Podcasts about farming ireland

For this special Christmas episode of The Beef Edge, we're re-visiting our 300th episode of the podcast that was recorded earlier this year with Matt Dempsey, whose career spans multiple decades and various roles in agricultural journalism and beyond. Matt has been instrumental in driving innovations in Irish agriculture through his work as a journalist, farmer and chairman of various industry groups and he gives his outlook for the Irish beef industry.  Matt discusses intervention, suckler incentive scheme, beef tribunal, BSE and Foot and Mouth to name but a few. Matte highlights the work done by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation as a significant breakthrough as well as the emphasis on easy calving, and also of marbling of beef. He also comments on the emergence of grazing management, fertiliser, and especially grass varieties and reseeding that have been revolutionary. Matt discusses a previous campaign that the Farmers' Journal and the IFA carried out in relation to Brazilian beef which succeeded in getting the actual import regime changed at Brussels level when the beef trade in Ireland and Europe looked as if it was going to be fundamentally undermined. A huge thanks to everyone that has appeared on the Beef Edge podcast over the past 300 episodes and to all the listeners for making the podcast such a success - wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas. For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge  Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

For this special joint podcast on bluetongue with Catherine Egan from the Beef Edge and Stuart Childs from the Dairy Edge, we're joined by vet John Donlon to get an insight into bluetongue. Primarily transmitted via biting midges, the cases on farms in Northern Ireland significantly reinforces the need for awareness on farms in the Republic of Ireland.  Early action, identification and isolation will be key in reducing the potential for further virus spread. Temperature is a major factor in the transmission of bluetongue. The typical transmission period usually runs from late spring to early autumn, especially during the summer months. During the winter, the risk of disease spread is much lower. Bluetongue is associated with many symptoms. Typically, in affected cattle and sheep, the main symptoms may include: fever and loss of appetite; drop in milk yield (dairy cows); reddening of mucous membranes; sores on the nose, gums or dental pads; swelling of the face, lips or tongue (‘blue tongue'); breathing difficulties, drooling or nasal/eye discharge; lameness due to inflammation at the top of the hoof; abortion or foetal deformities; and, in severe cases, infection can result in death. For further info: Teagasc urges vigilance on bluetongue - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority Bluetongue is a notifiable disease, meaning anyone who suspects an animal may have the disease is legally obliged to notify DAFM without delay. To report a suspected case of Bluetongue virus to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), you should immediately contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) or the National Disease Emergency Hotline.  Contact details:·      During office hours (9 am - 5 pm): Contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO)·      Outside office hours (operational 365 days a year): Ring the National Disease Emergency Hotline at 01 492 8026 For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Fermanagh man Rodney Elliott, who is farming in the US state of South Dakota, joins James Dunne on this week's Dairy Edge.  In the first of a two part interview, Rodney outlines how he went from farming 140 dairy cows in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh to operating two large scale dairy units in the US.  He describes how the business has grown over time, some of the challenges met along the way and how he overcame them.  Rodney discusses what farming KPIs matter in the running of the business and how he manages costs and market volatility.  Image: https://www.midwestdairy.com  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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's episode of the Dairy Edge, in conjunction with Catherine Egan of the Beef Edge and Ciaran Lynch of OviCast, we talk to John Donlon, veterinary lecturer in Atlantic Technological University about bluetongue. John first describes the disease and explains how it presents in sheep, cattle, alpacas and other cloven hooved animals. He then explains how, in reality, the risk period should have passed at this stage of the year as midges that act as the vector for the disease should be gone by now. The cold weather is a help in that midge activity will be reduced or eliminated but that doesn't mean the risk isn't still there. People must remain vigilant and notify their vet and relevant authorities in the event of suspecting an animal has bluetongue. Trading implications could exist were a case to be identified in the Republic which would have ramifications for livestock movements, but currently there are no restrictions as the country is still bluetongue free. If a case were to be discovered, vaccines are available to reduce the severity of the disease but one would have to get an emergency license from the Department of Agriculture. Careful monitoring of stock for any signs are advised and swift notification, if identified, to facilitate rapid control is advised. