December 2015 Irish Tractor & Agri magazine

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IRISH

&

AGRI

DECEMBER 2014

Vol. 2 No. 7

EURO 2.95 stg.£2.50

Vol. 2 N

Inside Front_Layout 1 09/12/2014 15:17 Page 1

Unique removal rubber peg fitting system (patented)

The e c y o R s l Rol of ts a M r e b Rub

Tailormade to suit your slats cut to your specifications on our precision cutting laser machine Up to 25% weight gains in independent tests New & improved German rubber compound Easy clean surface - no dirt holding grooves Flat animal friendly surface - follows the natural shape of the slat vastly superior to bumpy profiles Cubicle cow mats & loose area mats also available

Riverstick Industries Co. Cork

LoCall: 1890 208 208

Email: riverstickindustries@gmail.com

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2 Agri News

Contents

Irish Tractor & Agri is published by DG Press, Kells Business Park, Kells, Co. Meath Telephone: (046) 9241923 Fax: (046) 9241926

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O’Hanlon Herbs

Morning Fresh Farm Ltd. Leading supplier of a number of lettuce varieties to the Irish market

David John McKay & Sons Agri Leading the way in agricultural farming

Providing Irish customers with a full range of fresh herbs

Ballinroe International Horse Transport Unrivalled in their field of expertise

10 John Dan O’Hare A top class agricultural service for over half a century 16 Dairypower Equipment Ireland’s premier designer and manufacturer of high quality farm equipment

20 Old Church Veterinary Hospital Delivering quality veterinary care for six decades 26 ‘A’ Transport Ltd. Transport solution providers to many different sectors

41 North West Forest Services Ltd. Specialists in forest and tree management

44 Whytes Family Farm Leinster winners of the FBD Year of Family farming award

e mail: contact@lynngroupmedia.com

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Kehoe Farming Offering a diverse range of products & services to customers

47 Goudie Bros Transport Ltd. Dedicated to their profession

50 Gorthill Farm Contracting An exceptional agricultural contracting service

54 Waterfall Farms Ltd. Specialising in the growing, harvesting and preparing of vegetables for the catering trade 58 Gannon’s Eggs and Poultry Longest running egg and poultry business in Ireland 62 JN Contracts Wide range of agricultural services

66 Marksville Farms Leading the way in supply of quality rolled cereals and the Maxammon grain treatment process

72 O’Leary Transport One of Ireland’s leading transporters of animal feeds, combinable crops and other agricultural produce

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John Deere 7R Series tractor sets new fluid efficiency benchmark

After undergoing the demanding Powermix test at the DLG test centre in Groß-Umstadt (Germany), the John Deere 7310R tractor recently set a new fluid efficiency record for high horsepower iT4 and FT4 tractors.

With an average of only 258g/kWh* total fluid consumption across all the Powermix field cycles, the 7310R has now set a standard that will John Deere 7R Series help customers to significantly reduce their operating costs.

Farmers and contractors carrying out a high level of road transport applications will benefit from the 7310R’s performance, as also reflected in the recently published DLG Transportmix test. Measurements taken at the DLG test centre recorded a fluid consumption of only 462g/kWh**, compared to an average of 605g/kWh*** for all the iT4/FT4 machines tested so far in this horsepower segment.

According to John Deere, the 7310R’s test results reflect that excellent fluid efficiency is the result of several factors, based on optimised engine technology that combines a diesel exhaust filter, series turbochargers, SCR (selective catalytic reduction) and a higher fuel injection pressure to achieve Stage IV/FT4-compliant combustion quality.

Complemented by the new e23 transmission offering 23 forward and 11 reverse speeds, this makes John Deere 7R Series tractors among the most efficient in the industry.

Customer Satisfaction inspires New Holland Dealer Aftersales Convention

The impressive Customer Centre at New Holland’s flagship tractor plant in Basildon played host to the brand’s dealers from across the UK and Republic of Ireland for the 2014 Dealer Aftersales Convention.

More than 70 key staff arrived for the event on November 4th and 5th where the New Holland commercial team showcased the best practice methods alongside new and exciting aftersales initiatives designed to bring the very best support to the customer.

New Holland Aftersales Commercial Manager James Carroll said: “As is the case in all areas of our business, we at New Holland are constantly striving to provide a ‘best in class’ experience to our customers, and our aftersales commitment is no exception. That’s exactly what the 2014 Dealer Aftersales Convention was all about.

“The market is very competitive and we recognise the customers’ requirement for a professional, trusted and responsive aftersales service. We understand that this is a key consideration in the buying choice of potential customers and, like them, maximising machine productivity and efficiency by minimising downtime is of the highest importance to us.

“The dealer staff have gone back to their customers with updated knowledge, fresh expertise, and an unrivalled hunger to keep the New Holland brand at the forefront of people’s minds. 2015 is going to be a big year – watch this space.”

A series of workshop sessions unveiled the new aftersales initiatives set to hit the market over the coming weeks and months.

This included updated technical support processes and growth of the New Holland Technician Training Certification Program, which runs alongside the industry-recognised Landbased Technician Accreditation scheme (LTA), and New Holland’s technician apprenticeship scheme.

The sessions also focussed on the tools available to adapt the various aftersales services to each customer’s unique requirements and how to bring the range of offerings to the market.

There was also insight into the work that has been done to bring customers closer than ever to the New Holland brand in order to continue to strengthen the support that the dealer network is New Holland Dealer Aftersales Convention able to provide.

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Case IH Magnum 380 CVX awarded "Tractor of the Year 2015"

Following a challenging selection process that culminated in a final with seven other competitors, the Case IH Magnum 380 CVX was distinguished as "Tractor of the Year 2015" at EIMA International, the International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Exhibition in Bologna.

Awarded for the first time in 1998, the "Tractor of the Year" is a prestigious prize recognizing technological achievements in agricultural engineering.

Case IH Magnum The award-winning Magnum 380 CVX was identified by 23 independent 380 CVX agricultural journalists from trade magazines in 23 European countries. "I am more than proud to represent "Case IH" and receive the "Tractor of the Year 2015" award for the Magnum 380 CVX today", said Matthew Foster, Vice President Case IH Europe and responsible for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, at the award ceremony.

First launched in 1987, the Magnum series has been continuously improved, step-by-step further increasing performance and productivity, reducing fuel consumption and emissions, improving operator comfort and thus optimising owners' return on investment. "27 years of Magnum tractors mean 27 years of approval by the hardest test personnel you can get, that is Farmers in their everyday practice.

Throughout the competition Case IH showed and presented to the jury that the Magnum 380 CVX has got what it takes to be viable solution for our customers and farmers not only in Europe but around the world. Such features as the CVX variable transmission, easy to use multi-controller handle, new LED lighting packages and of course innovative "Rowtrac" solution which provides the track advantage of power to the ground but with minimal soil disturbance seen with wheeled tractors. I indeed appreciate that all this has been honoured with the "Tractor of the Year 2015" award today", concluded Foster.

DM Tours 2015 Programme

Damian McKenna and DM Tours are synonymous with Agricultural tours and great value for money. Damian has built his reputation around his extensive hands-on expertise and interest in travel so with his many contacts in the farming industry built up over many years, you are sure to find something to whet your appetite in DM Tours 2015 tour programme.

The New Year starts off with a tour to LAMMA – the UK’s largest machinery event. Held in the East of England Showground, near DM Coach Tours Peterborough it is a launch pad for all leading manufacturers and dealers to show off their new equipment and innovations. In 2015, DM Tours are again running two tours – both departing January 20th. The shorter 3 days/2 nights takes in one day at the event and is keenly priced at only €149 while the 4 days/3 nights will spend 2 full days at the event costs €175 per person sharing. This longer tour stays one night in Manchester giving you the opportunity to relax before heading back to the daily grind!!

In February and March we see the very popular Cambridge Machinery Sales and Tractor World Show, but the highlight in February must be the bi-annual SIMA Agri-Business show held in Paris. DM Tours use scheduled flights and use luxury coaches for transfers to and from the airport, the event and your hotel. At €399 per person sharing, there is limited availability at this price so early booking is recommended if you want to attend the world’s leading event meeting the requirements of both crop and livestock farms. With 1700 companies from 42 countries, this is ‘must see’ exhibition.

The Balmoral Show in May kicks off the season of the 2015 farming and agriculture shows. This is tour is aimed at people living in Cork or Limerick who cannot travel to the event in a day, but as Damian says “we never ever turn anyone away” so if you are living in Meath, Cavan or Monaghan and want to treat yourself to a night away at a very reasonably priced trip which includes your local pick up, luxury coach transport throughout, hotel accommodation and entrance to the Show then at €175 you cannot go far wrong. If you want to go farther afield you may like to join a tour to the Royal Highland Show staying in Edinburgh in June or in July, the Royal Welsh Show staying in the city of Cardiff – the choice is endless.

Fun for all the family can be had at both the CLA Game Fair and the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Equally good value, DM Tours prides itself that on every tour that it carries out, the dedication of the in-house team of professional staff and drivers who are fully trained in every aspect of their job ensures your trip runs smoothly.

At the end of the year DM Tours has a programme of Vintage Tractor Shows, Machinery and Vintage Sales, together with the ever popular bi-annual show Agritechnica. This is the world’s leading international exhibition for agricultural machinery and equipment, held in Hanover in Germany. DM Tours operate two tours both attending Preview Days at the Show. Using scheduled flights the ‘by Air’ tour is from November 8-11 while the ‘by Coach’ tour departs on November 7th and returns to Ireland on November 12th after visiting the Show, taking in 2 farms visits and an overnight stay in Amsterdam.

Maybe you are a member of a group, co-op or society and would like to visit a particular event, factory or farm. DM Tours can organise a tour around anything you are interested in, for any length of time. They can organise everything from flights, coach travel to hotel accommodation and inclusive visits – you just have to tell them when, where and they will look after the why and the wherefore…..

Contact Damian McKenna 087.2826977 and he will be only too delighted to assist you with your query or call DM Tours Sales Team on 042.9663111 for more information and to book. Remember to book early to avoid disappointment as all these tours are very popular.

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

DM TOURS is the leading Agricultural Tours specialist tour company in Ireland. All our tours are organised by a professional team of experts and use Luxury coaches supplied by our own company, DM Tours Coach Hire Ltd. You are guaranteed a personal service throughout, from the time when you make that initial contact, to during the tour and beyond.

2015 EVENTS

FEBRUARY

JANUARY FEB 8-10 CAMBRI

JAN 20-22 LAMMA €149 JAN 20-23 LAMMA €199

DGE MACHINERY SALES €1 €175 75 FEB 24-25 SIMA SH OW PARIS BY AIR €3 €39999 FEB 28-29 MULLAH EAD PLOUGHING AND TRACTOR PU LLING CO. ARMAGH

BALMORAL SH OW MAY 13-14, €1 75 MAY 14-15, €1 75 k/Limerick

JUNE 26-28 ROYAL HIGHL AND SHOW €325

SEPTEMBER

SEPT 3-6 GREAT DORSE T STEAM FAIR €425

MARCH 13-15 TRACTOR WORLD 2 DAYS AT EVEN

JULY

JULY 19-22 ROYAL WELSH SH OW with farm vi sits €375 5

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

OCT 16-18 CAMBRIDGE VINTAGE SALE S €195

A DIVISION OF

travelLtd.

T

€199

JUNE

MAY

starting Cor

MARCH

NOV 7-12 AGRITECH

NICIA

BY COACH WITH FARM VIS ITS AND OVER NIGHT IN AMSTERDAM NOV 8-11 AGRITECH

BOTH TOURS ATTE

NICIA BY AIR

ND SHOW FO R PRE VIEW DAYS

NOV NEWARK VINTAG6-E8 TRACTOR & HERITAGE SHOW

APRIL

TECHNO CLASSICA ESSEN APRIL 15-20 BY CO ACH €7 €725 25 APRIL 17-19 BY AI R €4 €475 75 APRIL 24-26 CAMBRIDGE VINT AGE SALES €1 €195 95

AUGUST

JULY 31 -AUG UST 2 CLA GAME FA IR €339955

DECEMBER

DEC 6-8 CAM MACHINERY SABRIDGE LES €175 75 DEC 10-11 ULSTER WINTE R FAIR/ BELFAST €1 €175 starting Cor k/Limerick

Main Street, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan Call 042 9663111 or Damian 087 2826977 Fully bonded Official Government Licenced Travel Agent Reg No. 317243 Licence No. TA0520

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New Merlo Turbofarmer range launched on Irish market

Merlo telehandlers distributor, McHale Plant Sales of Birdhill, has introduced the new Turbofarmer range on the market here.

Aimed at agricultural and construction users alike, the new range consists of three models with two lift capacities (3.8t or 4.2t), two lift heights (7m or 10m) and some 20 different spec combinations. All have a newly designed chassis and the range-specific TF (turbo farmer) model designation.

Entry-level unit is the TF38.7 whose features include a 3.8tonnes lift with 7-metres reach. Models offering the same 3.8-tonnes lift with longer 10-meters reach are the more powerful TF38.10 units whose features include frame levelling with side shift, cab suspension, CVT transmission and the option of a 120hp or 156hp Tier 4-compliant Deutz motor that delivers 16hp more than the model it replaces.

Merlo Turbofarmer Biggest selling model in the new range is expected to be the 4.1-tonne, 10-metres high TF42.7 lifter, powered by the larger of the two engines and fitted with a particulate filter, EGR and catalyst to minimise emissions.

In design terms, the new range comes with a restyled engine compartment that delivers more space, with engines now mounted lengthways and the radiator set parallel to the ground.

Standard is a reversible fan that runs according to engine temperature and is designed to use less horsepower while the engine is cool – a feature that Merlo claims is 18% more fuel efficient than the previous models.

To improve operator comfort, cab width has been extended and the layout redesigned. New features include a new instrument cluster, improved visibility and a monitor displaying lift and weight information that doubles as an on-board weighing system.

Ventilation is improved thanks to its new ‘slightly pressurised’ construction. The steering orbital unit is now fitted remotely outside the cab to reduce noise and heat generated.

Hydraulic system improvements see oil flow raised up from 91-litres/min to 106-litres/min (gear pump OC) and from 135litres/min to 160-litres/min (piston pump CCLS). All systems run at a maximum operating pressure of 210 bar (3150 psi).

A new self-levelling compensating ram has been repositioned to reduce boom stress, while, at any given time, up to 20 weight values can be viewed on the cab’s CDC screen, with all stability values and boom positions displayed on the same screen.

Welcoming the new models, McHale Plant Sales managing director Michael McHale said ‘our intention is to market the new range at competitive prices that should help build market share whilst taking account of current economic conditions.’

CNH Industrial brand wins TOTY® 2015 award for Best of Specialised Tractor CNH Industrial N.V is proud to announce that the T3F tractor from its brand New Holland Agriculture has taken top honours in the Best of Specialised category of the TOTY® 2015 awards.

This award series is conferred at the major European agricultural machinery exhibition taking place in the fall or winter of each calendar year. This year's exhibition is EIMA International 2014, which is being held in Bologna, Italy from 12 – 16 November.

TOTY® 2015 winners are determined by a jury composed of 23 expert journalists representing major European trade publications.

The jury assessed the T3F as being able to offer ultimate in-field performance in cultivation tasks, making it ideal for customers who demand highly specific equipment with a perfect balance between performance and agility to move quickly and easily in narrow spaces or under low canopies.

New Holland takes TOTY Award

WANT TO SEE YOUR STORY FEATURED ON THESE PAGES? Then get in touch with us at contact@lynngroupmedia.com 6

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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John Deere scores hat-trick at 2015 SIMA show

Three innovative John Deere concepts will receive gold and silver innovation awards plus a special mention at the 2015 SIMA show in Paris (February 22-26). “This achievement recognises John Deere’s commitment to innovation and advanced technology and is the result of excellent teamwork across the entire business,” says Chris Wigger, John Deere’s Region 2 Vice President, Sales & Marketing.

John Deere scored a hat-trick at 2015 SIMA

SILVER AWARD: AUTOCONNECT John Deere has also developed the AutoConnect system, which is designed to fully connect a tractor to an implement without the operator needing to leave the tractor seat. By helping to save time when implements need to be changed, this new system provides a significant increase in productivity as well as improved operator safety.

AutoConnect automatically links the tractor and the implement by

SPECIAL MENTION: BATTERY BOOST Enabling the use of high voltage electricity on both vehicles and implements, John Deere’s Battery Boost is the industry’s first tractor able to plug into the grid, and represents a major milestone on agriculture’s journey towards enhanced electro mobility.

