FAMILY AFFAIR

This has been a year of challenges and for many they are not over yet.

I find conversation or discussions at meal times very beneficial, and often that is the only time we slow down enough to talk things out loud as distinct from having them going around in our heads.

My approach is ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and more often than not solutions are found. I also believe that it can be beneficial to reflect on the positives such as our health, which hopefully is good, our families, which are a great source of joy to all of us, and our work, which we chose as a career because we enjoy it.

Many of the challenges are often temporary in nature and with hard work and a bit of luck they will hopefully soon fade into the background.

Building for the new parlour is keeping me extremely busy, but our plans have had a smooth passage through the planning process.

The only query was on slurry capacity, which we were covered on thanks to the lagoon.

We hope to start pouring concrete next week which will be welcome because up to now we have been clearing, digging and breaking.

We will do the development in two stages. The first is the tanks the parlour, collecting yard etc.

Then when we have the par- lour up and running we will knock the existing parlour and dairy. On this site then we intend to build the new cubicle shed, as well as some indoor calving boxes, as it ties in well with the silage pit and existing yard.

Henry and Patricia Walsh farm in Oranmore, Co Galway, along with their son, Enda, and neighbour and out-farm owner John Moran

PHOTO: ROGER JONES Liam, Billy and Mark Heffernan — Leinster winners of the 2017 Grassland Farmer of the Year competition — pictured with Michael Freaney, Teagasc dairy advisor, and John Maher, Grass10 campaign manager, at the farm walk hosted by the Heffernans on their...