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For a special joint podcast on bluetongue, with Stuart Childs from the Dairy Edge and Ciaran Lynch from Ovicast, this week's Beef Edge is joined by vet John Donlon to find out more about bluetongue. Primarily transmitted via biting midges, the cases on farms in Northern Ireland significantly reinforces the need for increased awareness in the Republic of Ireland.  Early action, identification and isolation will be key in reducing the potential for further virus spread. Temperature is a major factor in the transmission of bluetongue. The typical transmission period usually runs from late spring to early autumn, especially during the summer months. During the winter, the risk of disease spread is much lower. Bluetongue is associated with many symptoms. Typically, in affected cattle and sheep, the main symptoms may include: fever and loss of appetite; drop in milk yield (dairy cows); reddening of mucous membranes; sores on the nose, gums or dental pads; swelling of the face, lips or tongue (‘blue tongue'); breathing difficulties, drooling or nasal/eye discharge; lameness due to inflammation at the top of the hoof; abortion or foetal deformities; and, in severe cases, infection can result in death. For further info: Teagasc urges vigilance on bluetongue - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority Bluetongue is a notifiable disease, meaning anyone who suspects an animal may have the disease is legally obliged to notify DAFM without delay. To report a suspected case of Bluetongue virus to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), you should immediately contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) or the National Disease Emergency Hotline.  Contact Details:·      During office hours (9 am - 5 pm): Contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO)·      Outside office hours (operational 365 days a year): Ring the National Disease Emergency Hotline at 01 492 8026 For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

For this week's Tillage Edge, we look beyond the headline events and discuss the trends and challenges that have shaped tillage farming over the past year. Richie Hackett, independent agricultural consultant based in Dublin, and John Dunne, Cereals Variety Manager with Goldcrop in Cork, join the podcast to discuss the tillage year.   They talk about what growers can take from a season marked by variable weather, shifting input costs, evolving disease pressures, and ongoing changes in crop performance. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Sheep Specialist, Damian Costello, joins us to discuss practical approaches to reducing labour demands during the winter housing and lambing period. Damian outlines key husbandry practices that can help minimise interventions with ewes later in the season, highlighting how early planning can pay dividends when workload is at its peak.  We also explore the importance of shed layout, pen design and ventilation in creating an efficient working environment. The discussion covers a range of potential investments, from simple, low-cost improvements to more significant upgrades, all aimed at making day-to-day tasks easier and reducing pressure during this time of year. For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

We're reposting an episode from October with Teagasc Dairy Specialist, Patrick Gowing, who joined James Dunne on the Dairy Edge to discuss how to best manage surplus cash, build financial resilience, review production costs, and ensure farmers are best prepared for 2026. As 2025 draws to a close, it will be remembered as one of the best farming years in recent memory due to strong milk prices, increased stock values and good weather for most parts. This means that dairy farm incomes are in a good place for the 2025 calendar year.   Although it has to be acknowledged milk prices have seen significant reductions in the last number of months, the effects of this will be felt more so in spring 2026 as higher constituents at this time of year are having a positive impact on the farm gate prices received.   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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's final Grass10 grazing management update of the year, John Maher discusses current grazing advice, including opening cover targets and fodder assessment, plus he looks back on the grazing year in review. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-9thDecember2025   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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Dr. Paul Crosson, Beef Enterprise Leader, Teagasc Grange, is on this week's Beef Edge to discuss the latest research being carried out in 2025 and the plans for 2026. Pauls highlights the current research underway on the Derrypatrick and Maternal Herd and he outlines the findings from the dairy beef work being carried out as well as the latest research relating to additives. You can also watch the recent Teagasc Beef Webinar with Paul at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntJD2zfLVmM  For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