The innovative Battery Boost tractor concept utilises high performance batteries to preserve energy taken from a farm’s solar, biogas or wind energy plants, for use as a power source on demand.

Connected to a modified John Deere 6RE tractor, Battery Boost can provide up to 107kW of additional power and enables the tractor to extend its power range, independent of the operating mode.

Furthermore, the system’s AEF (Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation) standardised socket unlocks new opportunities for agricultural e-mobility, manually or automatically controlled hybrid electric applications and bi-directional (DC) battery charging, which is additionally supported through CCS (Combined Charging System) socket integration.

Key benefits of the easy to use, ‘plug-and-play’ Battery Boost system include a significant reduction in fuel costs due to the flexible use of sustainable energy produced on the farm, and the ability to use a lower rated tractor for applications where occasionally much higher horsepower would be required.

GOLD AWARD: EXACTEMERGE John Deere’s ExactEmerge high performance planter concept provides new levels of accuracy at planting speeds of up to 10mph (16kph) and beyond.

This innovative technology delivers seed to the bottom of the furrow in a rearward trajectory that truly matches the ground speed of the planter at any desired seed population. This delivers precise seed placement in the furrow with no bounce and no roll, whether planting maize or soya beans at high seeding rates.

A cartridge of brush bristles gently cradles the seed on all sides, with full control, to deliver each seed to the bottom of the furrow, even in rough planting conditions. ExactEmerge row units handle the vast majority of seed shapes and sizes, achieving 99 per cent seed singulation.

Featuring a road transport width of only 3m, John Deere’s eightrow high performance planter concept offers a granular fertiliser option and has been designed to work in both conventional tillage and no-till conditions. Mounted on a tractor, this unique electricdrive planter can be powered by an external generator attached to the tractor pto (or alternatively by a John Deere 6RE tractor), and is fully integrated into John Deere’s FarmSight range of precision farming solutions.

establishing full functionality of the drawbar, PTO, SCVs, electrics, ISOBUS and air brakes. Activated on the tractor’s GreenStar cab display, the software modules AutoBackup, AutoConnect and AutoSetup enable a completely safe and quick connection to be made between the tractor and the implement.

New Chairman announced at Lakeland Dairies

Alo Duffy of Corbrack, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, has been appointed Chairman of Lakeland Dairies Co-operative Society Ltd. Mr. Duffy was first elected to the Board of Lakeland Dairies in 2010.

Alo Duffy (right) is the new Chairman of He succeeds Pádraig Lakeland Dairies. He is pictured with Gerry Melia (left) and Michael Hanley (centre) Young who has retired from the Board having served with distinction as a Board member since 2006 and Chairman since 2008. Following from Mr. Young’s retirement, Mr. Anthony Leddy of Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, has been elected to the Board representing the Co-operative’s Cavan North Constituency.

Lakeland Dairies is one of Ireland’s leading dairy processing cooperatives. Lakeland operates across fifteen counties on a cross border basis, processing over 800 million litres of milk annually into a range of value-added dairy foodservice products and food ingredients which it exports worldwide.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Ballinroe International Horse Transport offer a top of the range service

A

Travelling in style

nimal welfare has become a more important feature in our lives as changes to legislation ensure that they are treated properly.

This applies to the transportation of animals as well. Gone are the days when animals would be squashed into a trailer and maybe not fed or watered until the reach their destination, which in some cases could take a day or two.

The transportation of horses is a specialised trade and one that takes great experience and ingenuity to carry out to the highest standard.

However, there are few that can rival the service provided by Ballinroe International Horse Transport who have been supplying a top quality service to their customers for 24 years now.

Situated in Templemore, Co Tipperary, the experience that Ballinroe International Horse Transport means they are unrivalled in their field of expertise.

For many years, Tony Keane plied his trade as a successful horse trainer and during this time he saw the need for an efficient transport system exclusively for

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the movement of horses and in particular a bigger fleet than the small transporters that were common place in Ireland during that time.

So in 1990, he decided to set up his own business and from there the company has gone from strength to strength over the intervening years.

With his extensive knowledge of horses, Tony knew what his customers wanted and he able to provide this as he begun to build the fleet. These days, Ballinroe has an extensive range of Mercedes-Benz horse transportation vehicles that are equipped to provide maximum safety and comfort for horses.

In 1999, Tony’s son Patrick came on board the family business and having previously worked with the National Stud, he too brought a wealth of experience to the business.

For this month’s edition of Irish Trucker, we profile the Tipperary based company and speak to Patrick about the services that they provide.

“When my father first set up the business, there was no big fleets doing this sort of work. You would have smaller operators, but they could only transport a few horses at a time,” said Patrick.

“We now have 13 trucks on the road, all of which are Mercedes which transport horses throughout Ireland, the UK and France mainly. “We would have a large customer base at this stage and whether we would be transporting to and from sales, race meetings or general movement, we ensure that all the horses will be looked after and properly treated.”

Safety is the key issue for Ballinroe International Horse Transport and through their many years’ experience, the Keane family know what it takes to deliver the proper service.

CONTACT DETAILS Ballinroe International Horse Transport, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

Telephone Office: +353 (0)504 32280 Fax: +353 (0) 504 32099 Mobile: +353 (0)87 2540415 IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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“Our family has been dealing with horses for generations now and we know what’s needed when transporting them. Our top of the range fleet caters solely for carrying horses and all of our trucks and trailers are of the highest spec.

“The drivers and grooms are all experienced in dealing with horses and they know how to treat them properly. We place great trust in our staff and they do a great job.”

As stated, Ballinroe’s fleet comprises of Mercedes trucks, while they also have a range of Renault Master vans, but makes that they find suit their needs best.

“We have always dealt with Mercedes Trucks as we find them to be the most reliable and comfortable, while the Renault Master vans work well for us too. We would upgrade the fleet on an annual basis and they trailers are built to the highest specifications.”

With the safety and comfort of the horses in mind, each truck is fitted with advanced air suspension systems for a smoother ride and to ensure the maximum comfort for horses in transit.

Air suspension also makes loading and unloading much easier as the height of the truck can be lowered making the ramps very low to the ground and more inviting for your horse to load. Non slip rubber floors and ramps as well as Rear and side loading ramps are included.

Adjustable stalls and Partitions are in place as is CCTV cameras on board all trucks. There are fans and temperature gauges on board all trucks so we can adjust the temperature in transit.

“We work with all the main stud farms in the country and we can transport from one horse to eleven, which allows to take on any job.”

Following the delivery of horses to its destination, each vehicle is then powerwashed and disinfected after every journey in order to meet the hygiene

efficient service precedes them. standards required.

“We are kept busy all year round. From Ballinroe also offering stabling facilities January to July, we would be busy at their premises in Templemore and moving mares, while the rest of year, we whether it be before a journey or on their would be generally transporting way back, they have the capacity to yearlings. house a number of horses. The stable “A lot of hard work and investment has facilities consists of large, comfortable gone into the business over the years and clean stables, vast paddocks with and we will continue to do that in order top quality grazing facilities and modern to maintain the standards that our internal and external horse walkers. customers expect from us.”

All facilities have been designed to the most up-to-date standards in the horse industry.

Best Wishes To Ballinroe International Horse Transport, From Ballinroe implements strict health and safety polices to ensure that all facilities are cleaned regularly and c o m p l e t e l y disinfected after each horse.

With 24 years’ experience in the Derrygrath, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary industry, Ballinroe’s Tel: 052-6138130 E: info@surehaul.ie reputation for providing a top quality, reliable and

Best Wishes To Ballinroe International Horse Transport, From

Call us on 0504-34100 Athnid, Thurles, Co. Tipperary Email: tom@tqees.ie

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

The company was esablished in 1990

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SALES & SERVICING

www.surehaul.ie

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Ballinroe International Horse Transport From

www.gainfeeds.com 9

John Dan O'Hare designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:23 Page 1

John Dan’s the man for agri contracting in Down

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F

or over half a century, John Dan O’Hare has provided customers in County Down with a top-class agricultural contracting service. We met up with the long-serving Banbridge man to take a look at his impressive fleet and to get an insight into the wide range of services provided.

For some, agricultural contracting is simply in the blood. It’s a vocation,

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

something that comes naturally. John Dan O’Hare was born into contracting and he can’t imagine having done anything else with his life. He’s passionate about the land and takes great pride in his stunning, finely-tuned fleet and the comprehensive range of services provided to customers all over the Mourne County and beyond.

A tremendous investment of personal care and attention to detail goes into every job, allied to an innate understanding of the land and a steely

CONTACT DETAILS John Dan O’Hare

38 Fernhill Road, Katesbridge, County Down.

Tel: 028 40630033 Mobile: 007715 609392

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John Dan O’Hare Harvesting Working For You

Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare From Delivering Home Heating Oil Direct To Your Home

PROMPT, RELIABLE & DEPENDABLE SERVICE 6 Tullyorior Road,Corbet,Banbridge,County Down,BT32 5JP

Tel:028 406 23216 Fax:028 406 69472 EMAIL: info@finneybrothers.co.uk www.finneybrothers.co.uk

South Down Feeds congratulate John Dan O’Hare on 50 years of business and send him best wishes for future success.

SOUTH DOWN FEEDS (RATHFRILAND) LTD

Backed up by us:

Johnston Gilpin & Co Ltd

Telephone: 028-40630501

Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare, From

Lisnoe Road, Lisburn

028-9266 3372 www.johnstongilpin.co.uk

johnDeere.com

Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare, From

www.erwinagricare.com

Erwin Agri-Care

82, Nutts Corner Rd, Crumlin, Co.Antrim BT29 4SJ

Tel:+44-28 90825477

51, Ballykelly Rd, Limavady, Co. Londonderry BT49 9DS Tel:+44-28 77766777

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR COMPANY FEATURED IN Irish Tractor & Farm Agri Magazine

Call Barry now on 00353 (0) 46 9241923 12

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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GrangeGeeth, Slane, Co. Meath Phone: 041-9820800 | E:paul@rmbuckets.com Mobile: Michael 086-2633002 Paul: 07738413199 00353-41-9820800 from outside R.O.I.

Best wishes to John Dan O’Hare

determination to get the job done right – and on time! – every time.

This is why the Banbridge man has developed a vast customer base, many of whom have been with him for over 50 years. It’s also why he is regarded as the premier agricultural contractor in Down and has been for many decades.

With his sons now working alongside him and helping keep this proud family business moving forward impressively, this will no doubt continue to be the case for many years to come.

Not only does John Dan boast more than half a century of experience and a track record that is second to none in the province, he also has at his disposal a superb fleet of tractors and agricultural machinery which he has assembled and maintained painstakingly and meticulously down through the years, always mindful of IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

the fact that a modern fleet would provide key efficiencies and in turn a better service to clients.

Reflecting on the genesis of his business, John D notes: “I’m over 50 years in business and my uncle would have been contracting nearly 25 years before me, from 1938. I started out around 1962 or ’63 with a Massey 35 and a Fordson Power Major.”

There would be no turning back. John Dan was destined for a life in agricultural contracting and he was soon serving a growing number of customers across the beautiful landscape of the magnificent Mourne County, where farming is very much a way of life and a dependable contractor is worth his weight in gold.

From humble beginnings, John D gradually increased and tailored his fleet in keeping with the growing demand for his unrivalled services and today he

oversees a hugelyimpressive assembly of equipment which comprises in excess of 30 tractors – predominantly John Deere and New Holland – as well as nine combines, five ploughs, five power harrows, four foragers and three drills as well as three hedge cutters, four track machines and four loading shovels.

Needless to say, with such an extensive fleet at his disposal, he provides a full range of agri contracting solutions as well as some civil works, digging and drainage.

At the time of writing, John Dan was especially busy with silage and maize cutting but he offers a complete range of services across the various seasons, covering a catchment area that encompasses all of County Down as well as parts of neighbouring County Louth.

The yard on Fernhill Road, Katesbridge has its own modern workshop and all the

tractors and machinery are preserved in-house in top working order at all times.

Regular, routine checks, servicing and repairs ensure optimum performance from every unit in the fleet, while a programme of continuous reinvestment and refreshment sees to it that John Dan consistently owns and operates the best fleet of agri machinery in the region.

“You have to invest in the fleet,” he says. “You’d renew it a bit every now and then as you see fit. This year I bought two new John Deere tractors, a new Claas combine (the others are New Holland) and a Claas forage harvester.

There’s always money to be spent and you have to be prepared to do it if you want to keep offering a top quality service.”

John Dan provides steady employment to a team of 24, some of them have been with him over 35 years. These employees are highly valued.

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Congratulations to John on his 50th anniversary and all the best for the future from KANE TRAILERS

Best Wishes & Continued Success To John Dan O’Hare We specialise in providing tax services to farmers and other businesses in the agricultural sector.

10c Marcus Square, Newry BT34 1AE Tel:028-30262344 www.fitzpatrickandkearney.com

Continued Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare, From

Anchor Engineering was established to supply bearings and power transmission products throughout Ireland and the UK. ALL TYPES OF BALL AND ROLLER BEARINGS HOUSED BEARING UNITS | ROLLER CHAIN | SPROCKETS VEE AND WEDGE BELTS | PULLEYS | COUPLINGS FASTENERS | CIRCLIPS AND KEYSTEEL | OILS AND GREASES HAND CLEANER | CASTORS | ELECTRIC MOTORS AND GEARBOXES

5 Ringbane Road, Donaghmore, Newry, Co. Down BT34 1NL Telephone: 02830 252580 Fax: 02830 257935 Email: info@anchorengineering.org.uk www.anchorengineering.org.uk

T Q

Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare, From

TULLYRAINE QUARRIES Ltd. Surface dressing • Aggregates Coated Materials Bitmac-Asphalt Surfacing

122 Dromore Road, Banbridge BT32 4EG Tel+44 (0)28 4066 2481 • FAX +44 (0)28 4066 2748 Email: info@tullyrainequarries.co.uk

www.tullyrainequarries.co.uk

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Roger Heslip Best Wishes & Continued Success To John Dan O’Hare From

Agricultural Contractor & Engineer

12 Ballycross Road, Banbridge, BT32 4HS Telephone: 07973316644 Wishing Continued Success To John Dan O’Hare From

Seed At The Root Of Better Crops

Commercial Road, Banbridge Co. Down BT32 3ES

Tel:028 4066 2521 info@josephmorton.co.uk www.josephmorton.co.uk

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

John Dan O'Hare designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:23 Page 6

He really appreciates his great work force. A few more additional employees are needed during silage season.

“We could have up to 30 lads here between March and October,” he points out.

It’s very much a family business these days and John Dan has four sons working alongside him full time, namely Joe, Brian, Danny and Mark. Meanwhile, sons Dessie, Eamonn and Sean also help out at busy times.

“They are a great help and you couldn’t do it without them,” says an appreciative father. “Someday I’ll hand the reins over and hopefully

they’ll keep the business going. It’s hard work but they are interested in it and they’re not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.”

Looking to the future, John Dan says the goal is to keep the business going strong and to continue to provide his strong customer base with a solid and dependable agricultural contracting service: “We’ll keep providing the same service and hopefully we’ll keep the business going,” he concludes. “We have a lot of good reliable customers, who have been loyal to us over the years. We

have always tried to do things right for them and they look after us too. We’d be lost without them. There are families there who I’ve been working for since I started out and you would have to have a lot of respect for those

people. We value all of our customers.”

Judging by how long John Dan O’Hare has been providing his excellent agricultural contracting services, his customers clearly appreciate him too!

Newry Tel:028-30821230 Carryduff Tel: 028-9081 7111 www.alanmilnetractors.co.uk

Continued Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare,

Continued Best Wishes To John Dan O’Hare, From 19 Ryan Rd., Mayobridge, Newry, Co. Down BT34 2HZ Tel: 028 3085 1152 | Fax: 028 3085 1522 Email: mournehydraulics@btconnect.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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dairypower designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:09 Page 1

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Ireland’s leading manufacturer of high-quality farm equipment

ork-based Dairypower Equipment is Ireland’s premier designer and manufacturer of high-quality farm equipment, with three main products in its range: automatic hydraulic yard scraper systems; slurry aeration systems; and milking machine systems. We met up with financial manager John O’Brien to take a closer look at this outstanding operation.

Dairypower Equipment (O’Donovan Dairy Services Ltd.) was founded in 1973 by current MD John O’Donovan. It is very much a family-run business, with John’s wife Gobnait, son Pat and three brothers all involved. As such, a personal service is guaranteed from first enquiry through to post-sales support.

