FARMING IN INISHOWEN

Is Sustainable Farming the Future for Inishowen?
Farmers in Inishowen are looking at new ways of earning income and are exploring different options. With this weeks visit by Trevor Sargant, the Minister for Food and Horticulture, who is promoting getting Ireland growing, there is an interest in whether Inishowen’s farming future could lie in sustainable growing.

Growing Food
In the recent months there has been an increase in farmers starting to put in a few vegetables, with seed potatoes flying out of the co-ops. This trend of growing food for the family and maybe keeping a few hens is partly a response to harder times when it might make sense to save a bit of money by growing your own, but there is also an interest for people in growing food as a hobby or for profit.

Organic Farming
Mary Reilly who runs an organic farm in Malin, with her husband John says that the local demand they have for their vegetables far outstrips supply. “We could sell ten times more than we grow. There is a real market for locally grown and organic vegetables.”

Trevor Sargant visited their farm - the most northerly organic farm in Ireland, last night. “A lot of people think that organic growing is really labour intensive”, Mary says “But really, it is no harder than other growing, it just requires a different outlook and approach. It is about cultivating the land, keeping it healthy.”

Direct Selling
People are more interested in where their food is coming from and are happy to support local businesses when they can. Fresh vegetables also taste a lot better. There is a lot of emphasis on quality as well. With supermarkets and processors setting prices for cattle and milk, local food sold from the farm means the farmer gets the profit directly rather than having to pay processors, packaging, transport and supermarkets.

National Organic Training Skillnet
The National Organic Training Skillnet (NOTS) provides high quality, low cost training for the expanding organic sector throughout the Republic of Ireland to farmers, growers, processors, food businesses, and consultants. They have courses in converting to organic and commercial organic horticulture as well as networking events and conferences. They can be contacted on 071 9640688 or through their website http://www.nots.ie/

Cereal and other Options
Another possibility is to grow more cereal locally. Local varieties of corn (oats) were grown in Inishowen for years and sustained the population up until the sixties. It is necessary to see what crops and animals are the most suitable for growing locally.

Some farmers have been exploring energy crops such as biomass, but the reality is that the climate and land here in Inishowen is not suited to these crops. There is a good potential here for wind farming though. There are possibilities for forestry as well, and though it is slow growing will be beneficial for future generations.

Increasing Numbers at Agricultural Colleges
Agricultural Colleges are seeing an increase in the numbers of students applying for courses. During the boom years many young people from farming backgrounds found it more profitable to work off farm in the construction industry, however with the recession hitting jobs hard, many young people are returning to the farm and exploring what possibilities it might have to offer.

The latest Cao figures show that a 50% increase in students choosing farming related courses. Damien Dempsey, the Marketing Manager of Agricultural Science at UCD says, “There is a realisation that agriculture and food make up our largest and most important indigenous industries.” Damien has noticed shifts in emphasis in the study of agriculture over the recent years, including more women going to college. “There is more of an emphasis on protection of the environment, how we can feed a growing population and the importance of biofuels.”

Mairead McGuiness Fine Gael MEP who studied agricultural science and economics at UCD said, “More people are realising that farming is a business on our doorstep that needs to be developed. There are difficulties in farming at the moment, but in the long term there will be a growing demand for food.”


SFP Applications On-Line
The Department of Agriculture is hoping to double the amount of farmers who apply for their Single Farm Payment online this year. Last year around 20,000 applications (about 15% of farmers in Ireland) were completed on line. These were submitted by Teagasc advisors, private planners and by farmers themselves. Overall Donegal’s on-line applications were above average, and were the highest in the country for the most applications being submitted by private agents. The number of farmers filling the form in on-line was lower than average.

The biggest advantage of the on-line system is there are less mistakes made due to checks that are built in which means the form cannot be submitted. The on-line service started on Monday (a full week ahead of getting the papers in the post). The department has made the form simpler and the farmer can just tick a box if nothing has changed in their farming system from last year. This applies to a lot of farmers who make no change in the SFP form from one year to the next. If you haven’t registered on-line you can go to http://www.agfood.ie/ or talk to your advisor.



Decline in Sheep Numbers Spark Fire Fears
Inishowen has seen a steep decline in sheep numbers over the last few years. The weather and land here in the peninsula have meant that we have one of the best climates in Europe for grass growing and hill and sheep farming. However, with the price of lamb dropping there is very little profit in sheep these days. With the introduction of the Single Farm Payment in 2005, the amount of animals that farmers kept made no difference to the subsidy, so there was no incentive to keep the livestock. Another factor, was when the economy was booming, it was more profitable to work off farm.

With the numbers falling, especially on the hills where there are fewer farmers working, there is a worry that the hillsides will become overgrown. Farmers have expressed concerns that in dry weather, this may lead to more hill fires like the ones that we saw in Buncrana a couple of years ago. This could have a devastating impact on the local flora and fauna.

Inishowen Sees Large Increase in Wild Deer
Farmers have noticed a large increase in wild deer throughout the county in the last year. Deer have been spotted in West Inishowen around the Linsfort area and can be a nuisance to farmers. These deer have expanded out from places like Glenveagh National Park and are taking advantage of the increase in forestry for which there have been grants available.

