. Agronomist & Cereals Specialist, Ciaran Collins, who served as an independent judge, noted, “there was clear evidence of a strong commitment from the growers to produce oats of the highest quality for Flahavan’s.” Winners and runners-up in both categories were selected based on Overall Grain Quality, taking into account kernel content, bushel weight, moisture levels, aroma, flavour, colour, and cleanliness. Ciaran Collins reviewed the samples, interviewed shortlisted growers, and narrowed the list to three finalists per category. Finalists were further evaluated on **Grower Excellence**, including cereal knowledge, farm practice & technique, and environmental sustainability.

The winner in the Organic category is Eoghan O’Sullivan from Donohill, Tipperary, who was a runner-up in 2023. Eoghan achieved an impressive bushel weight of 60.5, aided by an optimised combine setup. His approach to maximising straw quality involves cutting crops high and re-cutting stubble for bedding. Despite limited tillage land, Eoghan efficiently uses farmyard manure and lime, showcasing his dedication to sustainable farming.

Runners-up in the Conventional category were:

- Martin O'Regan from Kinsale, Co. Cork - Frank Shanahan from Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford Runners-up in the Organic category were:

- Barry McWilliams from New Ross, Co. Wexford - Brendan Rafferty from Greenore, Co. Louth In his summation of the awards, Ciaran remarked, “The standard of the growers in the competition was excellent.” He added that recent Teagasc research shows that Irish grain has a significantly lower carbon footprint than grain produced in Europe and North America, with oats having the lowest footprint in the study.

Johnny Flahavan, Operations Manager at Flahavan’s, commented, “The standard of oats supplied to Flahavan’s is consistently exceptional, and we’re particularly delighted to see so many of our suppliers adopting more environmentally sustainable practices. Our sincerest congratulations to our winners and runners-up for their well-deserved recognition.” Flahavan’s sources their conventional oats within a 60-mile radius of the mill in Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford. While most organic oats are already sourced domestically, the company aims to meet full demand for organic oats with Irish-grown supply in the near future.