This week on Organic Matters, we meet mixed farmers John and Fiona Curran in Co. Meath. The Currans manage a range of enterprises, including turkeys, tillage, beef and sheep. Fiona speaks to our presenter, Hannah Quinn-Mulligan, about raising turkeys for the Christmas market, while John talks through the ins and outs of the tillage, cattle and sheep enterprises.
The Curran’s are currently growing winter barley, sold as animal feed and milling oats, which are sold to Flahavan’s. The tillage is complemented by suckler-to-beef and lamb enterprises, with the majority of cattle raised to beef and sold to The Good Herdsmen, while the lambs are processed organically by Irish Country Meats.
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This week on Organic Matters, we meet mixed farmers John and Fiona Curran in Co. Meath. The Currans manage a range of enterprises, including turkeys, tillage, beef and sheep. Fiona speaks to our presenter, Hannah Quinn-Mulligan, about raising turkeys for the Christmas market, while John talks through the ins and outs of the tillage, cattle and sheep enterprises.
The Curran’s are currently growing winter barley, sold as animal feed and milling oats, which are sold to Flahavan’s. The tillage is complemented by suckler-to-beef and lamb enterprises, with the majority of cattle raised to beef and sold to The Good Herdsmen, while the lambs are processed organically by Irish Country Meats.
This week, Organic Matters meets third-generation suckler farmer Padraic O'Donnell, based in South Galway.
After returning home from the UK to take over his family farm, he converted to organics in 2021. Padraic has focused on improving the genetics of his herd by learning how to do his own artificial insemination (AI), experimenting with introducing new breeds into his existing stock of mainly Limousins and Simmentals.
He speaks about the different kinds of grassland on his farm, including pastures for grazing and silage, callows (seasonally flooded, semi-natural grassland), which he sees as great for summer grazing, and rocky areas that help to extend the grazing season. Padraic has also started selling his own meat directly to customers, processing the meat locally, and shares why he thinks it's important to keep small abattoirs alive.
Organic Matters
This week on Organic Matters, we meet mixed farmers John and Fiona Curran in Co. Meath. The Currans manage a range of enterprises, including turkeys, tillage, beef and sheep. Fiona speaks to our presenter, Hannah Quinn-Mulligan, about raising turkeys for the Christmas market, while John talks through the ins and outs of the tillage, cattle and sheep enterprises.
The Curran’s are currently growing winter barley, sold as animal feed and milling oats, which are sold to Flahavan’s. The tillage is complemented by suckler-to-beef and lamb enterprises, with the majority of cattle raised to beef and sold to The Good Herdsmen, while the lambs are processed organically by Irish Country Meats.