Initially established as a milking machine company servicing clients in Cork, Dairypower has evolved into a business which exports its own patented equipment to over 20 countries worldwide.

In 1985, they began to design and

Dairypower equipment in Cork

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Rope scraper system

manufacture automatic hydraulic yard scraper systems; they are now recognised by farmers and dealers as being the leading manufacturer of hydraulic scrapers in the world.

Their patented scraper system has many unique features that make it the safest and most trouble-free system available. It is hydraulically operated, which means fewer moveable parts and considerably less risk of breakdowns.

Meanwhile, Dairypower’s hydraulic rope scraper is a unique system which incorporates a hydraulic

motor and winch unit. The Dairypower hydraulic rope scraper does not use a geared motor as traditionally used in rope scraper systems; instead, it uses a hydraulic motor

CONTACT DETAILS

Dairypower Equipment

Unit 4 Block 11000, Blarney Business Park, Blarney, County Cork.

Telephone: 021 4383100 Fax: 021 4383783 Email: info@dairypower.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

dairypower designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:09 Page 2

which is driven with a hydraulic power pack the same as used in their ratchet scraper system, which has been tried and tested over the past three decades.

Founder John O’Donovan has also developed a unique slurry aeration system which is designed to maintain stored slurry in a semi-liquid and hence pumpable state. This system has many advantages for the farmer: the slurry is always ready to spread; animal welfare is enhanced as there is no build-up of dangerous gases in the slurry; maintenance costs are minimal as no mechanical parts are in contact with the slurry; and big savings can be made on fertiliser, while grass has a better re-growth rate after spreading.

Reflecting on the formation of the marketleading Cork company, financial manager John O’Brien – the founder’s brother-in-law notes: “Pat worked for Atkins as a fitter, fitting milking machines, and he decided to branch out on his own. He came from a big family and from an agricultural background, as his father would have bought and sold cattle.

“Dairypower started off in ’73 selling and distributing milking machines. The scraper would have come about twelve years later to complement his existing business and he has made various alterations to that system over the years. We still sell a lot of milking machines to this day, but those are provided exclusively in the Cork area, for servicing reasons. But the scrapers and aeration system are being sold nationwide and worldwide.

“As of 2011, we have a base in the UK, where two guys are selling our equipment throughout Europe from Preston. We also have up to twelve dealers who look after the UK market for us. The UK is a major market and it is effectively a home market. We expect that it will remain a significant market for the foreseeable future.”

Across mainland Europe, Dairypower sells into most countries, including France,

Norway, Sweden, Netherlands etc.

Substantial growth has been recorded in Eastern Europe over the last three months, with a lot of systems going to Hungary, for example.

Dairypower even has a large number of its systems operating throughout Russia, as its Polish agent handles distribution there.

Regarding the unique qualities of the company’s scraper system, John O’Brien explains: “There are a number of different types of scraper on the market but the thing John has developed and patented is the trapping system – the main ratchet system that drives it – and this works in extreme conditions, hot or cold.

“The hydraulic rope scraper was launched in the last few years in response to demand from Europe and we are the only manufacturer in the world using hydraulically-

operated ropes. Any guy who is familiar with chains will prefer this system over the traditional ratchet system.”

Despite the massive strides being made in UK and continental markets, Ireland remains the main market for all four Dairypower

Tel: +353-21-4964299 Fax:+353-21-4964110 Email: info@ipw.ie Web: www.ipw.ie

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Dairypower Equipment

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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dairypower designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:09 Page 3

Best Wishes to John, Pat and all of the team at Dairypower Equipment from Powerflow Electronics & Power Engineering Specialists in the Design & Manufacture of all types of Electronic/Electrical Automation Solutions

Aeration System Controller

6 Channel Controller

Contact us to discuss your requirements

3 Channel Controller

www.powerflow.ie

Ring, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford Tel: 058-46411 Fax: 058-46452 Email:info@powerflow.ie Mondaniel, Rathcormac, Co. Cork

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Dairypower Equipment

Tel: +353 (0)25-36301 Fax: +353 (0)25-36444

Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 9am-6.00pm Sat 9.00am - 5.00pm.

www.rathcormactyres.com

| Pre-nct checks | Mini-services carried out | Computerised wheel alignment | Computerised wheel balancing | Puncture repair | Alloy wheel straightening using specialised equipment for this purpose | Light focusing | Tyre vulcanising | 24 hour breakdown service provided. | Full range of tyres now in stock.

C.F. O’CONNELL

Congratulations & Best Wishes To Dairypower Equipment, From

& Company

S O L I C I T O R S

with farming background and tradition, we understand farming...

Best Wishes To Dairypower Equipment

55 Grand Parade, Cork Tel:021-4278088 Fax:021-4278089 Email: frankoconnell@cfoconnell.ie

Congratulations on 40 years in business and wishing John, Gobnaith, Pat and all the staff at Dairypower Equipment continued success for the coming years

Christy Naughton & Co. Ltd. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS REGISTERED AUDITORS

No. 3 Masseytown, Macroom, Co. Cork Tel: 026-42383. Fax: 026-42358 No. 3A West Point Trade Centre, Link Road, Ballincollig, Co. Cork 18

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Dairypower Equipment

10 King’s Terrace, Lower Glanmire Road, Cork. Tel: 021 4500642.

Fax: 021 4504575 www.cuffeco.ie Email: cuffe@cuffeco.ie

Regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

dairypower designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:09 Page 4

systems, accounting for 60% of sales. “We relocated the operation two years ago from Whitecross to Blarney, which is ten minutes away from the original premises” notes John.

“We still have a workshop facility in Whitecross but the warehouse and office are here in Blarney Business Park and we now have more trade counter sales.”

Dairypower’s place at the forefront of the market is sustained through the design and manufacture of superior products, ongoing research and development, flexibility, fast turnarounds and optimum backup service. “We pride ourselves on back-up and there is always a specialist at the other end of the phone. A lot of problems can be resolved over the phone.

“We cover the 32 counties, with agents in 15 of them and sales reps on the road covering Munster. At present, we employ a team of 15, plus the two men in the UK. “As guys get older, they tend to slow down, but John [O’Donovan] is the opposite. He is still on the go all the time and constantly looking out for new ideas and ways to improve his current products. He attends trade fairs regularly and lives and breathes this business. The mind is always going and he’s constantly looking for something to add. We don’t have a huge range of products, but the products we do have are excellent ones. John started out with his three brothers over 40 years ago and they have accumulated the sort of knowledge and experience that you can’t read in a book.”

Looking to the future, John says it is “onwards and upwards” for Dairypower: “We want to keep bettering ourselves,” he concludes. “We are going well but you can always do better and achieve more. We will keep pushing on because there is always competition out there and you will be left standing if you don’t. The products and the service have to be up to scratch because money is tight. We’re still here after 41 years, so the quality is there and we also offer the best possible value.”

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Slurry aeration

The ratchet scraper system

Ratchet scraper system

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old church designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 11:58 Page 1

The Old Church Veterinary Hospital team. From left to right: Caroline Kennedy with Tya, Luis Moreira, Maeve Fenton, Lynda Henderson (admistration), Donna McGowan, John Mulligan (veterinary surgeon), Sinead Kane (veterinary nurse), with Spock, Jiska Roessen and Claire Shaw (veterinary nurse)

Sixty years of veterinary excellence O

ld Church Veterinary Hospital has been delivering quality veterinary care to farm animals and pets in the Donegal region for six decades. Established in Ballyshannon in 1954, the practice also has branch Clinics in Donegal Town and Grange, Co. Sligo as well as a newly-opened veterinary supplies outlet in Grange.

From left to right: Gerard Gilligan (veterinary surgeon/partner), Maeve Fenton (veterinary nurse/practice manager) and Nick Garvey (veterinary surgeon/partner)

20

Nowadays, Gerard Gilligan and Nicholas Garvey are the two partners in the thriving practice which employs six vets, four veterinary nurses, a total of 16 full-time staff. The original partners were Tommy Walls and Frank O’Kelly who traded under Walls & O’Kelly. The practice was later renamed Walls, O’Kelly & Gilligan before becoming Old Church Veterinary Hospital in 2002.

The practice takes its name from the old Methodist church building from which it operates at The Mall, Ballyshannon. This building has been converted into IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

old church designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 11:58 Page 2

a modern, fully-equipped veterinary hospital which became the first accredited small animal hospital in the North-West in 2002.

The past decade has seen the addition of branch clinics in Donegal town and Grange, Co. Sligo. Located in the old Teagasc offices on the Killybegs Road, Donegal Veterinary Clinic was opened in 2004. This was followed in 2011 by the opening of Grange Veterinary Clinic, which is situated on the main SligoBundoran Road. Last May, the practice added another string to its bow with the opening of a veterinary supplies outlet beside the clinic in Grange.

“Since we opened our clinics in Donegal and Grange, we have been covering a much wider area extending from north Co. Sligo to Ardara in Co. Donegal. We are a busy mixed practice with 60 years’ experience behind us. Our business is divided evenly between large and small animals, which is a big change from a few years ago when we were almost exclusively a large animal practice,” explains long-time practice manager and veterinary nurse Maeve Fenton.

Old Church Veterinary Clinic is committed to providing the very best veterinary care for all your animal and pet needs. The practice prides itself on the care and expertise of its vets and the compassion of its nursing staff, not to mention its friendly and prompt service.

With it’s state-of-the-art facilities and diagnostic equipment, combined with the latest veterinary medical and surgical techniques and procedures, Old Church Veterinary Clinic ensures your animal gets the best care possible.

The practice offers a wide range of services for companion, farm and equine animals. A 24-hour emergency service is provided. Its vets travel the roads of the North-West on a daily basis delivering unrivalled veterinary care to the livestock of the area. Be it a cow calving in the

Receptionist Caroline Kennedy with her dog Tya IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

middle of the night or a simple query about vaccination, Old Church Veterinary’s farm clients can rest assured that there is a competent, efficient and reliable veterinary service at the other end of the phone.

Among the large animal services provided are cow scanning, bull and ram fertility, X-Rays and orthopaedics. Old Church is a strong advocate of herd health, including disease monitoring and vaccination.

Services for small animals or pets include vaccinations, worming, neutering, diagnostics and laboratory, surgery, orthopaedics, micro-chipping, dental care, pet passports, pet foods and toys, Sinead Kane with practice cat Spock dietary advice and rabbit care.

Vaccinations are vitally important given members to actively participate within the the large numbers of dogs and cats that group and to share ideas, knowledge and become ill or die from infectious diseases experience with other group members. every year.

The board also requires members to work Besides Gerard Gilligan and Nicholas in collaboration with other members to Garvey, the vets currently attached to the achieve positive outcomes. practice are Patricia Harvey, Aoife Cox, The aim of XL Vets is to be at the heart John Mulligan and Luis Morera. Gerard of its farm clients’ business as the primary has been a veterinary practitioner for over source of highly-valued, on-farm advice 30 years and has been instrumental in and the central coordinating consultant the evolution of the practice from being a for other on-farm services. The group typical large animal practice to a dynamic also endeavours to source and supply the mixed practice and a small animal highest quality, best-priced medicines hospital. He is also involved in food safety and equipment. audits, training and quality management systems.

Nicholas qualified as a veterinary practitioner in 2000 and has worked with CONTACT DETAILS Old Church Veterinary Hospital ever since, becoming a partner in 2006. He enjoys the diversity of being in a mixed Old Church Veterinary Hospital / practice with one of his specialities being Donegal Veterinary Clinic / orthopaedic surgery.

Grange Veterinary Clinic The long-serving vet at the practice after Telephone: 071 98 51559 Gerard is Patricia Harvey, who joined in / 074 97 23009 / 071 91 73590 1996. She too takes a keen interest in all Fax: 071 98 51620 aspects of a mixed practice.

Old Church Veterinary Hospital is a Email: vet@iol.ie proud member of XL Vets, which is a Website: www.oldchurchveterinary group of 22 progressive practices who hospital.com are working together to achieve a better future for their veterinary businesses.

Best Wishes to all at By sharing experience, knowledge and skills, Old Church Veterinary Hospital the members strive to Wishing you many more happy and deliver excellence in successful years. veterinary practice to their clients and their From all in Acravet Ltd. animals.

XL Vets is an organisation of its members, for its members. It is, in effect, a cooperative.

The board of XL Vets expects all of its

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O'Hanlon Herbs designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:17 Page 1

Tom O’Hanlon started the business from his back garden in 1988

Ireland’s premier supplier of fresh herbs

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

O'Hanlon Herbs designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:17 Page 2

E

stablished in 1988, O’Hanlon Herbs provides Irish customers with a full range of fresh herbs. We met up with company founder / proprietor Tom O’Hanlon at his Glenealy, County Wicklow nursery to take a closer look at this unique operation.

CONTACT DETAILS O’Hanlon Herbs,

Ballyknocken, Glenealy, County Wicklow.

Tel: 0404 44999 Email: herb@ohanlonherbs.ie

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

From humble beginnings in a small suburban back garden / kitchen in County Dublin some 26 years ago, O’Hanlon Herbs has grown to become Ireland’s leading specialist in fresh herbs, including basil, coriander, parsley, mint, rosemary and thyme.

From its state-of-the-art, An Bord Biaapproved Garden County greenhouse, O’Hanlon Herbs supplies supermarkets, food service and independent stores throughout the country with a full range of high-quality, fresh potted herbs.

O’Hanlon Herbs also works closely with local seasonal farms to produce quality Irish cut herbs, which are packed and graded in the company’s BRC ‘A’ grade pack house.

The business relocated to a Wicklow farm, close to Glenealy, in 1992. Around about this time, the popularity of fresh herbs started to grow rapidly; in response to this growing market, O’Hanlon Herbs has invested continually in its cutting-edge growing and packing facilities.

In 2012, a significant investment was made in converting the company’s heating system from an oil burner to biofuel - using Wicklow woodchip, supporting the local biofuel industry and reducing O’Hanlon Herbs’ carbon footprint.

Reflecting on the genesis of the business, Tom O’Hanlon reveals: “I was

eighteen years old when I started growing herbs in the back garden in Cabinteely, County Dublin. I had no background in either horticulture or farming but I did have a keen interest in horticulture, having worked in nurseries as a kid and attended Warrenstown College.

“I was looking for a niche market and I started out in a small way on my own, growing herbs at home to generate some money from myself.” In those early days, the growing was seasonal and Tom grew whatever he could – mostly parsley, coriander, basil, rosemary, mint.

A contract was secured with Quinnsworth and Tom began to buy herbs from other local growers as well as importing during the winter to ensure that he provided a year-round supply.

But the fledgling business had outgrown the back garden and Tom realised he had to put down roots – quite literally – elsewhere. A milestone move followed…

“I was looking for some level, sheltered land in Wicklow with good access and was almost at the point of giving up when I found this site,” he recalls. “Nothing else I had looked at was suitable but this site was completely level and of a good size. I moved here to Glenealy and put up some tunnels in ’92.

“We were still packing in Bray from rented premises and in ’99 I got the funds together to put up a pack house here. We had about 20 employees at that time. In the late ‘90s we secured our business with Tesco, who were new to Ireland, and that was a very significant contract to get. We enjoyed double-digit growth for a number of years and staff numbers went up to 30 by 2008. The business has continued to grow and we now have 50 employees as we speak.”

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ALBERT RUITER

Continued success to all at O’Hanlon Herbs, from

s b r e H f o r e w o r G

Mabestown, Malahide, Co. Dublin Tel: 087-2520230 Wishing Continued Success To O’Hanlon Herbs From

McMahon Galvin Limited Corporate Insurance Brokers Best Wishes To O’Hanlon Herbs

Specialists in Commercial, General, Marine, Property & Traders Liability Insurance.

Est. 1970

Bulrush Horticulture Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers of growing media in the UK and Ireland.

Newferry Road, Bellaghy, Magherafelt , Co. Londonderry BT45 8ND

Tel: 028 7938 6555 Fax: 028 7938 6741 E:jh@bulrush.co.uk | www.bulrush.co.uk

Fleming Plant Hire

59 Amiens Street, Dublin 1.

T: 01-836 3326 F: 01-8363327 www.insurancebrokers.ie

McMahon Galvin Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland

Suppliers of Quality Products to:-

Plant Hire Groundworks Landscaping Sewage Treatment Systems

Garden Centres, Landscape Contractors Nurseries, Parks Departments, Flower Shops and Local Authorities.

