Four finalists have been announced in the Dairygold malting barley competition for 2023. The finalists are the four regional winners from north Cork, mid-Cork, east-Cork and Tipperary.
North Cork - Michael Archdeacon, Blackwater Valley, Co Cork
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for North Cork Michael Archdeacon with Dairygold's Michael English.
Michael grows beans, wheat, oats and malting barley on his farm and finishes cattle, while also managing a contracting business.
Malting barley takes up the most area in the crop rotation. Michael pays particular attention to his soil pH and soil samples regularly to make sure he is applying enough lime to his land.
He buys in weanlings and produces bull beef. Michael chooses Daiygold’s Irish ration to finish his cattle.
The cattle enterprise is a huge benefit to his crop management system, as he has slurry to add organic matter and nutrients back to the soil.
Mid-Cork - Denis O’Connor, Midleton, Co Cork
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for Mid Cork Denis O'Connor with Dairygold's Frank Hayes.
Denis’s farm is very free-draining and can usually be worked from the middle of January in most years. This no doubt helps to get malting barley crops in early, which can help to meet protein specifications.
Denis has replaced sugar beet with potatoes in his rotation. He also grows cereals and beans.
Denis carries out soil samples every three years and this helps to keep nutrient levels where they need to be.
Cover crops have become a key part of the farming system to increase soil organic matter content and offset carbon emissions.
East-Cork - Billy Nicholson, Crosshaven, Co Cork
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for East Cork Billy Nicholson with his son Niall and Dairygold's Val Crowley.
Billy Nicholson, his wife Olga and son Niall have a mixed tillage and livestock farm in east Cork.
The main crops on the farm are winter barley, spring malting barley and fodder beet. Soil sampling is carried out regularly and a fertiliser plan is decided each season.
The livestock on the farm are all on straw bedding and the farmyard manure provides a great source of organic matter for the soil. This farmyard manure goes back out on to the tillage fields.
Having run a successful beef enterprise for many years, the Nicholsons decided to switch the livestock side of the business to dairy due to the lack of profitability in beef and have maintained the tillage enterprise.
Tipperary - Michael J Ahearne, Cahir, Co Tipperary
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for Tipperary Michael J Ahearne with his son Alan and Daiygold's Ger Hanley.
Michael Ahearne farms in Kilcommon outside Cahir, Co Tipperary. This is dry land and allows for barley to be planted early in the spring time.
He has been growing barley on the farm for over 70 years and was one of the first farmers to grow malting barley on contract for Dairygold.
Michael increased the tillage area on his farm in 2023 and other crops on the farm include winter barley and grass for cattle, which the Ahearnes buy in and finish.
Looking at biodiversity on the farm, the Ahearnes cut their hedges on rotation.
Michael uses the Gatekeeper agronomy package to keep track of his chemical records.
Winners announced at Dairygold tillage conference
Finalists in the Dairygold malting barley competition are chosen based on malting barley quality. The 2023 season was extremely difficult to get malting barley to meet specifications.
A huge number of growers across the country did not get their barley to pass, so the award is a great achievement this season.
The finalists will now be judged on their farming practices, with a particular focus on their farm’s sustainability.
The overall winner of the competition will be announced at the Dairygold tillage conference on Friday 12 January at 2pm in Corrin Event Centre, Fermoy, Co Cork.
Trade stands will open at 12pm on the day of the conference and speakers will begin at 2pm.
Speakers on the day include head of agriculture at Bank of Ireland Eoin Lowry on mitigating risk, farmers William and Robert Coleman from Co Cork on improving their soil and crop management and Ciarán Collins of Teagasc on knowing your costs.
Four finalists have been announced in the Dairygold malting barley competition for 2023. The finalists are the four regional winners from north Cork, mid-Cork, east-Cork and Tipperary.
North Cork - Michael Archdeacon, Blackwater Valley, Co Cork
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for North Cork Michael Archdeacon with Dairygold's Michael English.
Michael grows beans, wheat, oats and malting barley on his farm and finishes cattle, while also managing a contracting business.
Malting barley takes up the most area in the crop rotation. Michael pays particular attention to his soil pH and soil samples regularly to make sure he is applying enough lime to his land.
He buys in weanlings and produces bull beef. Michael chooses Daiygold’s Irish ration to finish his cattle.
The cattle enterprise is a huge benefit to his crop management system, as he has slurry to add organic matter and nutrients back to the soil.
Mid-Cork - Denis O’Connor, Midleton, Co Cork
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for Mid Cork Denis O'Connor with Dairygold's Frank Hayes.
Denis’s farm is very free-draining and can usually be worked from the middle of January in most years. This no doubt helps to get malting barley crops in early, which can help to meet protein specifications.
Denis has replaced sugar beet with potatoes in his rotation. He also grows cereals and beans.
Denis carries out soil samples every three years and this helps to keep nutrient levels where they need to be.
Cover crops have become a key part of the farming system to increase soil organic matter content and offset carbon emissions.
East-Cork - Billy Nicholson, Crosshaven, Co Cork
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for East Cork Billy Nicholson with his son Niall and Dairygold's Val Crowley.
Billy Nicholson, his wife Olga and son Niall have a mixed tillage and livestock farm in east Cork.
The main crops on the farm are winter barley, spring malting barley and fodder beet. Soil sampling is carried out regularly and a fertiliser plan is decided each season.
The livestock on the farm are all on straw bedding and the farmyard manure provides a great source of organic matter for the soil. This farmyard manure goes back out on to the tillage fields.
Having run a successful beef enterprise for many years, the Nicholsons decided to switch the livestock side of the business to dairy due to the lack of profitability in beef and have maintained the tillage enterprise.
Tipperary - Michael J Ahearne, Cahir, Co Tipperary
Regional winner of the Dairygold malting barley competition for Tipperary Michael J Ahearne with his son Alan and Daiygold's Ger Hanley.
Michael Ahearne farms in Kilcommon outside Cahir, Co Tipperary. This is dry land and allows for barley to be planted early in the spring time.
He has been growing barley on the farm for over 70 years and was one of the first farmers to grow malting barley on contract for Dairygold.
Michael increased the tillage area on his farm in 2023 and other crops on the farm include winter barley and grass for cattle, which the Ahearnes buy in and finish.
Looking at biodiversity on the farm, the Ahearnes cut their hedges on rotation.
Michael uses the Gatekeeper agronomy package to keep track of his chemical records.
Winners announced at Dairygold tillage conference
Finalists in the Dairygold malting barley competition are chosen based on malting barley quality. The 2023 season was extremely difficult to get malting barley to meet specifications.
A huge number of growers across the country did not get their barley to pass, so the award is a great achievement this season.
The finalists will now be judged on their farming practices, with a particular focus on their farm’s sustainability.
The overall winner of the competition will be announced at the Dairygold tillage conference on Friday 12 January at 2pm in Corrin Event Centre, Fermoy, Co Cork.
Trade stands will open at 12pm on the day of the conference and speakers will begin at 2pm.
Speakers on the day include head of agriculture at Bank of Ireland Eoin Lowry on mitigating risk, farmers William and Robert Coleman from Co Cork on improving their soil and crop management and Ciarán Collins of Teagasc on knowing your costs.
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