GPS technology is now commonplace on tillage farms but many do not have auto steer installed.   Francis Quigley, Farm Machinery Specialist in Teagasc, joins the podcast to talk about how he built a GPS autosteer system from scratch using the AgOpenGPS platform. Francis doesn't describe himself as an electronics or computer expert and maintains that building a system like this is within the reach of most people. See a series of videos on AgOpenGPS here: AgOpenGPS - v6 - YouTube For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Grass10 Advisor, Nikki Kennedy, joins us to explore key grazing management tips for the weeks ahead. Nikki discusses end-of-season grazing management, including closing targets and best practices for managing forage crops.  As the grazing season draws to a close, we look at reviewing field grazing performance on your own farm and identify areas for improvement.  We also consider some key investments that could help boost productivity in the year ahead. Sign up to the Grass10 newsletter here:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/ For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-2ndDec2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this 2nd episode in a two part series, we re-join the conservation with James McDonnell, Financial Specialist with Teagasc, to discuss how farmers can get the most from their accounts and find out if there are other mechanisms, such as partnerships which can help them maximise their take home income. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Teagasc hosted the National Dairy Conference last week in both Clonmel and Cavan, and the theme of the conference was, ‘Pathways to Progress', with key sessions on milk price and key farm performance priorities, collaborative farming arrangements and driving further progress in Irish dairy breeding.  James Dunne caught up with Joe Patton, Martina Gormley and Stuart Childs to gain an insight into some of the main messages from the conference. Link to conference papers and presentations: https://teagasc.ie/publications/national-dairy-conference-2025/ 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Rebecca Fitzpatrick, Superintending Veterinary Inspector with the Department of Agriculture, outlines the changes affecting beef and sheep farms this year on this week's joint Beef Edge and OviCast podcast. From 1st December, new rules on veterinary medicines came into effect as part of Ireland's national strategy to tackle antimicrobial and anti-parasitic resistance.  These changes mean that a range of commonly used products will now require a veterinary prescription, and all prescriptions will be issued and recorded through the National Veterinary Prescription System, or NVPS. To help explain what this means day-to-day on your farm, Rebecca looks back at the background to AMR and APR, and she discusses why moving certain products to prescription-only status is necessary. Rebecca explains that all prescriptions must go through NVPS, the national online system. While farmers can still choose where to buy, retailers just need the valid NVPS prescription. She says it is important to start planning earlier with your vet, especially during busy dosing seasons.For more information: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/services/national-veterinary-prescription-system/ For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

For this joint episode with the Beef Edge, we're discussing one of the biggest regulatory changes affecting beef and sheep farms this year. From 1st December, new rules on veterinary medicines came into effect as part of Ireland's national strategy to tackle antimicrobial and anti-parasitic resistance.  These changes mean that a range of commonly used products will now require a veterinary prescription, and all prescriptions will be issued and recorded through the National Veterinary Prescription System, or NVPS. To help explain what this means day-to-day on your farm, we're joined by Rebecca Fitzpatrick, Superintending Veterinary Inspector with the Department of Agriculture to outline the policy changes. For more information: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/services/national-veterinary-prescription-system/ For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

The Teagasc Outlook 2026 Conference, which took place on December 2nd, is an event that brings together Teagasc specialists across the different sectors to review performance in 2025 and outlining the key expectations for 2026. Representing the pig sector was Michael McKeon, Specialist with Teagasc's Pig and Poultry Research and Knowledge Transfer Department with Michael presenting a detailed review of 2025, covering production, prices, costs, exports and profitability and the key factors shaping the year ahead. And for the latest episode of The Pig Edge, Michael joins Amy Quinn to unpack all of this, explaining what happened in 2025, the major trends influencing the sector and he shares his outlook for Irish pig production as we move into 2026.  For more episodes and information from the Pig Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/pigs/the-pig-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-25thNov25 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Getting value from your tax accounts isn't just about reducing the tax you pay each year, they can also provide important insights into your business and help you spot trends over time.   For this week's Tillage Edge, the first in a two-part series, James McDonnell, Financial Specialist with Teagasc, explains how farmers can get the most from their accounts. Along with highlighting the key areas farmers should focus on, James also talks through practical ways farmers can legitimately reduce their tax bill each year. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Ronan Lynch, agronomist with Deeside Agri, and suckler and beef finisher, Brian Kirk from Co. Louth, are on this week's Beef Edge to discuss the opportunity of using native grains in rations.  Ronan explains that of the 7 million tonnes of grains used in the country, only 2 million are produced in Ireland.  He highlights the benefits of oats and reducing the carbon footprint by incorporating homegrown grain ore in rations such as oats.  We often hear that barley is the premium grain, and oats are just a second-best option for livestock. However, Teagasc trials showed that when feeding finishing beef cattle on a grass silage-based diet, rolled oats performed just as effectively as rolled barley.  Brian then details his suckling and finishing system and discusses how performance on his farm has improved by using oats in the rations. Further details at:https://teagasc.ie/publications/oats-a-high-performing-native-grain/  For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com  Image: FarmersJournal.ie 