Best Wishes To O’Hanlon Herbs

Tel:087-2548704 Tel:0404-48105 E:jbreen3cx@gmail.com

IRISH &

AGRI

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR COMPANY FEATURED

Call Barry now on 00353 (0) 46 9241923

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Wish O’Hanlon Herbs Continued Success

Tullyard, Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)46 9431422 Fax: +353 (0)46 9437692 Email: sales@dekerhort.ie

www.dekerhort.ie

Best Wishes & Continued Success To O’Hanlon Herbs From

David Flynn Grower of Herbs

Forane, Whitestown Road, Rush, Co. Dublin

Tel:087-2311261 Email: forane@eircom.net

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Many of the 50 staff are long serving employees of the business and Tom greatly values the low staff turnover, continuity of service and loyalty given to the business by all members of the team. It’s very much a collective effort, he stresses.

The next major departure was to move the growing indoors: “In 2008, pre-crisis, we were still growing potted herbs on a seasonal basis and supplementing them with imports. On the back of new business with the two discounters (Aldi and Lidl), we invested in a glasshouse structure with automated heating, lighting, screening and shading and we could now grow potted herbs on a serious, professional basis, twelve months of the year.

“We got to grips with that over the next few years and then in 2012 we expanded the glasshouse again.

We intend to expand it once more, to Phase III, in 2015. Everything is now grown in a controlled environment inside the glasshouse, under protection, because we have regular orders to fill and this new set-up enables us to almost predict our ‘crop out’ to the day.”

O’Hanlon Herbs currently produces over two million pots per year. Basil is the most popular herb grown, followed by coriander, parsley, mint and rosemary.

“We have replicated a Mediterranean climate and can now grow potted herbs all year around,” Tom continues. “We changed from oil-fired heating to the woodchip boiler two years ago because oil was becoming prohibitively expensive and woodchip is a locally-sourced, sustainable biofuel.”

Fresh herbs provide a natural and healthy way to enhance the flavour and nutritional value of any meal.

“Due to a combination of foreign travel, people eating out and the influence of celebrity chefs, people are starting to use more and more fresh ingredients,” Tom notes. “Herbs are a natural product with natural flavouring and obvious health properties. Using them is habit-forming and I’m confident that more of the population will be converted.

“They are a soft, fragile commodity subject to the vagaries of the weather and the supply chain, so we constantly monitor every stage of the process to ensure maximum shelf life and performance.

“David Flynn and Albert Ruiter are the two growers who grow cut herbs for us in the summer months as well as seasonal herbs in the winter. As they are local growers, we can pick and pack them quickly and ensure that they arrive on the shelf fresh. We also have a very quick turnaround on the cut herbs which we import from Spanish, Italian and African (Moroccan and Kenyan) producers.”

Tom’s hard work and vision have seen O’Hanlon Herbs evolve into by far and away the largest and most sophisticated potted herb grower in Ireland and, as the population’s penchant for fresh herbs continues to increase, one can only envisage further growth for this unique and dynamic homegrown company.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

O’Hanlon Herbs is synonymous with fresh Irish produce

Tom O’Hanlon with Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School

Tom O’Hanlon with some of the team at O’Hanlon Herbs

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A Transport designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:04 Page 1

‘A’ Transport is a third-generation family run business

B

‘A’-grade service

ased in Athy, Co. Kildare, ’A’ Transport Ltd is a thirdgeneration family-run business providing transport solutions to many different sectors. These sectors include bulk, curtainside, tipper, container, refrigerated and specialist waste and recycling transportation, as well as warehousing.

The company was established in 1948 under the name of IVI Transport by Leslie Anderson and is still going strong nearly 70 years later. Leslie, who is now 84, handed over the reins in 1973 to his son Roger who renamed the company ‘A’ Transport Ltd a year later. For the past number of years, Roger has been joined in the business by his son Callum, who is one of eight full-time drivers employed.

“The company’s original name was

taken from the old IVI Foundry in Athy,” Roger explains.

“We changed it to ‘A’ Transport in 1974, with the ‘A’ standing for Anderson. My father, who still takes a keen interest in the company, started out working for Bord na Mona and that link has been maintained to this day. The business has grown over the years and we now offer a wide range of services to cater for nearly every aspect of transportation.”

‘A’ Transport is perhaps best-known for being a specialist in the haulage of bulk combinable crops, dry feed materials / ingredients and compound animal feeding stuffs. In this regard, local company Boortmalt – formally

CONTACT DETAILS ‘A’ Transport Ltd

Gateway Business Park, Dublin Road, Athy, Co. Kildare.

Telephone: 059 8631520

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

A Transport designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:04 Page 2

Minch Malt – is its biggest customer.

The company’s association with Boortmalt goes back to the 1950s when it collected barley from local growers and delivered to Minch Malt in Athy.

Nowadays, ‘A’ Transport draws malt from the Boortmalt facility to the Guinness brewery in Dublin and Cooley Distillery in Co. Louth.

Operating from 10 locations throughout Europe, Boortmalt is the second largest producer of malt in Europe and the fifth largest globally. Its goal is to produce high-quality types of malt to meet the specific demands of its worldwide clientele of brewers and distillers.

In addition, ‘A’ Transport hauls raw materials such as gluten, maze and soya from Dublin Port to animal feed stuff producers such as Charles R Wynne in Athy, Grennans of Rath and Quinn’s of Baltinglass Ltd. Also ‘A’ Transport were involved in hauling feed stuffs from the

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

UK for Glanbia during the fodder crisis of 2013.

In the interest of maintaining traceability of assured combinable crops after they have left the farm, ‘A’ Transport is a member of TASCC (Trade

Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops). TASCC was developed because farmers and end users wanted to be sure that crops of grain, oilseeds and pulses were treated responsibly once they left the farm. That includes wheat processed by flour millers and malting barley for the brewers and distillers in the drinks industry. It provides independent verification that the trade is meeting food safety laws.

The scheme is audited and certified by an independent certification body, in accordance with the internationally recognised standard EN45011. This means that the certification body is itself independently assessed every year to ensure that the standard is implemented and administered consistently and fairly.

The scheme dovetails with UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme) and with the UK livestock assurance (Red Tractor) schemes which the major supermarkets make a requirement for the home-produced livestock products they buy.

Farm fertilizer and plastics transportation are other mainstays of the family-run business which prides itself on providing a reliable, efficient, safe and cost-effective service. A Transport holds waste collection permits which allows it to transport waste and recycled material. The company also offers a groupage service between Ireland and the UK. Roger runs a fleet of eight modern trucks and 25 trailers. Six of the trucks are DAF along with one Scania and one Renault. Earlier this year, he took delivery of a brand new DAF 105 510 from DAF Distributors in Dublin.

Despite reducing the size of his trailer fleet in recent years, Roger still operates an extensive range of bulk, refrigerated, curtainside, container and

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tipper trailers.

‘A’ Transport employs a team of experienced, reliable and courteous Irish drivers who have contributed greatly to the company’s growth and success down the years.

All maintenance and repair work is carried out in-house.

“We have our own mechanic who ensures that the fleet is kept well-maintained. The trucks and trailers are serviced regularly in order to avoid any unnecessary breakdowns. The advantage of running a modern fleet is that breakdowns are few and far between,” Roger says, who also avails of his son Aidan’s panel-beating and spray painting skills to keep the fleet in top condition.

Last March, ‘A’ Transport relocated to a new state-ofthe-art premises at Gateway Business Park in Athy. It had originally operated from Ardrew before spending nine years in Barrowford.

“We don’t know ourselves in the new premises!” Roger smiles.

The new premises has an office, workshop, warehousing, wash-bay and tarred parking area… all we could really ask for.”

‘A’ Transport has been a long-time member of the IRHA (Irish Road Haulage Association). Roger is full of praise for the organisation, which is the recognised national representative body of the licensed road haulage industry in Ireland.

“Without the IRHA, we’d

have nobody to fight our corner,” Roger maintains.

“The IRHA is currently lobbying the Government for a reduction in road tax, which is a huge issue facing all truck owners. It costs €4,000 to tax a truck for a year in Ireland compared to just £700 in the UK. “If this continues for much longer, I can see many Irish hauliers relocating to the UK, resulting in a massive loss of revenue to the Irish government. Already, 30 per cent of Irish trucks are being outsourced to other countries.

“Another issue the IRHA is keen to tackle is how to get more young people involved in the industry. The average age of the Irish truck driver is 55. If the age profile doesn’t

Continued Best Wishes To ‘A’ Transport, From

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28

drop, there is going to be a shortage of drivers in a few years’ time. The big problem is that there is no recognised subsided course to encourage young people to become truck drivers. This isn’t the case with other trades.

“Also, I think it’s wrong that we should have to pay £10 road levies when we use roads in Northern Ireland and the UK. They don’t have to pay levies when they come into this country, so that leaves us at a serious disadvantage straight away.”

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

morning fresh designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:09 Page 1

A growing concern

M

Mark McCann is a third generation farmer and lettuce producer

orning Fresh Farm Ltd has been in business for 20 years, but the McCann family has been growing vegetables in Rush, Co. Dublin for generations as Mark McCann explains.

Mark, who runs Morning Fresh Farm with his wife Julie, is a third generation

farmer and lettuce producer. The McCann name has been synonymous with the sector since Mark’s grandfather Robert started off growing potatoes and cauliflower. In the early 1960s, Mark’s father Maurice, who is still working away at the age of 73, erected some of the first glasshouses seen in north Co. Dublin and began growing tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce.

The family continued growing tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and some celery until about a decade ago when Mark decided to change direction and concentrate on growing lettuce only.

“We took the decision in order to have a year-round business,” he explains.

“When we were growing tomatoes and cucumber, we found ourselves out of production for long periods because the

CONTACT DETAILS Morning Fresh Farm Ltd Haytown, Rush, Co. Dublin.

Telephone: +353 (0)1 8954401 Email: info@morningfreshfarm.ie Website: www.morningfreshfarm.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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morning fresh designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:09 Page 2

season is so short – May to November. By concentrating on lettuce growing, we are in production 12 months of the year and have been able to expand our business accordingly.”

Mark continues: “We are very proud of our vegetable growing tradition.

My grandfather started farming the land and my father progressed to greenhouse growing after that, first in timber-frame glasshouses and then aluminium ones.”

Employing 14 full-time and eight part-time staff, Morning Fresh Farm is now firmly established as a leader supplier of fresh Pak Choi, Little Gem, Cos and Butterhead lettuce to the Irish and international market. The lettuce is grown in the McCann’s protected crop in 17 acres of glass housing in the Rush area. The McCanns have continually invested in

their harvesting and packaging equipment as well as in their marketing and distribution networks.

With the benefit of a 900 square metre pack-house and refrigerated area, Morning Fresh Farm offers packing and labelling to any specification. The company also offers contract packing, labelling and despatch.

Morning Fresh Farm’s location allows easy access to the M1 motorway and to Dublin city centre, which is just 30 minutes away. The family-run business is proud to serve the major Irish multiples, catering and food services, local outlets and some of the large wholesale markets with quality produce.

In 2005, Mark was the first grower to introduce Pak Choi into Ireland. At the time, he was producing 2,000 heads

Mark McCann oversees operations

30

of lettuce per week, but is now producing 30,000 heads per week. Also known as Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi is used in a variety of dishes, including Stir Fry. “While Little Gem continues

to be our most popular lettuce, having taken over as the market leader from Iceberg, there is a growing market for Pak Choi and that has enabled us to go from strength to strength in the last decade,” says Mark, who hopes his teenage son Alan will follow him into the business in the near future.

“I was one of the first growers in Europe to trial a new variety of the crop and, as a result, growers throughout Europe have started to introduce this particular variety into their greenhouses. Prior to me introducing it to this country, Pak Choi had to be imported from Zimbabwe and Spain, and that used to take four days or more. Now we can have it in the shops within 24 hours of harvesting.”

A typical day at Morning Fresh Farm sees the lettuce harvested first thing in the IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

morning fresh designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:09 Page 3

Best Wishes To Morning Fresh Farm, From

22 Churchview Blackcastle Shopping Centre, Blackcastle,Navan, Co. Meath

morning. It is then brought to the pack-house where it is refrigerated and palletised before being delivered. This process is completed in the same working day.

The McCanns have a longstanding relationship with Total Produce, whose nearest depot is just 20 minutes away. Total Produce is Europe’s leading fresh produce provider which has allowed Mark to focus on what he does best – growing lettuce – by looking after his distribution and sales needs.

Morning Fresh Farm’s produce can be found in many of the leading supermarket chains, including Marks & Spencer (Little Gem and Butterhead), Tesco (Pak Choi and Little Gem), Lidl (Pak Choi and Butterhead), Aldi (Little Gem) and SuperValu (Pak Choi, Little Gem and Butterhead).

He has three vans dedicated to supplying Total Produce.

Mark had an extremely busy summer and, as people become more and more conscious about what they are eating, sees no reason why his company can’t continue to grow in the years ahead.

“People are eating more salads and that obviously bodes well for our business.

We also have a more diverse population in Ireland nowadays whose staple diet includes lettuce,” he says.

“There are numerous health and nutritional benefits to eating lettuce.

Lettuce is also easy to prepare. Just a quick rinse IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

and it’s ready for eating.

“The advantage of being an indoor grower is that I can control the elements and dictate the environment in which I grow my lettuce. If I need to push the crops along, I can, and it’s the same if I want to slow them down.

“Freshness is the most important thing for me. I am dedicated to delivering the freshest and best quality produce I can and I am continuously improving and evolving my business to meet the demands of my customers.”

Mark is also vice-chairman of the IFA Field Vegetable & Protected Crops Committee.

Best Wishes To Morning Fresh Farm

Ph: 046-9022909 / 046-9022941 / 046-9072522 Fax: 046-9022941 Email: info@sadlieroneill.ie www.sadlieroneill.ie Best Wishes & Continued Success To Morning Fresh Farm, From

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Main Street, Rush, Co. Dublin Telephone: 01-8437231 / 01-8438952 P.& M. O’Brien Insurances(Rush)Ltd t/a Peter O’Brien & Sons. are Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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Best Wishes To Morning Fresh Farm Unit F2 Ballymount Drive,Walkinstown, Dublin 12 T: +353 1 450 7377 F: +353 1 450 6779 E: info@dands.ie | www.dands.ie 31

james mckay designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:59 Page 1

David John McKay and Sons Agri has been on the go for 45 years

F

Contracting all hours

or 45 years now David John McKay and Sons Agri Contractors have been leading the way when it comes to agricultural farming up north. Irish Tractor spoke to James McKay to find out more about the family business which gained some national exposure recently when they were featured on UTV’s Rare Breed TV series.

It’s not easy covering all the aspects of the agricultural industry, but at DJ McKay and Sons they’ve made it works for almost half a century now. Business has been good, according to James McKay, son of CEO David, and there’s a bright future ahead for the Antrim-based family outfit going by his tone.

Established in 1969, the McKays’ headquarters can be found at 7 McKeestown Lane, Shankbridge, Ballymena and their work brings them all over Co Antrim and outside its borders.

32

James has been driving tractors around the family farm since he was a kid, helping out in whatever way he can, and explained that is still very much a family run business. His father still makes the decisions and, thus far, they’ve been the right ones as they’ve been extremely busy as of late.

“I do what my dad tells me,” James laughed. “We are established 45 years now and we have six employed here fulltime, including my brother William.

“You could say that we all share in the business equally, including my mother Sarah. My end would most be the slurry part of the business.”

Originally, it was James’ grandfather John James McKay whom started off the business in what now see like a lifetime ago and still thrives to this day. He did so in modest fashion with one square baler before going on to buy one of the first reverse drive harvesters ever seen in Ireland back in 1975.

It was 2009, when his son David

purchased the company’s first John Deere harvester and since then they have stuck with the trusted and reliable brand for their work.

Apart from slurry spreading, James outlined exactly what DJ and Sons has to offer its customers and when their busy periods on the calendar are.

“Our peak season starts from the end of February right through until October.

The slurry spreading starts in the spring time and it is a very busy period for us,”

CONTACT DETAILS David John McKay & Sons 7 McKeestown Lane, Shankbridge, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT42 2LU Tel: 028 25891387

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

james mckay designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:59 Page 2

he explained.

“We cut silage. We sow barley. We sow grass seeds. We clean hen houses and spread slurry from the hen houses.

“We have a digger here, a dump trailer, hedge cutters and we also do a bit of work for the DOE. Maybe we don’t have as many tractors as other companies in the industry, but the tractors we have here are always in use.”

That’s a healthy sign indeed. As were the past 12 months for DJ and Sons as they experienced a good year’s business which looks set to roll into 2015.