Inishowen’s hills are suitable for planting trees and it is a good long term investment for our future. The wild deer are using the forestry as cover and are causing damage to fences and worrying cattle. They are also a threat to crops and trees.

“They are not a major problem as it would not be difficult to cull them,” says a spokesperson from Teagasc.


Agricultural Gas Emissions Falling
New research from Teagasc shows that Greenhouse Gas emissions from agriculture are falling but further reductions are necessary. The Irish government have signed up to an EU commitment to reduce Ireland’s total emissions by between 20 and 30% by 2020.

The agricultural Greenhouse Gases in Ireland are much higher than in other countries as we are highly export focussed here which means they are larger than if we were simply supplying the domestic market.

Teagasc has warned that if significant reductions are demanded it may only be possible if the Irish cattle population were to go into steep decline over the next ten years.

Scientific research is exploring changes to farming methods but it will take time for this process to happen. Because of this, it is certain that there will have to be adjustments in agriculture as well as all other sectors of the economy.

Nitrates top SFP penalties
Over €300,000 in penalties will be taken off the 2008 Single Farm Payment to Irish farmers, during inspections.
The issue of Nitrates tops the penalties, with nearly one in five farmers in Ireland not being compliant in some way.
This increas was partly due to a tightening in the level of tolerances before getting a penalty. The biggest jump in penalties was during sheep inspections.
There was also a slight increase in the number of farmers penalised under most categories such as GAEC, Welfare, Food Hygiene and Feed. The majority of penalties imposed on farmers in breach were 1%.
The Department is due to meet farm organisations in the coming weeks to discuss how penalties under Nitrates Regulations are imposed.

Plant and Machinery, Ramelton
Plant & Machinery Moorefield Ramelton are the only Zetor tractor dealers in Donegal. Plant and Machinery is a family owned business run by Peter McConigley and is situated on the main Letterkenny to Ramelton Road.

They exclusively stock the brand new 2008 and 2009 Zetor range, the Proxima, Proxima plus and the Forterra. They also stock a large range of second hand tractors and farm machinery as well as new and used plant machinery. In stock they have Zetor drum mowers, Malone Toppers, Malone standard and tilt post Drivers and new Link Boxes. They also have second hand dumpers and diggers. Why not check out their website http://www.plantandmachineryramelton.com/ or call on 074 9151775 0r 086 8724621

Here's another article

CARNDONAGH LIVESTOCK MART - 50 YEARS

On Monday the 2nd of February 2009 the Carndonagh Livestock Mart celebrated their 50th Anniversary. The late P. J. McCarroll, (Jim to those who knew him,) was the local vet who came up with the idea to set up the Mart in 1958. The basis for the mart was that it would be based on co-operative ideals, run by farmers, for farmers, with everyone owning a share of the business. Seven men were elected on to the committee at the initial meeting in Canny’s Hotel on the 15th of July 1958. These They were P.J McCarroll, Chairman, Carndonagh, George Doherty, N.T., Culdaff, Stephen Butler Jr, Carndonagh, James McLaughlin, Muff, Charles Scott, Tulnaree, Michael Deery, Malin, Angus Mills, Culdaff and P.J. O’Doherty, Secretary, Carndonagh.

THE COW PARK
In order to raise the funds for a building the committee decided to sell shares valued at £2 each to local farmers and businessmen. The contract for the erection of the Mart went to the McLaughlin Brothers (The Masons) from Carndonagh, and cost £3,370. Construction was underway in late summer 1958 on the site off of the Main Street in an area known as “The Cow Park”. The new building had room for 250 head of cattle with room for expansion.

OFFICIAL OPENING
The official opening of the Mart took place on the 29th of January 1959 and was performed by Mrs A. Mills from Culdaff, who was the president of the Inishowen Agricultural Society at the time. The Rev. H.A. Weedon, the Rector in Carndonagh spoke at the event, saying, “Let us all, regardless of class or creed, take an interest in it (the Mart). Do not let us say, I am not a farmer and it does not interest me. It does, because farming is vital to this country. It is one of its vital industries.”

The Reverend Weedon also acknowledged the initiative and spirit of the enterprise, in a world where it was fashionable to leave such matters to the state. He praise the committee for taking matters into their own hands and setting up the Mart, commending the local community, saying that Donegal was the “vanguard of progress.”

THE FIRST SALE
The first sale of cattle was held at the Mart on February 2nd 1959 and attracted a lot of interest. Buyers flocked from Derry, Tyrone, Donegal and Sligo. The cattle entries reached a capacity of 216 and included good Aberdeen Agnus crosses, crossbreds, quality springers and finished cattle. Jim McCarroll Sr’s big worry was that no one would turn up for the day with their cattle. But he needn’t have worried as it was a case of “If you build it they will come.”

THE LATEST SALE
The sale on Monday last (February 2nd), began under Campbell Rankin, Muff’s auctioneer, who sold the very first cow at the mart, fifty years ago to the day. Also in attendance were Pat Temple, (who bought the first animal) and Gerard McMonagle, Mart manager for over thirty years. Jim Carroll Jr. (P.J.’s son) opened the day’s celebration speaking of his father’s original dream. Robert Creary, a former mart worker also spoke of how the farmer’s reacted to this new modern method of showing and selling animals.