Sheep Specialist, Michael Gottstein, joins us this week to discuss the essential elements of successfully finishing lambs indoors. Michael covers everything from housing and management basics to nutrition and animal health, highlighting the practical steps farmers can take to avoid costly setbacks.  The episode wraps up with guidance on the importance of regular drafting to maintain performance and efficiency. For more information, check out the Lamb Finishing Guide: https://bit.ly/lamb_finishing_guide For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Edmund Motherway, from Ladysbridge, near Midleton, was the Overall Winner of the Student Section of the Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year Awards and he joins Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge. Edmund was always interested in farming as a child, however, due to the scale of the home farm, he didn't think he had a future in farming. A transition year placement at a nearby father and son partnership opened his eyes to ways to potentially making farming a viable career option. Edmund is now farming in partnership with his father and they have expanded their land base in the last 12-18 months through leasing and as a result have pushed up their cow numbers.  Edmund also acknowledges the significant influence that the two farmers that he did his placements with have had on him and how he got such benefit from his time with them. Finally, he outlines what he would like to see to encourage generational renewal including a potential incentive to lease to a young farmer or revision of TAMS costings to more accurately reflect the true cost of machinery and building works so that a 40% grant would be just that.  He is hopeful that other opportunities to expand will present themselves and that they will be in a position to act on them if they come. Don't forget, this week the National Dairy Conferences are being held in Clonmel and Cavan on November 26th and 27th and for more info, go to: https://teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/events/  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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice, while the featured farmer is Mike Ahern from Ballyduff, Co. Waterford. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-18thNov25 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Rupert Claxton, Meat & Livestock Director, GIRA, is on this week's Beef Edge podcast discussing the global outlook for the beef industry.  Rupert highlights that the supply of beef is tight, while demand from the consumer is remarkably robust. The result of good global demand and tight supply are the high prices seen today. Rupert explains how several UK retailers have included beef from a variety of non-European sources on their retail shelves during 2025, however, outlook for 2026 is a continuation of the current trend, both in Europe and globally.  He says that Ireland is well placed to produce more beef in a way that is both environmentally and commercially sustainable and he emphasises there are opportunities for investment in the beef sector but rationalisation at industry and farm level is needed to deliver efficiencies. For more visit:https://teagasc.ie/publications/national-beef-conference-2025/  For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

This week we feature a recent instalment of the Signpost Series with Don Somers, a Wexford tillage farmer and the overall winner of the Teagasc FBD Environmental Sustainability Award 2025. Don describes his commitment to soil health through regular soil testing, the use of organic manures, and the precision application of fertilisers.  Don also discusses the measures he has taken to protect water quality on his farm — actions that not only support his own business but also safeguard water resources for the wider community. For more episodes and information from the Tillage Edge podcast go to:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/the-tillage-edge-podcast/ Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Grass10 Advisor, Nikki Kennedy, is on this week's OviCast to discuss key grazing management tips for the weeks ahead.Nikki shares the latest on grass growth rates and covers across the country, and offers practical advice for managing grazing in challenging conditions.  Plus she outlines the importance of a structured closing plan.  