DEAGLAN McArdle and his father Seamus farm 32Ha in the townland of Mullaghduff, just outside Cullyhanna in County Armagh.
They run a calf to beef enterprise using the Horizon model, sourcing quality dairy bred calves from Genus ABS AI bulls and supplying approximately 60 finished animals each year to ABP Lurgan, where Deaglan works full-time as Technical Manager.
The farm also supports a 40-ewe March lambing flock, which helps make best use of the different land types across the 80 acres farmed.
Deaglan and Seamus have put a lot of effort, supported and encouraged by participation in a Beef Finishing Business Development Group (BDG), into improving grassland management. This process has included soil sampling, reseeding using both conventional and stitching-in methods and introduction of a paddock grazing system.
As both Deaglan and Seamus work full-time off farm, having a simple well-managed grazing system is very important.
Deaglan completed a Higher National Diploma in Agriculture at Greenmount campus, being in the last class to complete the HND before introduction of the Foundation Degree Programme. He said: “I would highly recommend studying at CAFRE to anyone with the interest in agriculture. I had a very positive experience and the practical and theory elements of the course are very beneficial.”
If working in agriculture interests you, I encourage you to look at the further and higher education courses available at CAFRE.
n CAFRE contact details are: www.cafre.ac.uk Discover CAFRE on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, Freephone: 0800 028 4291 Email: enquiries@cafre.ac.uk
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