Wicklow family farm lands big Tirlán award
MICHAEL Carey, who farms at Stonefield, Newcastle, with his son Stephen, and his brother, Brian, has won the coveted Tirlán Dried Feed Wheat category.
The champion growers were among 14 top suppliers commended at the highly-competitive Tirlán Quality Grain Awards for 2023 ceremony that took place on February 20 in Portlaoise, Co Laois.
New research from Teagasc on the Tirlán grain pool shows that Irish grain has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. The research unveiled at the awards is the first of its kind using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology specifically developed for Irish grain on a wide range of commercially grown Irish cereals. Accounting for straw incorporation, the study showed the net carbon footprint could be close to net zero.
The Careys farm approximately 1,000 acres of owned, leased and contract farmed land along the east coast from Bray down to Wicklow town. It’s an all-tillage enterprise with winter wheat, winter rye, winter oats, oilseed rape and winter and spring barley being grown.
Soil types are generally on the heavier side and particularly suit winter crops which are the backbone of his rotation. Michael uses min-till as much as possible to establish crops but will plough when necessary.
With the aim of improving soil health, Michael spreads a lot of organic manure, mainly in the form of chicken litter and has recently started growing cover crops on land destined for spring barley.
Oats and winter rye are sold green off the combine to Tirlán, with the remaining crops being dried and stored on the farm and sold throughout the winter months.
John Murphy, Tirlán Chairperson and Wexford native, said it was one of the most challenging years in living memory for grains, but commended Tirlán’s 1,100 plus growers on the resilience they’ve shown.
“The commitment to quality and passion shown by the award-winning growers, coupled with the sustainability credentials of the crops, bodes well for the future of Irish grain.
“As the largest buyer and user of premium Irish grains, Tirlán is investing in the future of Irish grain. Tirlán paid our growers almost €3 million in additional bonuses last year, specifically for premium grains. And, in spite of the exceptionally challenging weather, we doubled our gluten-free oats intake last year.
“We continue to expand our plant-based offerings and we’re evolving our portfolio to meet growing global demand in key markets such as North America, Europe and Asia where demand for sustainably produced, fully traceable product made from quality Irish grains continues to grow.”