Social media spotlight is piling more pressure

WE SET a new record here on t he f a r m ye s t erd ay. I ha d 4 0 pe ople out i n t he f ield s pic k i n g d a f fo d i l s a nd t hey c a me i n w it h a hau l of over 50 0,0 0 0 s t ems.

T here’s ne at s y mmetr y i n t h is moment i n t hat ye s t er d ay ’s si n g le d ay of pic k i n g i s e x a c t ly ha l f of my t ot a l pro duc t ion of d a f fo d i l f lower s du r i n g t he f i r s t ye a r t hat I s t a r t e d supply i n g sup er ma rke t s e x a c t ly one de c a de a go.

T he bu si ne s s ba ck t hen wa s more of a n a dd- on t o t he ot her ent er pr i se s her e at E l mg rove . But it ha s now g row n t o t he poi nt t hat we a re e x p or t i n g t o se ver a l c ou nt r ie s a nd supply i n g t wo major sup er ma rke t s.

T he dow n side i s t hat my pr ic e i s a c t u a l ly lower now t ha n when I st a r t ed 10 ye a r s a go a nd it ha s b e c ome re a l h i g h-w i re s t u f f when you de a l i n la r ge volu mes of what i s ba sic a l ly a not her c ommodit y, e ven i f it i s one of t he more u nu sua l one s .

A f t er a s t ron g week of pick i n g you c ou ld end up w it h f lower s wor t h ab out €10 0,0 0 0 s t u f fe d i nt o you r f r id ge .

T hat ’s g r e at i f you ma nage t o t u r n them a l l i nt o money, but u n for t u nat ely c u s t omer dema nd doe s not mir ror nat u r e ’s g r ow t h pat t er n s.

In st e a d you end up ga mbl i n g on f i nd i n g a n e x t r a out le t for a pr o duc t t hat on ly g ive s you a few d ay s g r a c e .

T h i s i s what t he e x p er t s t el l u s i s d i ver s i f ic a t ion a nd n ic he . But it ’s ba lone y t o t h i n k t hat it ’s e ver y b o dy ’s c up of t e a . It ’s s t re s s f u l, a nd dema nd s a lmost ever y moment of my wa k i n g t hou g ht s at t h i s t i me of ye a r.

But whi le it ’s e a s y t o lo s e you r s el f i n t he s t r e s s e s a nd s t r a i n s of t he d ay-t o - d ay g r i nd , d ay s l i ke ye s t er d ay a re a remi nder of t he hu ge prog re s s we’re ma k i n g i n de velopi n g a world- cla s s bu si ne s s .

I se e t he sa me pro c e s s happ en i n g qu ie t ly i n f a r mya rd s a l l a rou nd me.

W he t her t he y a re put t i n g up a not her a cre of g l a s shou s e s , c a lv i n g dow n a n ex t ra 60 c ow s, or si g n i n g up le a se s on a not her 10 0 a c re s of la nd , ma ny of t he ‘s t ron g ’ f a r ms t hat I se e pu sh i n g on a rou nd t he c ou nt r y a re now t u r n in g over more t ha n €1 m a n nua l ly.

T he fa r mer fe e d i n g 3 50 c at t le i n a she d i s probably h it t i n g t he one mi l l ion ma rk a s wel l. But it ’s wor t h not i n g t hat t he bi g g e s t c at t le she d s t o go up i n t he se pa r t s over t he la s t fe w ye a r s have a l l b e en bu i lt by t i l la ge men lo ok i n g t o a dd v a lue t o t hei r g r a i n a nd s t r aw, a s wel l a s gener at e a re a dy supply of or g a n ic ma nu re.

T he Ach i l le s he el of t he s e l a r g er u n it s i s t he publ ic p erc ept ion t hat t he y a r e ‘ f a c t or y ’ f a r ms w re a k i n g havo c on t he world a rou nd t hem.

T he i r ony i s t hat t he la r ger u n it s t end t o b e more pr ofe s sion a l ly r u n , w it h t he r e s ou r c e s t o i nve s t t o c on s t a nt ly i mprove s t a nd a rd s.

T he t w i n ne d i mpa c t of vega n ism a nd ubiqu it ou s v ide o a nd phot o s on so c ia l med ia mea n s t hat t he fa r m se c t or c a n not t oler at e a ny sloppy op er at or s a ny more.

I n t he pa s t it wa s t he Depa r t ment of

A g r ic u lt u r e ’s job t o g e t do d g y fa r mer s t o cle a n up t hei r a c t . But when a v ide o of a neg le c t e d a n i ma l go e s v i r a l on Fa c eb o ok a nd t a r n i she s a whole s e c t or, sudden ly ever y fa r mer r ely i n g on t he s e c t or for a l iv i n g su f fer s a s a re su lt .

It ’s not ha rd t o se e how t he se pre s su re s mi g ht for c e f u r t her c on s ol id at ion i n t he se c t or, but I wonder what r ole t r a d it ion a l f a r m r epr e s ent at ion w i l l have i n t h i s f ut u re domi nat e d by so c ia l med ia a gend a s ?

Ju s t b e for e C h r i s t ma s I at t ended the AGM of my lo c a l I FA br a nch i n e a s t