She also discusses how closing decisions now can influence grass availability at turnout, and highlights what farmers should be considering as we approach the final weeks of the grazing season. You can also sign up to the Grass10 newsletter at:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/  For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, joins Stuart Childs on the latest Dairy Edge to preview the upcoming Dairy Conferences. With sudden drops in milk price catching many farmers off guard and even many of those who work in the area of forecasting prices, Joe explains, however, that the best-performing farms remain the best ones regardless of price cycles. Farmers shouldn't overhaul their system each time the price rises or falls. Instead, consistent fundamentals — good cows, strong grazing management, stable stocking rates and control of costs are what carry farms through the lows of the volatility cycle. High-margin farms succeed because they invest strategically rather than overspending on the back of a good year only to find themselves short of cash in a tight year. Joe emphasises the need for cash planning, avoiding impulsive “tax-driven” spending and having approximately €500 per cow available to get through to the next big milk cheques in late spring. Joe also highlights the long-term value created by EBI-driven genetic improvement, the growing role of data (grass prediction tools, cost benchmarks), and the importance of collaborative farming and succession planning. These enable better decision-making, smoother transitions between generations, and continued productivity despite policy and cost pressures. If you want to hear more on these topics, you are welcome to attend the National Dairy Conferences in either Clonmel or Cavan on November 26th and 27th and for more info, go to: https://teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/events/ 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice and setting up for the spring, while the featured farmer is Gerry Finneran, Carrignavar, Co. Cork. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-11thNov25 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Philip Murphy, Catchment Coordinator for the River Blackwater, joins Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss applying water quality and addressing it. Philip explains that his role focuses on addressing agricultural pressures on water quality across the wider Blackwater catchment, beyond the already targeted high-priority areas, through providing clear, consistent advice to farmers and advisors, helping to raise awareness where one-to-one guidance is not currently available. He outlines how targeted areas are selected using EPA monitoring data and highlights the difference between nitrogen and phosphorus impacts, noting phosphorus affects rivers while nitrogen impacts in the estuaries. Finally, Philip emphasises that improvements take time, often years, but farmers are already doing positive work. His key message is for farmers to engage with advisors, consider schemes like Farming for Water, and continue adopting practical, farm-specific measures to protect local water quality. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice, while the featured farmer is Will Griffin, Co. Carlow. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-4thNovember25  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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Aisling Claffey, Teagasc ruminant nutritionist, joins James Dunne on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss what's important to remember when it comes to the upcoming dry cow period. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice and closing up for early spring grass.    The featured farmer is John Payne, from Co. Longford who is targeting a closing AFC of  800 kg DM/ha on Dec 1st. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter at:https://bit.ly/Grass10-28thOctober2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc Dairy Specialist, Patrick Gowing, joins James Dunne on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss how to best manage surplus cash, build financial resilience, review production costs, and ensure farmers best prepared for 2026. As 2025 draws to a close, it will be remembered as one of the best farming years in recent memory due to strong milk prices, increased stock values and good weather for most parts. This means that dairy farm incomes are in a good place for the 2025 calendar year.   Although it has to be acknowledged milk prices have seen significant reductions in the last number of months, the effects of this will be felt more so in spring 2026 as higher constituents at this time of year are having a positive impact on the farm gate prices received.   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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

John Maher has the latest Grass10 grazing management update, and this week's featured farmer is Niall O'Regan from Mallow, Co. Cork. Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter at:https://bit.ly/grass10-21stOctober2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

John Maher, Grass10 Manager, and John Leahy, dairy farmer in Athea, Co. Limerick, join Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss applying lime. Despite difficult weather a few weeks ago, things have improved, John explains, and ground conditions, rotation length and money in the bank will allow people to spread lime. John outlines that we are very short of where we should be in terms of lime applied to where we should be. It's more than 40 years since we spread over 2 million tonnes of lime which is what we should be applying. John Leahy tells of his experience of increasing the pH on his farm. He went after it hard at the start and got it up to where it should be now and he's at the point where 20-40t keeps him on point each year. John also outlines how he went after the lime as he felt he could spend a lot of money on fertiliser with little return. He has gotten a phenomenal response to his lime applications.  