Comparisons between the first Livestock sale and the 50th sale

2nd of February 1959

Number of animals sold on the day = 216

Cows

The first Cow of Sale sold for £21 and 6 shillings, weighing in at 9.5 cwt. The buyer was Pat Temple.

The top price for a springing cow was £76 sold by Charlie Scott.

Bullocks
Four prime bullocks were sold for prices ranging from £7 and 1 shilling to £7 and 5shillings per cwt and sold by John McColgan, from Corvish, Carndonagh.

Heifer
Robert McEldowney form Glack, Culdaff was a well-known breeder and sold 5 Heifers for the impressive price of £48 and 10 shillings each.


2nd February 2009

Number of animals sold on the day = 263
One difference to note first is that the weights have changed from cwt and pounds to kg and euro…

Cows
The top price paid for a cow and calf was €1710 sold by Martin Doherty to Patrick Houghton.

The top price paid for a fat cow weighing 928kg was sold for €1490 by Irwin McCandless to William Scott.

Bullocks
A prime bullock weighing 706 kg was sold by Seamus Breslin to Thomas Wachope for €1240.

Heifer
The first heifer was sold to Jim McLaughlin for €1330 by Michael McGonagle.



OLD AND NEW
The Mart brought real benefits to farmers and the town of Carndonagh from its very first days of trading. The old system of trading cattle revolved around dealers calling to a farm, or haggling over the price of an animal on Fair Day. Farmers were not aware of the true value of their animals, as they were selling in an isolated and fragmented market. Some traditional dealers were initially very opposed to the idea of a Mart and thought it was destined to fail. The dealers were still offering tempting prices to the farmers as they walked their animals to the Mart, but farmers declined and decided to take their chances in the ring.

The big plus of the auction market system was that cattle were weighed for the first time and the price paid was according to their weight and quality of the animal. Farmers were also able to compare each other’s animals to assess their quality. The Mart day is still held on a Monday, as it was back in 1959 and still acts as a social occasion, but not quite in the way that it did in the early days.

Initially when the mart began it was the norm to have a farm worker who spent the day in the auction. His wife would often accompany him. Here they would meet friends, chat and hear local gossip, and usually end up in one of the local pubs. Nowadays the pace of life is faster and because a lot of farmers have no staff, they tend to go to the market, sell or buy, and go back to their farms quickly. The buzz of excitement is still there on the day of sale though even if it isn’t quite as long as it was.


MILESTONES IN THE CO-OP
Due to the level of demand and a growing population, the Carndonagh Livestock Mart has expanded over the years. Additional pens were added in 1967 (at a cost of £5,575). By this time the Mart was also selling sheep. In 1968 the Inishowen Farmers Co-Op and the Clonleigh Co-Op established a feed mill in a joint venture. Share prices rose to £5 each and a piggery unit was opened in 1972. In 1974 a special meeting was held to amalgamate the three local Co-Op’s; the Mart, Stores and Piggery. In 1975 these three Co-Op’s were put under the management of Donal Noone with the title of The Inishowen Co-operative Society Ltd. The agricultural co-operatives established in both Moville and Buncrana in 1919 were amalgamated with the Inishowen Co-Op in Carndonagh, retaining stores on both towns, where they are still flourishing and offering a unique service to the local agricultural industry.

Many memorable sales have taken place over the year. One that stands out was in 1961 when a record 360 cattle were sold well into the night. Several sales lasted until 5 am the following morning, including one in November 1983 when 1200 cattle were auctioned. In the early years the workers would head into Canny’s Hotel for dinner at two or three in the morning and were met as though it was the middle of the day.

CHANGING NEEDS
The Mart has been catering for the needs of farmers around Inishowen through a lot of changes in the industry, not to mention an attempted raid on the takings in the 1960’s. Neil Faulkner and Benny Doherty saved the day when they were attacked by two raiders on their way to lodge the takings. They heroically fought the raiders off, saving the loss of thousands of pounds.

The Mart has moved with the times and the present day cattle auction system is a lot faster and more efficient than it was. The system in place at the moment frees farmers up so they don’t even have to go to the Mart to sell their cattle, as they can be sold directly to abattoirs from the Co-op. The industry is also far more heavily regulated by the Department of Agriculture who’s job it is to ensure Ireland's high status in relation to animal health and welfare. This is of critical importance given the economic and social importance of agriculture to the country. Health and safety for farming practices has been greatly improved, as has the prevention of diseases. All cattle are now totally traceable back to the farmer, which ensures the trust of customers who buy the meat in Ireland and Europe.


PROUD
From small beginnings back in 1959, to a turnover of millions, the Carndonagh Co-operative founder members would surely be proud of its success over the years and the current committee and staff are looking forward to many more years of successful trading and being the backbone of a whole community that is feeding the nation. Last weeks turn out at the Mart tells us that it is as popular and vital as ever to the community.