What is the theme of this year’s open day?

The theme of Moorepark’23 is Securing a Sustainable Future.

What time are gates open for Moorepark’23?

Gates open at 8.30am and the event will conclude at 5pm.

How do I get to Moorepark?

Moorepark is located just off the main Cork-Dublin road (the M8), and is approximately 5km from Fermoy on the Mitchelstown side. Exits off the M8 motorway are Exit 13 from the north and Exit 14 from the south.

What are the topics of the main four boards?

  • The Sustainability Challenge – outlines current policy and its impact, discusses sustainability status, as well technologies available today and the ones that are being worked on for tomorrow.
  • Profitable Systems – competitiveness, cost of production and cost control strategies. Meeting the labour challenge will also be addressed.
  • Breeding and Reproduction – EBI developments to improve sustainability will be outlined, as well as the Dairy Beef Index, the Commercial Beef Value, and the benefits and opportunities of using sexed-semen.
  • Sustainable Grassland Production – capitalising on the benefits of white clover and reducing farm gate nitrogen surplus.
  • Where can I get answers to my questions?

    There are the main boards, demonstrations and seven technical villages all staffed by Teagasc researchers, advisers and education staff who will be available to answer your technical questions.

    Teagasc Moorepark open day site map.

    What are the main technical villages?

    There are a number of villages at the open day. The main technical villages are Grassland, Breeding and Reproduction, SignPost, One Health, One Welfare, Working Effectively, Infrastructure and Skills. There will also be health and safety demonstrations and information throughout the route.

    Are there any live displays, demos and workshops?

    Demonstrations on grazing management, reseeding, low emission slurry spreading, fertiliser type, white clover/mixed species swards, calibration of fertiliser spreaders, farm infrastructure, locomotion scoring, body condition scoring, milk quality, calf rearing, high DBI genetics, and health and safety will take place throughout the day.

    There will be workshops from Ornua/NDC, with Milk Quality Award winners discussing their farming experience.

    What is new at this open day?

    There are a number of new initiatives at this open day. There is a whole range of new research results to discuss on the day. We have the Discussion Arena, where there will be discussions on addressing challenges, such as costs and nitrates. The International Village will include farmer and research representatives from European and New Zealand dairy industries, who will outline the dairy industry in their countries and new research solutions as well as ongoing practices outlines current policy and its impact, discusses sustainability status as well technologies available today and the ones that are being worked on for tomorrow to futureproof dairying in their countries.

    What will be discussed at the forum?

    A forum at the end of the open day route will get going from approximately 12:30 (midday), with topics such as the dairy market, milk quality, milk from a nutritive perspective and industry discussion. This will finish on the key industry challenge of People in the Dairy Industry.

    How accessible is the site?

    Provisions have been made to make the open day route as accessible as possible. The terrain is flat but is in grass fields. There is accessible parking and accessible toilet facilities.

    Where can I find more?

    Further information is available on www.teagasc.ie and on social media (Mooreparkopenday2023 on Instagram and Twitter, and Teagasc Dairy on Facebook).