Applying Supersoil to grasslands quickly draws down huge amounts of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) from the atmosphere and stores it where it belongs - in the soil.

Colm Cussen discusses his experience using Supersoil and how the product has benefited his farm enterprise in the last year. Colm farms in Broadford, Co Limerick, on his family farm where he runs a herd of pedigree Simmental cattle on 55ac, which he recently took over after the passing of his father.

The herd

The herd consists of 27 top-quality breeding cows, calving down 50% in January and February each year, with the remaining 50% calving in late spring/early summer. This split-calving system suits Colm, as it allows him to target different shows and sales for his pedigree herd.

“The 2022 calves are now weaned off the cows, with calving due to start in the next two weeks. I calve the cows in two blocks, which allows me to have two quality batches of cattle for the show and sales.

"All the progeny are sold off-farm, either to be showed or be kept for breeding. I purchase in two or three really good replacement heifers each year.

"Working off farm means it’s easier for me to run a stock bull with both cows and heifers, which is working really well.”

Successful

Running a successful business off-farm, Colm returned to the family farm with the aim to improve and streamline the business.

“I took over the farm after the passing of my father and I’m really only catching up now. The soil type is pretty good, but the land would have been slightly neglected over the years and the fact I have cattle that require a lot of grass means I can’t close up too much at any one time for reseeding.”

Looking for alternative options to pumping out chemical fertiliser, Colm was interested in alternative solutions that would help him bring life back to the soil without major investment.

After significant research, Colm decided to trial Supersoil. Supersoil is highly concentrated organic fertiliser made up of soil microbes and organic plant matter.

It is a 100% organic Irish manufactured product that contains zero chemicals and is fully certified by the Irish Organic Association.

Previously, Colm and his late father would have relied on chemical fertiliser for both silage and grazing platforms.

“The farm is set up in a paddock system, with one larger silage field. On average, we would have spread 5t of both straight nitrogen and compound fertiliser.

"I decided to trial the product in February 2022 on one of the paddocks. To be honest, I forgot about it then until I went to graze it and, at this stage, I could see a noticeable difference in the colour when compared to the other paddocks.”

Beneficial

With such success, Colm went on to cut his reliance on chemical fertiliser inputs. Supersoil contains over one trillion beneficial microbes, which have been harvested to create the world’s most fertile soils.

These microbes suck carbon and nitrogen from the air and bring nutrients to the plant to create a rich, fertile soil.

When asked about stock performance and how his farm has benefited from using the product, besides the financial gains, Colm was quick to highlight some key points.

“The cows and calves were housed in excellent condition, all the stock looked so healthy throughout the year, with notable improvement in paddock graze out and palatability, which I can even see in the silage bales, which are of excellent quality.

“An additional benefit was improved soil health and when I first applied the product, the difference was visible to the naked eye, with mushrooms appearing in the field for the first time in 18 years.”

Supersoil is delivered nationwide and the application process is very straightforward, as Colm explained: “At the beginning, I used an old sprayer without any additional modifications to apply the product.

"However, I have now purchased a new updated sprayer to improve the capacity and ensure an even spread pattern going forward.”

Plans

Colm has many plans for the farm in the future and Supersoil is guaranteed to be in the mix.

He looks forward to another year with no chemical inputs, only using natural products such as Supersoil and slurry as nutrients for his grass. This will be an integral part of Colm’s move to organic farming,

“I’m currently in the process of becoming a certified organic producer. As part of this process, I intend to soil test in the next few weeks, which will help with the plan to continue reseeding.

“I also hope to bring some technology from my own energy management company over to the farm to help drive efficiencies.”

Colm was delighted with the support and service he received upon enquiring about Supersoil and this was a major factor in finally deciding to make the switch, as he felt confident and assured that the product could sustain grass growth across the growing season.

He was keen to highlight the importance of soil health and how Supersoil has helped him improve soil biology on his farm.

“Without a doubt, I happily recommend the product to anyone who asks – my farm is a prime example that Supersoil really works and of the tremendous benefits it delivers.”

Contact Information

Call us on 042-603 9020.

Visit our website www.supersoil.ie.