Mitchelstown dairy farm awarded prize for excellence at National Quality Milk Awards
MOHER FAMILY SCOOPS TOP PRIZE IN ‘HIGHEST MILK SOLIDS PER HECTARE’ CATEGORY
LOCAL dairy farmers Sean and Teresa Moher from Mitchelstown, were awarded with the top prize in the “Highest Milk Solids per Hectare” category at the National Quality Milk Awards, 2016, which took place on 4th October in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin.
The Moher family were presented with their prize by hurling legend Henry Shefflin, and were amongst 10 of Ireland’s top dairy farms who were acknowledged for their standards of excellence across a range of categories on the day.
THREE GENERATIONS
Three generations of the Moher family are living on the farm at Croughmore Lower. Sean and his wife Treasa have 2 children - Fionn (6) and Molly (4). Parents Jim & Peggy live up the lane and continue to have an interest. Work life balance is important to the family. “As three generations live on the farm, safety is paramount. Treasa and I continuously review safety,” says Sean.
“My great-grandmother, the widow Moher, bought the farm for £389 from Anna Countess Kingston, who lived on the very site (Castlefarm) where the milk is now processed,” explains Sean.
The farm is 61 hectares with 28 hectares used for grazing. Sean milked 79 cows in 2015, with an average herd yield of 6,517 litres, supplying milk to Dairygold Co-op.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Sean worked in engineering with an interest in quality control, evidenced by the tools arranged neatly in his workshop. His attention to detail is matched by an ambition to constantly improve the farm in conjunction with Dairygold and to drive results to new heights each year.
“The Moher’s farm is a great example of how farming families, all over the country, pull together, pool their strengths and produce great results” said Zoë Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the National Dairy Council. “By taking pride in what they do, the Mohers have built a sustainable, profitable and enjoyable family business.
RELENTLESS EFFORT
“The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards recognise the hard work and determination of Irish dairy farms all year round. Their relentless effort and attention to detail is what ensures that Irish Dairy as an industry continues to excel,” said Ms. Kavanagh.
Kevin Lane, Chief Executive of Ornua said: “It is no accident that Irish dairy products are regarded as the best in the world.
Our farmers and their families commitment to delivering world class quality milk, day in day out, coupled with our grass based farming systems has enabled us to build successful markets for dairy products around the world.”
Professor Pat Wall from UCD spoke on behalf of the national judging panel, which included Dr. David Gleeson (Teagasc) and Dr. Jack Kennedy (Irish Farmers Journal). He thanked the farmers and co-ops for participating in the national awards.
“The ten shortlisted dairy farms were put through intensive scrutiny involving rigorous analysis of milk quality reports and technical data spanning a full 12 month period and included an inspection of their farms by the judges, which allowed us to get insights into the farm’s practices around areas such as milking routine, animal welfare and sustainability” said Professor Wall.
EXCELLENT STANDARDS
“All of the finalists clearly demonstrated excellent standards in food production. They are leaders in their industry and showcase the utmost standards in sustainability, hygiene, animal welfare and quality.”
Learn more about this year’s winners at www.qualitymilkawards.ie.