As ever, one of the toughest obstacles to negotiate will be fuel costs, which continue to rise and leave agricultural contractors with top of the range fleets having to work that bit harder for the fine margins.

James is one of many in the industry whom hopes to see the cost of fuel stay at a steady rate for the next few years, rather than soar in the way it has over the last few years.

He said: “Around 90 per cent of the customers we work for supply the fuel when we’re harvesting for them but the rise in fuel costs always affects the farmer. I wouldn’t like to see it go up any more, but what can you do?

“I’ve been in this all my life and I will be for the rest of it. I’m 32 now and I left school when I was 16. When I was nine years old I was helping around the farm in whatever way I could and even driving a bit even though I shouldn’t have been.”

Either way John Deere will be the trusted brand which DJ and Sons choose for their harvesting fleet; even if it does cost them a bit more.

“John Deere is the brand we choose because of its reliability and its comfort.

There’s no huge difference in prices anymore; all new tractors you buy are close to the same price. John Deere is worth the little bit extra that you pay,” said James.

R.Rainey & Sons Ltd. Continued Best Wishes To David John McKay & Sons

Best Wishes & Continued Success To David John McKay & Sons From

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james mckay designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:59 Page 3

The company’s fleet could be seen operating on the UTV Series ‘Rare Breed TV’, which followed 16 local farming families across an entire year. It shows the highs

and lows farmers experience in what is one of Northern Ireland's most important industries.

The series reflected the working lives of a range of

Continued success to David John McKay & Sons, from

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local farms working hand in hand with nature and the weather, showing how young and old share in this seasonal rhythm that brings food from the soil to the kitchen table.

“We were on the first series of Rare Breed TV,” said James. “It was a nervous experience with the cameras always being there and the whole thing was filmed throughout the season. It was out last year and it really got our name out there. A lot more people realised who we were and what we do after it came out.”

A few years before that the family were featured in ‘Contracting All Hours’ (available on DVD), demonstrating their work throughout the year in all weather conditions and all hours. Battling against time and weather, hedges are cut, dung and slurry are spread with ploughing and planting completed. With the grass now ready, silage, whole crop and maize are all harvested and round baling finished. It’s a real family farm and business where work does mean ‘contracting all hours’.

So, after two television appearances and a much

welcomed busy year, what’s the next step for James and co?

“We’ve had a good year overall. I know a lot of people thought we had a great summer this year but we’d be hoping for even better weather next year,” he said.

“May and June was a bit wetter than people thought but we can’t complain about the last few months.

September, October and November were first class for sowing crops and we’d be very happy if 2015 was the same again.”

“We bought a new John Deere harvester 8400 series, which is worth about £240,000,” he added.

“What else would you do?

It’s a big roundabout where you have to go round and round and it’s hard to know where to get off. It’s getting to the point now where the price of machinery is getting out of hand. If it keeps on going like this I don’t know what people in this industry are going to do.”

One thing is for sure, when it comes to the agricultural industry DJ and Sons will definitely find a way to keep going.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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SH Coleman Glarryford Ltd Best Wishes & Continued Success To David John McKay & Sons, From

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Wishing David John McKay & Sons Continued Success 35

Kehoe Farming designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:48 Page 1

In the blood

W

ith a proud family tradition in agriculture that goes back over seven decades, the current generation at Kehoe Farming offer a diverse range of products and services to customers in County Wexford and nationwide.

We met up with director Willie John Kehoe to take a closer look at this multifaceted operation.

Kehoe Farming, based at Bryanstown,

Foulksmills, County Wexford stocks a range of agricultural products, including the innovative, FibreGold animal / horse feed and KosiBed horse / livestock bedding.

Grown on their own farm in the heart of some of the most fertile and naturally productive land in Ireland, these products offer quality high roughage; natural diet; and a clean, dust free bedding for animals across all the seasons.

These products have been developed to

CONTACT DETAILS Kehoe Farming

Willie John and Martin Jnr. flank their father, Martin Kehoe Snr

36

Ballybrack, Foulksmills, County Wexford.

Telephone: 051 565588 Mobile: 087 2832443

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Kehoe Farming provides a quality contracting service across south Wexford

complement the contracting side of the Kehoe Farming business, which dates back to the early 1940s and is still going strong today. Willie John Kehoe, the third generation of this exceptional family business, reflects on the genesis of Kehoe Farming Ltd.: “We started off in contracting and offered a full range of contracting services. For a long time, we were one of the leading beet harvesters in Ireland as well as harvesting maize. When the beet started to disappear, we saw the need to diversify. In 2006, we set up the yard at Bryanstown and began making horse bedding from straw and have since diversified further into the production of animal feed. Approved by the Department of IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Agriculture, we now manufacture and sell bulk feed and have a range of bagged feed products for calves, horses, etc.”

Kehoe Farming place a strong emphasis on the quality and consistency of all feeds produced. Haylage or horsehage feeds are grown naturally and ensiled at the optimum stage in the drying process, ensuring a consistent pathogen-free product.

Kehoe’s heat-treated horse chaff is made from dust- and pathogen-free ingredients and is the perfect equine feed supplement where you need to add roughage to a horse’s diet to avoid digestive problems. Whatever a horse’s nutritional needs might be - whether they own a racehorse or a child’s pony -

FibreGold feed offers consistent quality.

FibreGold compound feeds for dairy, calf, beef and sheep is designed to increase feed efficiency and manufactured in a speciallydesigned and proven Keenan Mech Fibre mixing plant, which is fitted with the PACE system.

Likewise, the company’s self-produced dust-free horse and animal bedding is of a similarly premium quality. Acknowledging that the quality of the environment that animals are housed in is critical to their overall health and performance, Kehoe Farming’s animal and equine bedding products are second to none, delivering a healthy dust-free environment. KosiBed is also suitable for

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poultry and pets For dairy farmers, Kehoe Farming offers KosiBed Livestock Bedding, a dust extracted, cost effective, convenient, chopped straw cubicle-bedding with added lime product. The result is the ideal product to maintain a clean, dry and mastitis-free cubicle bed for cows, for use with or without mats.

While the animal bedding, feeds and agri products side of the business has taken off, a topclass agricultural contracting service is still provided. “We’re still doing as much contracting work as we can,” Willie John confirms. “We cover all of south Wexford providing a wide range of services including tillage work; grass, maize and wholecrop silage; baling and wrapping; dung spreading; contract spreading etc.

In the contracting end of it, three men are employed as well

Maize harvesting is a Kehoe Farming speciality

as the Kehoe family themselves.

Across Kehoe Farming, there are 10-15 people employed full time and a range of part timers who come in during the busy sowing and harvest season.

Willie John currently runs the business alongside his father and brother. He explains: “Our father, Martin Kehoe Snr. is the boss. He turned 65 this year and has been farming all his life.

Then there’s myself and Martin Jnr. Our grandfather Willie Kehoe started the whole thing off. He would have primarily done farming but he also did some small jobs on neighbouring

From left: Martin Kehoe Snr., Mark Smith, Martin Kehoe Jnr., John Morrissey and Seamus Kehoe

38

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Continued Best Wishes To

KEHOE FARMING From

STRUCTURAL STEEL AND CLADDING QUALITY ROLLER SHUTTER DOORS Barmoney, Ballyhogue, Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford Telephone: 053-9240586

Jim & Nick Cullen

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Kehoe Farming From

Agri Contractors

ALL TYPES OF AGRICULTURAL & DIGGING WORK CARRIED OUT

Boley, Ballycullane, New Ross, Co. Wexford M.087-9947008 T. 051-562255 E. tombyrneengineering@eircom.net

Continued Best Wishes To Kehoe Farming

Nick 087-2809159 | Jim 087-2536948 Rathangan, Duncormick, Co. Wexford Best Wishes & Continued Success to all in Kehoe Farming from

For all your Farm and Business Insurance needs call Doyle Mahon Insurnaces Tel: 053-9123630 Email: info@doylemahon.ie www.doylemahon.ie

Doyle Insurance Brokers (Wexford) Ltd. trading as Doyle Mahon Insurances is regulated by the Central Bank.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Best Wishes To Kehoe Farming From

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Suppliers of Baler’s Choice Animal Feeds - Grain - Fertilizer Seed - Agrochemicals Tel: 053-9177950 39

Kehoe Farming designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:48 Page 5

Willie John hopping on board a combine

Claydon sowing

farms. But it was Martin Kehoe Snr. who started the contracting in a serious way.”

The Kehoe family have a proud tradition in Ploughing, Martin Senior has achieved the World Title on three occasions. In turn, his sons Willie John and Martin Jnr, have both won National Ploughing Titles and Willie John has represented Ireland at World Competitions on three occasions.

Fleet-wise, the Kehoes currently run a total of 13 tractors from 45 to 270 horsepower, including Cases (1950, 1170, 270, 240), Claases (697, 420) and one Valmet 8950 reverse drive. They also operate a JCB 416 loader, Claas 7045 teleporter, Volvo L50 loader, Claas 980 forage harvester and two John Deere combines. All equipment is maintained in perfect running order at all times. “We have our own workshop, where we handle a lot of our own mechanical work, while the specialist stuff would go back to the main dealer,” says Willie John.

What would Kehoe Farming look for in machinery when they are sourcing it? “It’s

bedding / feeds aspect of the business, Willie John concludes: “It’s growing the whole time and – unlike the contracting - it’s not weather-dependent. It’s a part of the business that’s expanding, while the contracting is slowing down because there aren’t as many farmers in the area looking for contractors – some of them have retired or have been taken over, while others are choosing to do the work themselves.

“Having said that, we have enjoyed a tremendous amount of customer loyalty down through the years and still do. At the end of the day, customer loyalty is what every business depends on.”

down to reliability, the ability to do the job properly, and to be able to perform in Irish conditions, which are amongst the worst in the world. If it works in Ireland, it’ll work anywhere!

“Obviously, you try to buy the best and what suits your business. After that it’s down to reliability, serviceability and the ability to do the job properly.

“For raking grass, we have a Roc Merger, Best Wishes & Continued Success To Kehoe Farming which is unique to From Ireland and which breaks up the grass, without stones, at high speed. The result is that AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTING LTD you get better quality silage with no clay.

FOR ALL YOUR “We also do our own AGRCULTURAL tillage. We own 68 CONTRACTING NEEDS acres and farm 500 acres in total, 100 acres Tomona, Killane, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford of this is grass for Tel:087-2541878 Tel:053-9255108 haylage.”

Regarding the Email: trevorjamesmac@gmail.com

Continued success to all at Kehoe Farming

Trevor James

Continued success to Kehoe Farming, from

from

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

north west designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:14 Page 1

Ireland’s premier tree management specialist

C

elebrating 20 years in existence this year, North West Forest Services Ltd. provides an unrivalled forest and tree management service in the North West and beyond. We travelled to the company’s Ballybofey base and met up with director Stephen Doherty to take a look at the history and current well-being of the progressive, multifaceted operation, which is currently experiencing growth and actively recruiting new staff.

North West Forest Services Ltd. specialises in forest and tree management, including dangerous tree removal, site clearance, tree felling and surgery, scrub and brush clearance and spraying, forestry consultancy, planting and much more.

Boasting over 30 years’ experience of tree care, the family-run operation is ideally placed at Knock, Ballybofey, County Donegal to assist clients from counties Donegal, Derry, Sligo, Leitrim and beyond with all their forestry requirements. North West Forest Services counts the likes of the ESB, NIE (Northern Ireland Electricity) and Coillte amongst its extensive client list, which includes private, commercial and public customers. No job is too large or too small and free estimates are provided for all work.

NPTC-certified training and education has

North West Forest Services Ltd provides an unrivalled service

The firm employ 20

become another key area of expertise, with North West Forest Services providing professional accredited training to those in the forestry, estate management and public sectors. Qualifications in arboriculture, forest management and safety enable those who sit the courses to have a career in this sector.

Some of the courses currently offered include (but are by no means limited to!): Identification of Invasive Species; FETAC Operating Horticultural Machinery; IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

CONTACT DETAILS North West Forest Services Ltd. Knock, Ballybofey, County Donegal.

Phone: 074 9132033 Mobile: 087 2507383 Fax: 074 9132033 Email: info@nwfs.ie

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Best Wishes To North West Forest Services, from

PAUL McGONIGLE - TRANSPORT MANAGER 3 Ardaravan Square , Buncrana, Co Donegal Fax +353 (0)74 93 22466

E: info@paulmcgonigle.com

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

north west designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:14 Page 3

The company does a lot of work for ESB

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Pesticide Courses; Manual Handling, Woodchipper Operation; Strimmer and Lawnmower Go4 Skills; First Aid; CS30 &CS31 Chainsaw Courses; and a one-day Chainsaw Course.

All chainsaw courses and chainsaw training is carried out by a fully-qualified and accredited in-house team of training instructors and assessors, who have vast hands-on experience of all aspects of chainsaw operations and horticulture. The courses are both FETAC and City & Guilds accredited.

Reflecting on the genesis of the family business, Stephen Doherty reveals: “My father Sean set the company up on April 1st, 1994. He used to work for Coillte years ago but then left and went out on his own in the early 1990s, before setting up North West Forest Services.

“He would have started off originally doing contracts with Coillte with planting sites, fertiliser sites and fencing. We would have had a group of men with us at the time and the grant money was good. We then started to do cutting, felling and thinning for our customers, covering the Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim area.

“We did that more or less up until 1998, when we started to look at working for the ESB, cutting trees back from power lines, still in the same catchment area. As the grants died off, we moved more and more into the cutting side of things. The ESB were tendering the work out and as more opportunities opened up we started to recruit more men.

“Cutting became our core activity and we moved away from planting and forestry from 1998 onwards. Our mainstay then was ESB Contracts and we’re still involved in that

today. Also, around about ’04, my father saw opportunities opening up in the training market and he became involved in that as well.”

Stephen had come home from England in 2001, as a fully-qualified forester with a national diploma from Newton Rigg sticking out of his back pocket.

At the time of writing, North West Forest Services was in the process of becoming one of a select few privately-owned NPTC assessment centre in Ireland. It is also one of only two contractors cutting for NIE. As specialist utility arborists, the majority of their work is for the ESB, NIE and the OPW. In addition to their own courses, they also run courses for Donegal County Council and VTEC. Regarding the current status of the operation, Stephen continues: “Timber cutting is still very much our mainstay and we currently have 16 full-time utility arborists on our books. We have just taken on two men and we are actively seeking new employees with CS30, 31, 38 and 39 as well as experience on the power lines if possible.

We employ a total of 20 and that will increase. The cutting side of the business is growing and the training is growing too, so all in all we are ticking over nicely.

“All of our staff are fully trained and independently assessed to ensure a professional service at all times.”

As word of NWFS’ exceptional tree care service spreads, their influence is spreading across the island. “We work for NIE all over Northern Ireland and we’ve also worked in many counties in the Republic,” Stephen concludes. “We also respond to storm damage calls if required and we were down in Limerick for a solid week earlier this year during the storm damage.”

Since its inception two decades ago, North West Forest Services has forged a stellar reputation in its specialist field of tree management and training and, as the second generation of the Doherty family assumes the helm, the signs are extremely encouraging that the future is bright for this wide-ranging far-reaching, all-embracing County Donegal company.

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A Whyte family affair – Peter with Ollie in arms, Peter, Peadar, Mary, Kevin, James, Anthony, Conor, Jimmy, Ollie, Dermot, David, Joseph, Martin and Joey

Keeping it in the family

44

David Whyte hard at work IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

whyte designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:34 Page 2

Photographs courtesy of Carol Dunne, Irish Farmers Journal

T

Ollie and Jimmy Whyte

he Whyte family of the Naul, Co Dublin beat off stiff competition to be crowned Leinster winners of the FBD UN Year of Family farming awards at the National Ploughing Championships.

Speaking to Irish Tractor & Agri, Ollie Whyte revealed the secrets behind their success as they go forward to contest the overall national prize.

With 2014 named the International Year of Family Farming, the UN Year of Family Farming awards were designed to recognise the critical role which the family farm plays in food security, nutrition and sustainable development.

To make the shortlist, entrants had to send in a detailed entry form under the following headings: family product and place, community and voluntary contribution, and coping with challenge.

The scheme attracted entrants from all over the the country and they were whittled down to four regional winners who are now

Martin and Mary Whyte IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

in the running for the overall top award. The Whyte family will fly the flag for Leinster.

Were they surprised when their name was read out?