His soil fertility has taken nearly 10 years to get right but he got his lime right from the start.Opportunities will present themselves, people need to take them, he says. For a list of suppliers of lime go to: https://www.grolime.ie/ 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice and closing up for early spring grass.  It's a great opportunity to spread lime - the cheapest fertiliser one can buy!   The featured farmer is Mark Lonergan, who is from Co. Tipperary and is targeting a closing AFC of  750 kg DM/ha on Dec 1st.  Read more from this week's Grass10 newsletter at:https://bit.ly/grass10-14thOctober2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc Research Officer, Pablo Silva Boloña, whose work focuses on milk quality, dairy cow mastitis and selective dry cow therapy, joins James Dunne on this week's Dairy Edge.  Pablo explains selective dry therapy and why it is being implemented on Irish dairy farms, plus he highlights the important management steps to ensure its successful implementation at farm level.  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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice and the start of closing up for early spring grass.  It's a great week to reseed paddocks sprayed and grazed.  The featured farmer is Jason Coulter, who is from Co. Sligo and trying to get autumn closing sorted out after a very  difficult weekend.  Link to this week's Grass10 newsletter:https://bit.ly/grass10-7thOctober2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Mike Dineen, Teagasc Senior Research Officer, joins James Dunne on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss the fundamentals to optimising performance from freshly calved cows by making informed decisions around the winter diet.   Winter feed is obviously a significant cost to producing liquid milk therefore it is important farmers get it right.  Mike explains how forage quality is key to generating the best possible margin and outlines some simple management practices that will improve animal performance and feed efficiency. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice and the start of closing up for early spring grass.   The featured farmer is Shane Hegarty from Co. Carlow and Shane was the Young Farmer Category Winner of the Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year. Link to this week's Grass10 newsletter:https://bit.ly/grass10-30thSeptember2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Kevin Downing of ICBF joins Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss the recent changes to the EBI incorporated into the September Evaluation run. Kevin outlines the reason for the base change in order to make sure we are comparing the current cows with as representative population as possible to best reflect the on farm performance of herds. Kevin then discusses the changes that have been introduced in economic values. This is the first update since 2017. This adjustment is done as required and takes a long term view of revenues and costs. It is not responding to annual market returns and costs. One other major change is the movement of the rearing cost of heifers into the maintenance sub index from the beef sub index. This means that estimating the weight of a mature cow from the maintenance sub index has changed as the heifer rearing element is now included in the € value on the report.  There is a ready reckoner that can be accessed at: https://webapp.icbf.com/v2/app/msi-calculator Farmers can use this to estimate the liveweight of their cows based on the new value or use a predicted weight to get the value that they should use in the future. Evaluations are now live and farmers can look at them on their own ICBF profile on both the website and the app now. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing management and advises using the higher grass growth now to build grass into the autumn as many farms are behind on grass supply.  He also has tips on dealing with some difficult grazing conditions. Link to this week's Grass10 newsletter:https://bit.ly/grass10-23rdSeptember2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

John Conroy, Dairy Advisor in Teagasc Nenagh, and Jim Delahunty, dairy farmer, join Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss closing the farm for 2025. John says it has been an exceptional year for the most part, in the area he covers, with people complaining about making bales at this stage which is a far cry from the situation experienced in 2024.  However, the recent dry spell has reduced the building of grass having come from a very strong position in early to mid-August. John encourages people to continue to work on building the cover between here and the start of the last round. Jim says that he has grown well in the last week but his demand is high so he is considering housing cows by day in order to reduce demand to exploit growth over the next week or two to increase farm cover. He has also blanket spread the farm to drive growth once the rain came and this has helped close the gap. Jim also discusses how he is going to drop his stocking rate next year as he isn't getting enough reseeding done at his current stocking rate. John and Jim then cover the targets of closing the farm to ensure that there is grass in the spring as this worth multiples to him more than it is in the autumn. Finally, John says to close the farm in the way you want to graze in the spring targeting the best, most accessible for the early grazing which means targeting these for grazing in the second half of October to have the right cover to acclimatise the cows to grazing again. