Scrubbing up nicely: Cavan family ‘clean up’ at Lakeland milk awards

Cleanliness is the key to the success of the Graham family from Killeshandra, Co Cavan, who were recently crowned supreme champions of the Lakeland Dairies milk quality awards.

“The secret is simple there is no secret,” says Tanya Graham, who farms in partnership with her father Stanley, mother Dawn and sister Chloe.

“We don’t like dirty cows or a dirty yard. Once you have clean cows and a clean yard, then you have a good-quality milk. You need the sheds and yard clean, the cubicles cleaned too. You might think they’re the small jobs but they’re so important.

“I’ve been milking cows and hanging around the parlour since I was knee-high… it’s what I always loved and I still love doing it.”

The herd averages a somatic cell count (SCC) of 55,000 and a total bacteria count (TBC) of 4,000. This puts them in the top 5pc in the country.

With the cow performance standing at 3.8pc butterfat, 3.41pc protein and lactose of 4.8pc, with a current yield of 30 litres, the Grahams are on top of their game. The cows are on 8kg of meal per day in the parlour as well as good-quality silage.

“Having a low SCC and TBC are the bedrock,” Stanley says. “That’s where the quality in your milk comes from.”

On classically heavy west Cavan land of 170ac, the Grahams are milking just shy of 90 cows a mix of Holstein and British Friesian, with the breeding policy based on strong protein levels.

All the male calves are sold in Carrigallen Mart, with replacement heifers raised on the farm.

The herd operates a split calving system, with calves landing from September to May. According to Dawn, the logic for milking cows over the winter and through to the summer is straightforward.

“As Stanley always jokes, if we have the (milking) machine we may as well as use it as often as possible,” Dawn says. “Otherwise, the cows are dry for a long time and you’d fairly feel it in the pocket.

Stanley adds: “It keeps the cashflow going over the winter and that’s important for us. Having 89 cows calving between September and May is just about right for us when you’re looking at the land we have… I don’t think another system would work for us.”

The family aspect to the farm operation is central to their success, Dawn explains. It was a mixed farm of dairy, sheep and beef until 12 years ago when they transitioned almost solely to dairying with a few sheep.

“It’s a huge honour to be surrounded by your family working on the farm every day. Everyone is involved. Stanley’s father Jim is still involved,” she says.

Stanley adds: “Yeah, he’s up every morning scrapping the yard with the (Massey Ferguson) 135… that’s his job and he does a real good job on it.”

“We all have different jobs and roles, from milking the cows to tractor work

Winners:

Tanya and Stanley Graham, supreme champions of the Lakeland Dairies milk quality awards

to the paperwork and topping fields. It’s great to have the whole family in it together. It really is a whole family affair for us,” Dawn says.

The Lakeland award came as a huge surprise to the family.

“We’re always looking every year at farmers winning awards, wondering how they did it and what are they doing differently to us,” Dawn says.

“When the call comes in saying that you have won, the feeling is quite incredible. It’s a tremendous feeling. I can’t quite describe the pride on winning it.”

For the first time, the Lakeland awards featured a joint Supreme Champion: one from Northern Ireland and one from the Republic.

The Northern prize went to the Sloan family from Kilkeel, Co Down.

The Grahams also took home the <500,000 litre producer category in the Republic, while the Sloans won the >1m litre category in the North.

‘Having a low SCC and TBC are the bedrock. That’s where the quality in your milk comes from’