“Of course it came as a surprise, we were up against very formidable opposition and the fact that we came out on top is something that we take great pride in,” Ollie Whyte proudly stated.

The overall impression by judges upon their visit to the farm was also a factor. The judging panel, which comprised Tim O’Connell from FBD, Katherine O’Leary from the Irish Farmers Journal and John Keating from Teagasc, visited a shortlist of 25 farms before reaching their decision.

The three judges couldn't have failed to have been impressed with the Whyte-run operation. The family farm approximately 3,000 acres in north Co Dublin and boast the unique claim to fame of having seven brothers and their sons working full-time in the business.

Ollie is joined by his six siblings, Jimmy, Peter, Eddie, Joey, Martin and Anthony, in the day-to-day running of the business and

Eddie Whyte

the next generation, their sons, Peter, James, Dermot, David, Peadar, Kevin and Joseph, are following in their footsteps.

Their substantial business focuses on tillage, cereals, potatoes and a straw business with a winter feeding enterprises.

Each one has his own area of responsibility and the decision making process and workload is shared equally. Ollie agrees that was a key ingredient in their winning formula.

“There are 14 families living full-time off the farm which is fairly unique.

“The seven young lads work well with us.

I know it may be hard for some to believe but there very rarely any friction. Everything gets well debated but everyone gets on well. We're also lucky that we have seven

CONTACT DETAILS

Whytes Family Farm Naul, Co. Dublin

James Whyte busy ploughing

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whyte designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 12:34 Page 3

wives, with marriages spanning 40 to 30 years, who are very supportive. Behind every man is a great woman as they say.

“We envisage that we will be slowing down now and the young lads will take over more of the business. That's an ongoing process.”

It wasn't off the ground that Ollie and his brothers licked their passion for farming. The Whyte family can trace their roots back to 1792 and a small farm in the Naul. They have come along way from humble beginnings.

“The present business was started by our parents Peter and Bridget Whyte and the first of the current generation joined them in the fifties. They started off with fifteen acres in the forties and the first substantial piece of land (200 acres) was purchased in 1953.

That was added to all the way through to the nineties and brought up to 1,000 acres.”

A continuous commitment to moving with the times and

The Whyte's farm approximately 3,000 acres in north Co Dublin

embracing modern technology has stood the Whyte family in good-stead down through the years.

Earlier this year, for example, they installed a new 2.5MW biomass burner which helped reduce their annual drying costs by 75pc and provide a home grown, renewable source of energy. The farming family have also engineered and built their own bale lifter for the huge furnace.

“Over the years we have built up one of the most modern farms in the country, equipped with modern technology and the quality of our produce is top end.

“On the judges' visit to our farm they were greatly impressed with our comprehensive computerised records. This leads to our being able to provide full tracebility of our products. We try to run the farm as efficiently as possible and have succeeded in doing this for the past 45 years and we look forward to continuing this successfully into the future.”

Proud Supplier To Whyte Family For Over 50 Years From All At

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Tel:046-9021347 Fax:046-9021128 Twitter:@keatingsoil Email: keatingsoil@gmail.com

Best wishes to Whyte Family, from

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Another job well done by Goudie Brothers

T

Goudie’s do some flat trailer work also

Goudie Bros continue to deliver

he say that longevity if the sign of success in any business and if so then haulage Goudie Bros Transport Ltd are certainly top of the pile.

With almost 50 years’ experience in the haulage industry, this Donegal-based company has led by example when it comes to providing a wide range of top quality services to an extensive customer base. The man at the helm during the start has been Leslie Goudie, who started the business in the mid-sixties and they now have 6+ drivers full and part

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

time staff, while they have a mixed fleet mostly consisting of DAFs, MANs and Volvos.

Since the mid-eighties, Leslie's sons Leslie Jnr and Ronnie have been running the operation and the company has continued to grow under their stewardship.

From day one, Leslie Snr ensured that the company’s motto was to pride themselves in carrying out the right job for its customers and that’s something which his sons have carried into the new generation of Goudie Bros Transport Ltd and its employees.

For this month's edition of

Goudie Bros carry out their own maintenance

Irish Trucker, we profile this haulage firm, which is situated in Raphoe and Leslie jnr tells us about the many services that they provide a large customer base. Leslie started off as a produce merchant transporting mainly hay, straw and potatoes.

However, that all changed when his sons came on board and they started to expand the business as well as the services provided.

"We are specialised in bulk

tippers, blowers, tautliners, flats, aggregate and potato belt bulker haulage," said Leslie Jnr. "We haul the likes of grain, fertilisers, coal, tarmac, aggregate, as well as potatoes, hay and straw, which was what our father specialised in when he first started."

Another reason for Goudie Bros' success is their dedication to their profession, while their determination to succeed is unrivalled. All this plus the fact their ongoing

47

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Bulk tipper work is one of the services provided

relationship with all their customers make them one of the most known people in the Northern Ireland haulage industry.

Over the years, the

company has gained an extensive knowledge and experience in the haulage and storage sector, operating to a vast client base throughout the north and

The family run business is well known throughout the North-East

The company has over 50 years experience

southern Ireland as well as some work in the U.K. "We would have a very good working relationship with all of our customers, many of who we would be working for many years now. We know what the customer expects from us and it is up to us to ensure that they get that level of service.

"We are also licensed TASCC approved hauliers and this allows us to transport a wide range of products."

There are many trials and tribulations to be dealt with in the haulage industry on a daily basis and Leslie admits that being able to provide so many services allows them to not rely on just one particular area.

"It is essential to be able to diversify, as you

Best Wishes To Goudie Bros Transport, From

37 Gortrush Industrial Estate, Omagh BT78 5EJ

just don't know what is around the corner in this industry. We are very fortunate to have such a loyal customer base."

Of course, the fuel bill and road tax are two ongoing concerns amongst hauliers, with expenditure in these areas reaching crisis point.

“The road tax is now €3,200 per truck which is a huge amount of money for just one truck, while the fuel bill here every month is massive as well.

“We are members of the Irish Road Haulage Association and in fairness they are doing a brilliant job.

It is a slow process to get anything done, but they managed to get the fuel rebate and every little helps.

Unfortunately, the rates are the one thing that haven’t changed and you have to be that bit more diligent when making a decision in the business and look at it from every angle.”

To make sure that the customers get their deliveries on time, Leslie and Ronnie place a great emphasis on ensuring that their trucks are in perfect working order.

CONTACT DETAILS

Goudie Bros Transport Ltd

Raphoe, Co Donegal Tel: 074 9145548 Mob: 086 2531799 Fax: 074 9145471 e-mail: les_goudie@hotmail.com

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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“We would carry our own maintenance work. Ronnie looks after that side of the business and all the trucks are well maintained and kept in pristine condition. It is very hard to go out and purchase a brand new truck these days, but we have a very modern fleet and as I said we look after it well.”

Every business relies on dedicated work force and Goudie Bros are no different as Leslie point out that their employees were very reliable.

“We would have some drivers here that have been with us a good few years now. They have built up a good relationship with the customers and that is important. They are all experienced drivers and are well capable of doing their jobs without any problems.”

Leslie is happy with the direction that the company is heading in at the moment and admits that they are happy with the work load that they have on.

“If we can continue to keep our customers happy then we are happy. We are busy enough at the minute and long may that continue.”

The future looks bright for Goudie Bros and the next generation is already showing an interest. “Ronnie’s son Aaron is now driving for us, while my lad Jonathon washes the trucks at the weekend when he’s not at school, so who knows they may carry on, when we step down,” he concluded with a smile.

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Best Wishes To Goudie Bros Transport, From

Available For All Types Of Haulage Ballybofey, Co. Donegal Tel:086-2637973 Email: ivorreilly@hotmail.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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49

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F

Two decades of excellence

or the past 20 years, Gorthill Farm Contracting has been providing an exceptional agricultural contracting service to farmers in County Londonderry and beyond. We caught up with brothers Johnny and Ryan Boggs to take a closer look at their superb fleet of machinery and the wide range of services provided.

Renowned island-wide for providing topclass willow harvesting and mulching services, Gorthill Farm Contracting is one of Ireland’s premium agricultural contracting specialists. The business, which was established in the early 1990s by brothers Johnny and Ryan, continues the Boggs family’s long and proud association with farming in Derry and further afield.

Operating from their well-appointed base in Eglinton, Gorthill Farm Contracting serves the north west of Northern Ireland with a dependable and comprehensive general contractive service, while their more specialist activities bring them nationwide, as far south as the banks of the Lee. The founders of the company were born and bred into agriculture…

Reflecting on the genesis of the family business, Ryan Boggs notes: “The two of us set up Gorthill Farm Contracting twenty years ago. Our father, William Ernest Boggs, has been farming all his life, as was our late grandfather, James, before that.”

50

Alas, the third generation of the Boggs family was almost destined for a life on the farm… “We grew up on a farm and we’re still at it - for our sins,” Johnny quips. “We originally did dairy farming and contracting but we gave up the dairy farming eventually and now do arable work on the ground and the contracting.”

Gorthill Farm Contracting has developed a particular expertise in willow harvesting over the years and is now regarded as the premier willow harvester in Ireland, covering from Derry to Cork with this specialist service. This is a unique service and they were the first contractors on the island to provide it. “We started willow harvesting

about eight years ago,” says Ryan. “We also do mulching, North and South – willow, trees, stones etc. – which is another specialist area requiring specialist

CONTACT DETAILS

Gorthill Farm Contracting, 19a Backhill Rd, Eglinton, County Londonderry, BT47 3JR Northern Ireland Tel: 028 7181 0239.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

gorthill designed_Layout 1 10/12/2014 15:50 Page 2

machinery.”

The rest of the work would be closer to home. ‘Local’ for the Boggs brothers means within the greater Derry, Antrim, Tyrone catchment area, from Omagh / Strabane direction over to Ballymoney.

Wherever the work is, essentially.

Fleet-wise, Gorthill Farm Contracting operates five stunning Fendt tractors, which were purchased together brand new in June, 2013, as well as a Claas combine, two Claas self-propelled harvesters, two loading shovels (one JCB, one Manitou) and a JCB digger (for drainage / site clearance etc.). Why Fendt? “Because they are the best. They’re the best we’ve used so far, anyway. We initially ran Masseys and then John Deere but we find that the Fendts are better suited to our own requirements. I wouldn’t knock anything else, but we just prefer to use Fendt.

We like them and we have a good dealer here – John McElderry in Ballymoney – who provides a great service,” says Ryan.

Customer loyalty is of course vital in agri contracting and, to this end, Gorthill Farm Contracting, has been providing its services to many of the same families over the past twenty years. They

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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have managed to hold onto these customers by providing a keen service and moving with the times: “Things have evolved a lot,” Johnny notes. “There were a lot of jobs we started doing and then others came along and started providing the same services, so sometimes we moved on to other things. It’s a very competitive business and you have to try to stay a step ahead of the competition.”

The Boggs brothers keep themselves busy with a lot of slurry, manure spreading and drilling (using a six-metre drill).

If requested, they can also provide a full service comprising sowing, spraying and cutting.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Other services supplied include baling (square bale and wrap) and silage (including wholecrop silage) as well as beet harvesting. “As we purchased a harvester to do our own beet harvesting, we will offer that service to other farmers in the area,” Ryan notes.

“As well as contracting, we also grow 500 acres of crops ourselves – barley, wheat, oats, oilseed rape and beet.”

The stunning fleet (check out their Facebook page for more action shots…) – combined with years of experience - ensures that every job is completed to the highest possible standard and complete customer satisfaction is always

guaranteed. All equipment is kept in pristine condition and access to a fresh fleet of machinery ensures that each job is carried out with maximum efficiency and minimum fuss.

Regarding the possibility of upgrading the fleet any time soon, Johnny points out: “We don’t have any real policy for changing them. It really just depends on how things are going at any given time. You like to change them and keep them as new as possible, so we’ll see what happens. At the moment, however, we are very happy with all the equipment we’re running.”

Farming has provided a way of life for the Boggs family for

three generations and the signs are encouraging that the fourth generation will one day assume the mantle. “Ryan has a tenyear-old son, Max James, and he’s mad for it, so he’ll probably go down this road as well.”

Gorthill Farm Contracting employs up to nine people between full-time and part-time workers, during peak times. “I wouldn’t say we are booming by any stretch of the imagination but we are staying on and holding our own,” Ryan concludes.

“The weather dictates things to a large extent, because we are so far north, so we’re hoping the elements will be kind to us in 2015”

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Waterfall Farms committed to freshness

W

aterfall Farms Ltd is a family-run business specialising in the growing, harvesting and preparing of vegetables for the catering trade. Founder Declan Martin explains more about the thriving Co. Cork-based concern.

Waterfall Farms Ltd was established in 1998, but the Martin family have been growing vegetables since the early 1970s.

On a rundown neglected 50-acre farm with derelict buildings and a 200-year-old dwelling house which was in bad repair, Declan Martin and his wife Rosemary started growing carrots, parsnips, Swedes, onions and butterhead lettuce.

Things weren’t easy in those early years.

Declan and Rosemary worked round the clock growing and harvesting their vegetables, and making daily deliveries to small shops around Cork city using a tractor and trailer.

A far from reliable wholesale market prompted Declan to walk into his local Dunnes Stores one day with two samples of butterhead lettuce. The store manager

Nigel Martin

54

– after eventually receiving the green light from HQ – agreed to let the Martins supply the retail giant and so began a contract that would run for 18 years.

A van was purchased, to replace the tractor and trailer, as well as an Edlington washer which replaced the powerhose for washing the vegetables.

The Martins employed nine staff and had three trucks and two vans on the road.

When the Dunnes contract – which accounted for about 85 per cent of their business – ended in the late 1990s, it came as a huge blow to Declan and Rosemary, who were by now joined in the business by their sons Nigel and Trevor. But instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they diversified and began their vegetable preparation business under the name of Waterfall Farms Ltd. The company has gone from strength to strength since then thanks to its reputation for attention to detail, quality, freshness and service. A six-day-a-week delivery service is in operation with four refrigerated vans on the road supplying a wide selection of pubs, hotels, cafes, juice bars and the best restaurants within a 50mile radius of Cork city. The family-run business also supplies produce to the deli, butcher and kitchen section in many of their local SuperValu stores. Included in this is the store in Glanmire, which is the biggest SuperValu outlet in Ireland.

Scally’s SuperValu in Clonakilty are also supplied by Waterfall Farms, with the store leading the way in Gluten free products and acting as a depot for the SuperValu group in this sector.

With Nigel and Trevor, as well as longtime farm manager Gerry Kelleher overseeing operations, Waterfall Farms has increased its workforce to 14 and is leading the way in the growing, harvesting and preparing of vegetables for the catering trade. An onsite farm shop in Waterfall, which is three miles from

Trevor Martin

Ballincollig, stocks a wide range of produce as well as a selection of homemade chutneys, jams, pottery and local wood turning items.

Quality and service are paramount features which the business in based on.

An extensive range of vegetables, herbs and salads are grown and prepared to supply a fresh, unique and local range of products.

“For us, it’s all about minimising the time it takes to get the vegetables from the field to the table,” says Declan.

“This ensures maximum flavour and nutritional value. People also like to be able to smell the freshness off the vegetable. We’re one of only a handful of businesses out there who grow and prepare vegetables. No-one can beat us when it comes to freshness. We also

CONTACT DETAILS

Waterfall Farms Ltd Ballyshoneen, Waterfall, Co. Cork.

Telephone: 021 4870238 Fax: 021 4874424 Email: wfl@iol.ie

Website: www.waterfallfarms.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Waterfall designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 15:06 Page 2

place a huge emphasis on hygiene and regular staff training.”

Nigel had taken ownership of the existing 50-acre farm, while Trevor owns another farm of roughly the same size which is also used for growing (rotation is important in vegetable growing). The Martins grow about 35 acres of vegetables in Waterfall where greenhouses, a large packing facility and a coldstore are located onsite.

A huge variety of carrots, parsnips, Swedes, cabbages, lettuce, celery, leeks, rhubarb and herbs are grown to suit all tastes. The range of carrots, for example, includes orange, yellow, purple and white. If a vegetable is in season, Waterfall Farms will have it.

They also grow spot crops throughout the year, many of which are requested by chefs who are looking for something different that will spark off a dish, be it with colour or taste. That means that watercress, romanesco cauliflower, flower sprouts, rainbow chard, a selection of coloured beetroot and courgettes, together with edible flower mixtures and garnish are all produced at Waterfall Farms.

“It’s an expanding sector,” continues Declan.