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing management and advises using the higher grass growth now to build grass into the autumn as many farms are behind on grass supply.  He also highlights this week's feature farm, the O'Dea Farm Partnership, who are having a phenomenal grazing year with 14 tons DM/ha grown already with an input of 140 units N/acre and superb clover! Link to this week's Grass10 newsletter:https://bit.ly/grass10-16thSeptember2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Seamus Kearney, Teagasc Tirlán Joint Programme Co-ordinator, joins Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss soil fertility actions that can still be taken despite the chemical fertiliser deadline passing for 2025. Firstly, Seamus outlines the reduction in chemical nitrogen in the last 9 years and these reductions are becoming more conspicuous where soil fertility isn't on point. Seamus explains that lime is magic as it frees up 70-80kgs of N and frees up P and K that are locked up in the soil. With increased output and output value in 2025, farmers may be exposed to the higher rate of tax and every €1 invested in lime can generate a return of 7:1 and if you're in that high tax bracket, there is another win in that you can reduce the tax exposure but get really good value from the spreading of it this year and for subsequent years also. Seamus also talks about K fertiliser applications and recommends that farmers apply 1 bag of Muriate of Potash (MOP) to increase the K levels as this will improve N utilisation and increase grass growth.  Seamus discusses bringing soil samples to life either by having the map on the tractor or by some form of markings out in the paddocks that will quickly identify the paddocks that need the different nutrients Finally, Seamus says that people should keep things simple and by using protected urea and 18-6-12 and MOP for their fertiliser programme it is both environmentally friendly and €20/cow on current prices cheaper than other fertiliser regimes which can save €2000 for the average 100 cow herd.     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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice and as many farms are behind on grass supply, he advises using the higher grass growth now to build grass into the autumn.  The featured farmer is Patrick O'Neill from Longford, who is having a good year with grazing and is on target! Link to this week's Grass10 newsletter:https://bit.ly/Grass10-9thSeptember2025 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Padraig O'Connor, technologist with Teagasc, joins James Dunne on this week's Dairy Edge to outline how farmers should manage their herd somatic cell count this autumn, how to make best use of the milk recording information and what to do with identified problem cows. 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week's Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice as some farms are dealing with low grass supply.  He also talks about the featured farmer Mike Ahern, who is the Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year, and who is opening his farm to the public on Tuesday Sept 9th at 11am , in Ballyduff Co. Waterford. For more go to:https://youtu.be/kbrAbDg7Hrc  Link to this week's Grass10 newsletter:https://bit.ly/Grass10-2ndSeptember2025  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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Ruth Fennell, Collaborative Farming Specialist, joins Stuart Childs on this week's Dairy Edge to discuss the various collaborative farming options that exist. Ruth outlines the options that range from contract heifer rearing, nutrient sharing, machinery trading and land leasing to more commonly thought of collaborative farming options such as registered farm partnerships and share farming. Effectively, collaborative farming is of mutual benefit to both parties. Ruth then explains how the various options work in different scenarios and how different arrangements may be more appropriate for a given set of circumstances.  The key to all of these arrangements are the people. If you have two people that work well together then you can decide the structure that suits their circumstances.  Legal agreements need to be developed to protect everyone involved as, like any business, it could need to be dissolved for any number of reasons in years to come. If that situation arises, it is important that the structure can be dismantled relatively easily and this starts at the beginning with a clear exit strategy. There are financial incentives that are associated with some of the collaborative arrangements such as young farmer top-ups which should be accessed if appropriate but this will be case specific and what is right for you will depend on the circumstances.  The availability of various grants should not be the sole reason for entering a registered farm partnership, especially if share farming is the more appropriate structure for your circumstances. Ruth finishes by outlining the planned Generational Renewal Week that will take place from 8-12thSeptember and people interested in viewing some of the webinars which will cover these arrangements, starting the conversation on succession and making a will as well as the taxes and reliefs available, can access the registration page by clicking here:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e2st24BhQu6uJ1CdjETOGA#/registration 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 Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com