“Irish people want more variety nowadays. They also expect products that are healthy, nutritious and fresh.

Our products meet all of these requirements and more.”

However, the sector also faces many challenges, which Waterfall Farms like all growers are well aware of.

“The company is greatly concerned at the continuing exodus of growers from the Horticulture sector.”

The main reason for this decline is due to the major supermarkets using vegetables in their price cutting/ loss leading tactics against each other. In the absence of an established cost price of production in the vegetable industry they are IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

acting within the law and so the grower has to take the punishment.

The multiples control the entire vegetable production sector because they handle about 80% of total sales.

They are also responsible for importing foreign produce as they seek to fill containers travelling from Mediterranean fruit growing countries.

The Loss leading offers - 5 cent at Christmas - always seems to be based around vegetables. Meat and Milk products are not offered in the same way due to better regulation and controls.

“A solution should come from government who have the power to save the horticultural sector even if only to help the national balance of payments. Action could also be initiated by An Bord Bia which seems to remain silent.

“Our experience of dealing with the Irish public is that they want to purchase Irish Vegetables where ever possible and so something needs to be done at government level to ensure the survival of the Irish

Waterfall Farms have four refridgerated delivery vans on the road

Jerry Kelleher on the forklift

Trevor Martin loading

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Waterfall designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 15:06 Page 3

Declan Martin

Horticultural sector.”

A typical day at Waterfall Farms begins with deliveries between 5am and 10am. The farm staff start the daily harvest at 7.30am and the preparation process gets underway at 9am. This involves washing, peeling and vacuum packing. It all means that the vegetables make it from field to table in 24 hours or less.

“We supply to approximately 40 customers throughout Co. Cork. As freshness is key, we only deliver what’s ordered.

The vegetables are freshly prepared in the afternoon and are delivered early the next morning,” explains Declan.

The farm shop affords chefs from the restaurants which Waterfall Farms’ supplies to see the vegetables in an unprepared state. The shop

Ala Uddin Soul

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also receives regular visits from catering students in CIT and has hosted farmers from as far away as Canada, while a farmers delegation from Finland are also due in the coming months. It is open to the public from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Waterfall Farms also has a stand at the Farmer’s Market in Bishopstown every Thursday. Under their green gazebo, you’ll find a huge range of fruit and vegetables, washed and unwashed, along with a tasty selection of homemade relishes, chutneys, jams and marmalades.

Waterfall Farms is proud to be part of the Fuchsia brand.

Long associated with West Cork, the brand represents a

Declan Martin

symbol of quality for the food and tourism products of the region. The products marketed under the Fuchsia brand are firmly rooted in the unique traditions and influences of the region. High standards of product and service excellence reflect passion and enthusiasm as well as a strong commitment to training, networking and a code of best practice.

Fuchsia Brands Ltd is a development initiative of the West Cork Development Partnership. It is part funded under the Rural Development Programme by the Irish

Government and part-financed by the EU under the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

Waterfall Farms have claimed a number of awards, starting off with one which they won for Farm Diversification, when they switched from just supplying vegetables, to preparing them for the catering trade.

They are affiliated to Bord Bia and have been the recipients of certificates and standards awards from when they supplied Dunnes Stores.

They have received regional and national awards from Bord Bia for the quality of their produce.

Rosemary Martin working in the Farm Shop IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Waterfall designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 15:06 Page 4

FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY IRL LTD

FOOD PACKAGING SOLUTION SUPPLIER FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY IRL LTD. Best Wishes & Continued Success To Waterfall Farms Ltd.

Unit 72 Cookstown Ind Estate., Belgard Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Tel: (01) 451 3110 • Fax: (01) 451 3338 • Email: info@fpt.ie

Salad and Vegetable Planting & Harvesting CONGRATULATIONS Waterfall Farms Ltd 30 Years Successful Growing We're proud to supply: REGERO lettuce planters, STEKETEE cultivators Sales: Geoff Wright +44 (0) 7796 444096 Parts and service: +44 (0) 1353 666200

CONTINUED SUCCESS TO ALL AT WATERFALL FARMS LTD.

Continued success to all at Waterfall Farms Ltd., from

O'Brien Cahill & Co. CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS, REGISTERED AUDITORS & FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS Grattan Court, 29/31 Washington Street West, CORK Tel. – 353-21-4270192/4270369. Fax. – 353-21-4273903 169 West End, MALLOW, Co. Cork Tel. 353-22-21079/22560. Fax. 353-22-42533

www.obriencahill.ie

IRISH

&

AGRI

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR COMPANY FEATURED IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

www.standen.co.uk

Continued Best Wishes To Waterfall Farms Ltd., From

SERVICES | BREAKDOWN & RECOVERY Myler Industrial Estate,West Village, Ballincollig,Cork, Co. Cork.

Call 021-4870655 | Mobile: 087-2915551

E: johnolearyautos@gmail.com | www.johnolearyautos.com

Call Barry now on 00353 (0) 46 9241923 57

gannons designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:34 Page 1

Gannon’s is the longest running egg and poultry business in Ireland

G

Ray Gannon

Keep it local with Gannon’s Eggs and Poultry

annon's Eggs and poultry in Carrick-on-Shannon is the longest running egg and poultry business in Ireland.

Managing Director Ray Gannon traces the company's roots from its establishment all of 139 years ago right up to the challenges it faces in today's ultra-competitive marketplace.

Established by Michael Gannon in 1875, Gannon Eggs and poultry started out life as a small egg and poultry business with Michael going from house to house selling a few groceries and buying eggs and fowl in return.

The business has come a long way from its humble origins and, nowadays, Michael's great-grandson Ray Gannon has taken on the baton of overseeing the smooth running of the business.

Times have changed dramatically and their wide and varied product list

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includes a full range of organic, barn and freerange products including duck and hen eggs and poultry in a wide array of products.

Based at Tullyleague, Carrick-onShannon, Co. Roscommon, the business employs 12 full-time and 2 part-time staff including Ray's wife Geraldine and his brother Ciaran.

Today's market conditions have provided Ray and his staff with plenty to think about but they are determined to maintain and enhance the company's proud legacy.

“It's as tough out there as I've ever seen it,” revealed Ray who joined the family business full-time as a 17-year-old straight from school 33 years ago.

“It has always been tough in this game, you could never say it was easy but the show must go on. Hens will lay eggs and they have to be looked after, gathered and checked. There's no such thing as time off in our industry, it's all hands on

decks, 24/7 365 days a year.”

The hard graft is not reflected in today's prices and rising overheads are proving a heavy burden to shoulder for small to medium enterprises throughout the country.

“I have never known any difference insofar as margins are tighter and overheads are not always kept in

CONTACT DETAILS Gannon's Eggs and poultry Tullyleague Carrick-on-Shannon Co. Roscommon.

Phone: +353 (0)71 96 20070 Mobile:+353 (0)87 2526195 Email: gannonspoultry@eircom.net Website: www.gannonspoultry.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

gannons designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:34 Page 2

proportion. You need to be really tuned into where you can find savings. Energy and feed costs have been crippling us over the last couple of years.

“And the big multiples have taken a bigger percentage of the retail market and a lot of the smaller outlets we would have historically dealt with have disappeared.”

In order to survive, Gannon Eggs and Poultry have been forced to adapt and diversify but they have never forgotten the importance of keeping a firm focus on the “local” element of their business.

“We pride ourselves on being local, we're a family-owned company and, importantly, we're very much hands on.

What you see is what you get.

“We offer a good service, a good product and we're reliable. We offer our customers a wide choice of product. Our core business is egg and chicken but we also specialise in other poultry products, fresh foods, and frozen foods.

“We recently took our first steps into the organic markets – eggs and chicken.

They are niche and developing markets

Gannon’s are the only Bord Bia Quality Assured Egg and Poultry producers/packers in counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo and Longford IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Gannon’s Farmers Market shop

Their Farmers Market Shop trades at market fairs between 9.30am and 5.30pm on the following days: The Square in Ballymote every Thursday; Market yard, Sligo every Friday and The Square, Roscommon every Saturday.

“We launched our online shop this year and that has proven to be very successful,” highlighted Ray. Not known for resting on his laurels, Ray is optimistic about the future prospects for Gannon's Eggs and poultry.

“I'd be positive enough about the business. No matter what happens in the future, people will still need to eat and I have every confidence in our products which are healthy and

Two happy customers - Katie Mollahan and Katelyn Gannon

where we see a lot of growth happening in the future.

“All our products are Irish, have full traceability and are sold at keen, competitive prices.”

As well as the traditional routes to market, Gannon's sell their products via Eggspress machines, a Market Shop and online at their easy to navigate website

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– www.gannonspoultry.ie.

Their Eggspress machines are located at their stores on the Croghan/Frenchpark Rd and at the Northwest Buisness Park, Carrick on Shannon. They are the only two of a kind west of the Shannon and are open from 8 till late ensuring their customers are never disappointed.

nutritious and cost conscious.

“There will be challenges that must be addressed as we meet them. There is a changing landscape. In my life time I've seen major changes and the men that went before me saw bigger.

I'm confident we can keep going in some shape or form well into the future.

“Traceability has become an issue for people who are more conscious nowadays as to where their food comes from. You can't get more local than us.

“We are the only Bord Bia quality Assured Egg and Poultry producers/packers in counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo and Longford.”

BEST WISHES TO RAY AT GANNON’S EGGS & POULTRY FROM MARTIN AND ALL THE STAFF AT MLS LABELS

Irelands Leading Supplier of Quality Labels, Outer Carton Labels, Thermal Printers & Software. Helping Egg Packer REDUCE COSTS, Through Inovations And Labelling Solutions Which Increase OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES Mullingar Business Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath Tel: 00353 (0) 44 9343746 Fax: 00353 (0) 44 9348943 email: info@mls.ie www.mlslabels.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

gannons designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 13:34 Page 4

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Gannon’s Eggs & Poultry From

MANUFACTURERS OF QUALITY POULTRY, PIG AND RUMINANT FEEDS A.W. Ennis Ltd, Virginia, Co.Cavan Telephone: 049-8547588

Annek Frozen Foods Ltd. Best Wishes To Gannon’s Eggs & Poultry, From

Best Wishes To Gannon’s Eggs & Poultry From

Importers & Distributors Of Lutosa Frozen & Chilled Products, Wholesale Head Office: Kilpedder, Co. Wicklow Cold Store: AFF Logistics, Rathnew Ind Est., Rathnew, Co. Wicklow

Tel: 01-2819665 | Fax:01-2819808 Mobile: 087-2558696 | E:annex@tinet.ie

Mac Fresh Eggs

45 Ballyloughan Rd., Richhill, Co. Armagh BT61 9ND Tel:+44 (0)28 3887 1620 | Fax:+44 (0)28 3887 9621 www.rockvalepoultry.co.uk

Best Wishes To Gannon’s Eggs & Poultry, From

T/A Mac PACKAGING Suppliers of Egg Trays & Packaging To The Poultry Industry Tel: 086-2562168 Tel: 047-82299

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Best Wishes Gannon’s Eggs & Poultry One of Ireland’s Leading Hen Buyers Specialising in end of Lay Hens and Turkeys for the Retail Food Service Market and Export Market

igwt, Drumgannis, Broomfield,Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan.

Local: 042-974 3936 (international: +353 42-974 39 02) Email: info@igwt.ie | www.igwt.ie

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J

e Best in the West

N Contracts is an up-andcoming name in the agricultural contracting sector. Established a decade ago

by Jonnie (Jonathan) Neal, the business provides a wide range of agricultural services to customers within a 40-mile radius of its base just two miles from Irvinestown in Co. Fermanagh.

The ups and downs of farm contracting are brilliantly captured in a DVD about young contractor Jonnie Neal which was launched a couple of years ago. The 90minute film, titled ‘The Best in the West’ in reference to Fermanagh being Northern Ireland’s most westerly county, follows Jonnie and his team as they spread slurry, plough, plant maize, mow, lift silage and engage in a host of other farm-related activities in all sorts of weather conditions.

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Hailing from a farming background, the 30-year-old was just 19 when he set up JN Contracts. He recalls: “My stepbrother Mark McLean had run his own farm contracting business for 11 years and was getting out of it to start up a different business in Irvinestown called Autopart Centre, which is still going strong.

“He asked me if I’d be interested in taking over and I decided to give it a go.

The only problem was that he sold off all his machinery which meant that I had to buy everything from scratch. But Mark had built up a good customer-base which I managed to hold on to and grow.”

Jonnie started out with seven tractors, two John Deere mowers, John Deere 6850 Self Propelled, three Silage Trailers and a baler. Four of the tractors were Case IH (Mx 135, Mx 170, CVX 170 and 956), two were Ford (8240 and 7740),

while the other was a John Deere 6850.

This substantial investment paid off for Jonnie who now runs a fleet of 10 tractors and employs three full-time workmen. During the busy spring and summer months, he takes on additional staff.

“I’d have six working for me in the

CONTACT DETAILS JN Contracts

23 Moynaghan North Road, Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh.

Telephone: +44 7736 378885 Email: jonnieneal@hotmail.co.uk www.facebook.com/jncontracts IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

JN Contracts designed_Layout 1 10/12/2014 10:34 Page 2

spring and eight in the summer,” he explains.

“Our busiest time is from February and September. We spread slurry between February and May. After that, the silage cutting takes over for three or four months. When the weather is good, we’d work around the clock to get the silage lifted. It can be pretty hectic.”

JN Contracts cut around 6,000 acres of silage last summer, with the crops being bigger than 2013.

“It was a good year weather-wise which is always a help when it comes to silage production. The crops were big and of a high quality.

The first cut was a lot earlier than the previous year when, as every farmer remembers, the winter dragged into April and May, leading to a fodder shortage,” he says.

The other areas of agricultural contracting Jonnie specialises in are ploughing, re-seeding, dung spreading, excavation, fertiliser shaking and hedge-cutting.

Jonnie’s modern fleet of tractors comprises six New Holland (t7200 x 2, t7250, t6070, tm155 and ts115), three John Deere (6830, 6320 and 7530), 110-90 Fiat and a Case IH Puma 195. The New Hollands were purchased from Brian Keys Tractors, Dromore, Co. Tyrone; the John Deeres from Agri-Power in Omagh and the Case IH from Alexander Mills in Benburb, Co. Tyrone.

JN Contracts’ other plant / equipment includes: two ploughs, two power harrows, four slurry tankers, one Hitachi digger, three umbilical pipe systems, four Redrock slurry agitators, six silage trailers, one silage wagon, five silage mowers, one self-propelled CLAAS silage harvester, one trailed forage harvester, two dung spreaders, two loading shovels, two silage rakes and two sowers. The CLAAS silage harvester was purchased from Erwin Agri-Care in Crumlin, Co. Antrim.

Jonnie changed from 7750 John Deere self-propelled harvester to a CLAAS 870 in 2014. His John Deere was originally purchased brand new three seasons ago from Johnston Gilpin’s Lisburn. Jonnie says he likes his CLAAS a lot but would have no problem going back to a John Deere Harvester if the price was right.

All equipment is regularly inspected, with servicing and repair work carried out by the relevant dealers. Jonnie knows just how important regular servicing is as it reduces the risk of IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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NEW EQUIPMENT USED EQUIPMENT | PARTS 76 Omagh Road, Dromore, Co Tyrone Telephone: 0044 (0)28 82 897828 brian@briankeystractors.com www.briankeystractors.com

Best Wishes To JN Contracts

Best Wishes & Continued Success To JN Contracts From

Beall Agri Specialists in Agricultural Trailers & Tractor drawn units.

290 Killadeas Road, Lisnarick, Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh BT94 1PE Tel: +44 (0) 28 686 28041 Mob: +44 (0) 77 3443 4425 Email: sales@beallagri.com www.beallagri.com

‘If you want machinery to look like it came from McCullagh Machinery – it has to be bought at McCullagh Machinery’.

R.W. LOANE TYRES Continued best wishes to all at JN Contracts

Car, Jeep, Truck, Quad, Implement and Tractor Tyres In Stock Agent For BKT Agrimax Specialists In Vulcanising Repairs Wishing JN Contracts Continued Success

Phone:028-686 31385 64

Derrylin Road, Bellanaleck, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh BT92 2BA

Tel: 028 6634 8213 or from Éire 048 6634 8213 www.mccullaghmachinery.com

Continued Best Wishes To JN Contracts

IRISH &

AGRI

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR COMPANY FEATURED

Call Barry now on 00353 (0) 46 9241923 IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

JN Contracts designed_Layout 1 10/12/2014 10:34 Page 4

breakdowns and downtime.

Fermanagh may be one of Ireland’s wettest counties, with its geography being dominated by rivers and lakes, but it is also an area of rich farmland where for generations people have made their living. While most of Jonnie’s work is concentrated in the Fermanagh area, he also has many customers in the surrounding counties of Tyrone, Cavan and Monaghan.

“Our customer-base is within a 40-mile radius of Irvinestown. It has grown steadily over the years and this can be attributed to the quality of our equipment, the reliability and service we offer and the knowledge and expertise of our staff. Health and safety and best environmental practice are also two issues we take very seriously.”

He continues: “We deliver value-formoney and the quality farmers now expect from their agricultural contracting partner.”

Jonnie sees a strong and vibrant future for agricultural contracting, despite the fact the policy makers in Government and the EU barely recognise the vital role contractors play in farming.

“Farming will always be around and as long as that’s the case, there will be work for farm contractors. Unlike some people who continue to dabble in it, we take our farm contracting very seriously and run a very professional outfit. I believe that’s the way forward for this industry,” he concludes.

So for all your agricultural needs, simply call Jonnie on +44 7736 378885 IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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marksville designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:04 Page 1

Marksville Farms provide their customers with the latest technological advances in animal feeding and feed preservation

Leading the way in Maxammon treatment

C

elebrating a decade in business, Marksville Farms have grown to the point where they now lead the way in the supply of quality rolled cereals and the Maxammon grain treatment process. Irish Tractor spoke to company co-owner Tom McDonnell to find out more about what’s been going on with the Louth-based business.

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Since its inception, Marksville Farms have been a leading supplier of animal feeds for the agricultural sector in Ireland.

Based in Ardee, Co Louth, they grow, process and trade their own grain, straw and maize silage which they supply direct to livestock farms. The aim of Marksville Farms is to provide its customers with the latest technological advances in animal feeding and feed preservation. Having the product in use in Scotland four years

ago the vast majority of their grain since then has been treated with Maxammon.

The product was developed by Harbro in Scotland and Marksville Farms hold the distribution rights in the northern half of Ireland. They also supply Yara Fertiliser direct to farm, Yara are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high quality CCF fertilisers.

“We’re based in Harristown in Ardee, Co Louth,” explained Tom. “The company IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

marksville designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:04 Page 2

The experienced team at Marksville Farms, l/r: Eoin Clarke, Elaine Kerr, Paddy McDonnell, Tom McDonnell, Colum McDonnell, Aileen Kirk, Bernard Maguire

was established 13 years ago and we have seven full time staff employed.

“We offer the supply of high quality Maxammon treated cereals, minerals, fertilizer and forage additives directly onto farms. Our background has always been in farming and we have diversified into selling our own grain. Having become distribution agents for Maxammon four years ago that is now

CONTACT DETAILS Marksville Farms Harristown Ardee, Co. Louth

Tel: 041 6853688 Email: info@marksvillefarms.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

our main focus.

“Harbo in Scotland developed Maxammon and are manufacturers of the product. Having witnessed its use in the livestock sector over there four years ago, we immediately knew there would be a huge place for this product in Ireland” Maxammon grain is the name given to the alkaline grain storage and preservation system. Enhanced pH and increased protein content result in huge benefits to farmers and livestock alike.

For non grain growers Marksville Farms supply ready to feed Maxammon barley, wheat, maize and oats.

Maxammon is a combination of soluble feed grade urea, essential oils, enzymes and full fat soya. Enzymes ensure 100% hydrolization of the urea content during the preservation process, rapidly stabilising the grain.

Grains treated with the Maxammon alkaline preservation process are left with a high pH (8.5 – 9.5). This high pH counteracts acidity in the rumen when fed. Optimum rumen pH for thorough digestion is 6.2. Most preserved forages in Ireland have a pH of 3.7 and 4.3, all of which add considerable acid loads to livestock diets. Maxammon grain rapidly increases the pH of the overall diet helping to attain an optimum rumen environment, resulting in better feed digestion and efficiency.

During the Maxammon preservation process, mature grain is not rolled as fine as it may be with other treatment methods. This allows for the slower release of starch in the animals rumen.

Twinned with its high pH, it means higher levels of Maxammon grain can be fed than traditional forms of cereals.

Marksville Farms is a busy operation nowadays and Tom and his brother Paddy hope to see that continue into 2015, and the future.

“We are very busy at the moment,” he said. “Farming has had its own downturn but thankfully not in the same way as the construction industry.

“We’re exposed to the price of beef and the price of milk and at the moment both of those are under pressure.”

In addition to Maxammon treated cereals, Marksville Farms also offer a range of rolled cereals, straight energy, protein and fibre feeds, maize silage and straw.

As mentioned, Marksville Farms are approved agents for the renowned Yara Fertiliser Range, which they deliver direct to farm.

Yara Complex Compound Fertiliser range provides accurate spreading to maximize yield as well as even distributions pattern over 24 metres. It also provides consistent particle size (90% 2mm-4mm), is free flowing and dust free and has correct nutrient and balance in every particle.

The Maxammon mineral range for dairy, dry cow and beef cattle has been developed by Marksville Farms in partnership with Harbro Limited and Devenish Nutrition Limited. This mineral range has been designed to provide the optimum requirements for livestock being fed Maxammon treated grain. Mineral, vitamin and trace element supplementation is vital to ensure animal health and performance is kept at optimum levels. It is often overlooked until a deficiency manifests itself.

Silage additives are another essential cog in the business. Reducing feed

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losses is an important motto for the company along with achieving greater energy from grass, maize and whole crop silages. This can be achieved using Micron silage inoculants. Included are SiloMax Grass, which contains lactic acid bacteria for fermentation control, enzymes for improved fibre digestibility and microbial stimulants to ensure rapid activation. Marksville Farms make it available in granular (25kg) and liquid (150g).

Silo-Max Maize contains lactic acid bacteria for fermentation control, a lactic bacterium for enhanced aerobic stability, enzymes for improved fibre digestibility and lactobacillus brevis to prevent pit face losses.

Available in granular (25kg) and liquid (150g) Silo-Max Whole crop is designed specifically for whole crop usage, including barley, wheat and oats.

Available in liquid (150g),

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Elaine Kerr (left) and Aileen Kirk busy at work in the Marksville Farms office

each jar is sufficient to treat 50 tonnes of fresh forage crop ProFresh Plus is a dry, granular buffered form of propionic acid used to inhibit the growth of spoilage yeasts and moulds. Scatter over pit edges to prevent spoilage or add to a TMR to reduce

heating.

TESTIMONIALS: Archie Graham and his sons Andrew and Alistair farm two dairy herds in Bushmills, county Antrim. As well as their dairy herds, the Graham’s also grow winter and spring

barley for feeding to all livestock on their farm. For the past 2 years the Graham’s have treated their barley using the Maxammon grain preservation method. Since moving the Maxammon preservation method and improving the quality of their

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Ballinaskeagh Grains Ltd is proud to be associated with Marksville Farms and wishes Tom and Paddy continued success for many years to come

Ballinaskeagh Grains Ltd is suppliers of quality proteins and maize products 14 Glaskerbeg Road, Ballinaskeagh, Banbridge, Co. Down BT32 5BX Tel:028-4065 1269 / 4065 1325 | Fax: 028-4065 1366 Email: info@ballinaskeaghgrains.com

SPECIALISING IN CRIMPING, DRY ROLLING & GRAIN PROCESSING

Wishing Continued Success To MARKSVILLE FARMS From

ALSO ROLLING OF BIG GRAINS, MAIZE, BEANS, LUPINS & PEAS APPLICATOR OPTIONS & WEIGHING SYSTEM ON BOARD

Colm McDonagh Best Wishes To Marksville Farms

TYRES

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Marksville Farms

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Best Wishes & Continued Success To Marksville Farms From

Best Wishes To Marksville Farms, From

PROFESSIONALS IN BULK TRANSPORT JGM TRANSPORT LTD. & GERARD MACKIN TRANSPORT LTD. Bolies, Castlebellingham, Co. Louth Tel/Fax: 00353-42 93 72 393 Mobile: 00353-86 257 5940 Email: jgmtransport@eircom.net

Best Wishes To Marksville Farms

TASCC Approved Member of the Irish Road Haulage Association

Y POTATO ES CKE I H Bohernamoe, Ardee, Co. Louth RUIT Tel: 087-2226610 087-9077772 Fax: 041-6860222 E: hickeysfarm08@eircom.net

GROWERS OF POTATOES VEG. & F

Farm Fresh Produce

Best wishes to all at Marksville Farms

Contact 087-6435939 & 087-9942710 Fully insured and vat registered

SPECIALISING IN ALL TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS SHUTTERING AND FINISHED FLOORS

Continued success to all at Marksville Farms

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F SHERRY

BULK TRANSPORT Continued Best Wishes Marksville Farms Nahill, Smithborough, Co. Monaghan Tel:086-6082646 IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

marksville designed_Layout 1 09/12/2014 14:04 Page 6

own grain the Graham’s have reduced their dependence purchasing soya and maize meal. “We find it a very flexible feed with it being fed to all livestock throughout the winter,” Alistair explained on the company’s website, marksvillefarms.ie

David & Denis Fagan are farming in partnership with their parents John and Margaret, in Clonmore, Kildalkey, Co. Meath. They milk 280 Holstein Friesian cows on an all grass farm of 900 acres, including a grazing platform of 100 acres. Calving is split 50:50 between autumn and spring. Autumn calving starts in September while spring calving takes place in February and March. The average herd yield is 6800 litres with average butterfat of 4.01% and protein 3.3%. For the past 3 years the Fagan’s have purchased a ready to feed, Maxammon treated

barley and maize blend from Marksville Farms.

The move to feeding Maxammon grain has allowed the Fagan’s reduce their dependence on purchased protein sources. “We use a lot less soya in our ration now than when we fed dry rolled grain” explained David.

Cow numbers will remain the same post quota but the Fagan’s hope to increase yield through breeding and feeding. They see Maxammon treated grain as playing a major role as part of this increase. In addition to their dairy enterprise, the Fagan’s finish all home born bulls. The introduction of high pH, Maxammon grain allows for higher feed rates and improved animal

Marksville Farms are a leading supplier of animal feeds for the agricultural sector in Ireland

performance. David explained that “moving to Maxammon treated grain enabled us to feed higher rates of cereals to the finishing bulls with no evidence of acidosis, digestive upsets or lameness”.

Sam Moore runs a beef finishing enterprise in Doagh, county Antrim. Store bullocks and heifers are taken to beef a range of home-grown forages and cereals. Last year Sam treated all his winter barley using the Maxammon grain preservation method.

Sam was impressed by the flexibility and simplicity the product allowed him at harvest time. ‘The ability to treat grain at moistures between 16% and 24% allowed me to

harvest the grain first before concentrating on the treatment processes’.

Sam found that his livestock responded excellently when fed Maxammon barley.

Animal performance and health improved with Sam experiencing no evidence of digestive upsets.

“The increased protein content of our home-grown barley allowed for great savings to be made on purchased proteins,” said Sam.

So why choose Marksville Farms?

“We provide niche high quality products for livestock farmers ” Tom explained. “We are selling throughout the island of Ireland and we’re hoping to expand our customer base with both our current products and exciting new innovative products.”

Continued Success To All At Marksville Farms From

MALONE Oil Products Limited

TEXACO FUELS FOR HOME AGRICULTURAL & INDUSTRIAL USE

Ardee, Co. Louth

Tel:041-6853943 | Fax:041-6853947 Email: maloneoilproductsltd@eircom.net IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Agri haulage as it should be W

ith its head office in Ballygarvan and extensive facilities at Tivoil Port, Cork-based O’Leary Transport is one of Ireland’s leading transporters of animal feeds, combinable crops and other agriculture produce. We caught up with managing director Dennis O’Leary Jnr. to take a closer look at the full range of services provided by this longrunning family business.

Another generation of O’Leary’s - Denis’s children Joey and Holly

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For nigh on five decades, O’Leary Transport has been providing excellent general haulage solutions to a growing number of satisfied clients in Cork, Munster, Ireland, the UK and beyond. Over the years, the family-run operation has developed a multifaceted fleet of vehicles to provide a full range of haulage services, with all drivers fully-trained, vastly experienced and licensed for the transportation of all materials.

The blue and white corporate colours of O’Leary Transport have become a familiar sight on the roads not just of Cork but all CONTACT DETAILS over Europe. The flexible fleet of lorries and trailers (including curtains, flats, tippers, sliding O'Leary Transport Skellys, and low loaders) provides a varied and flexible Ballygarvan, service to customers large and County Cork. small, with a substantial Mobile: 087 9791073 percentage of the work carried Phone: 021 4888444 out pertaining to the agricultural Fax: 021 4888225 sector.

Email: info@olearytransport.ie As members of both the Irish IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Road Haulage Association (IRHA) and the Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC), O’Learys can – from their well-appointed base at Tivoli Port, where they run their own container yard - arrange collection and delivery from farms, mills, docks, ships and stores locally and throughout Ireland and the UK. Operating within the codes of practice set out by both TASCC and the IRHA is vitally important and customers can rest assured that they are getting a fullycompliant and dependable service that’s properly regulated and 100% ‘by the book’. “We’ve been members of TASCC since it was set up three years ago,” MD

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Dennis O’Leary notes. “It’s important to the farmers because they can rest assured that everything is regulated and monitored and checked on a regular basis.

“For example, you have to keep full records of everything that your trailer carries from Day One and this is how it should be – the farmers have total peace of mind because they know exactly what is being delivered to them and that there is no chance whatsoever of any sort of contamination. All the trailers are also regularly washed and disinfected.”

The company was established in 1968

by Dennis O’Leary Snr., who retired in 2005. His son Dennis Jnr. has been at

the reins since 1999. Regarding the genesis of the bulk work for which O’Leary Transport has become renowned, the latter continues: “We started off with Beamish & Crawford in Cork city, delivering waste drink for farmers for brewer’s grains – leftovers from the alcohol-making process mixed with wheat. For Grassland Agro, we started bringing in fertilizer in bulk from Kennedy Quay and then delivering it after they had bagged it. We still do that regularly. From December until February we bring it to them in bulk; we deliver from February onwards.”

Other bulk work includes deliveries of

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animal feed from ship to store for R&H Hall in Ringaskiddy as well as transportation for ADM Arkady Feeds in We congratulate Denis on his 50th year in business Ringaskiddy to Daltons’ & wish them further success in the future pig farm.

The striking, superblymaintained O’Leary Transport fleet currently comprises six artics – three Scanias, two Volvos and a Renault. A fresh and immaculate fleet is maintained at all times, the latest addition having been purchased in 2012.

In total, Dennis operates 21 trailers. “About 60% of our work is agri / farm related and we then do a lot of curtainsider work in Ireland and the UK for Munster Joinery,” he notes.

O’Leary Transport also Train with the best- One Way. The Right Way! provides a specialised Contact Brian O’Leary container shipping 087-4171375 /021-4895087 service. This includes toys for World of Wonder at Email: olearysdrivingschool@eircom.net Christmas and silage www.olearysdrivingschool.ie

Continued success to O’Leary Transport, from

Some of the team of drivers, l/r: Colin Dennehy, Stephen Higgins, Denis O’Leary, David Kiely and Chris Quilligan

wrap to co-ops island-wide during silage season; salt for use on roads and also to Dairygold in Middleton for use in their butter; the export of minerals for animal digestion from Castletownbere to destinations worldwide. They also bring in bulk powder minerals from Kennedy Quay for Nutribio.

At present, gainful employment is provided to a crew of nine and Dennis is pleased to report that there’s enough work on the horizon to keep things ticking over nicely: “It’s keeping us going anyway,” he states. “We also bring a lot of milk powder to the port for export to Africa from Kilkenny and Bailieboro. Dairygold have also recently started a new three-year development to build a new factory in Mallow and once that’s completed they will be

TONY DOYLE TRANSPORT LTD. Best wishes to O’Leary Transport, from

Corbally North, Glanmire, Co. Cork

Tel: 021-4866354 Mob: 087-2568271

tdoyletrans@eircom.net

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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LoCall: 1890 208 208

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BEST WISHE S& CONTINUED SUCCESS TO O’LEARY TRANSPORT

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sending ten containers a week to China. We will be putting our names forward for some of that work as well.”

Looking to the future, Dennis is confident that the business will continue moving in the right direction: “Things are picking up and we have experienced an increase in work. Hopefully that will continue. The fertilizer will start again in February and we are hoping to get a good bit of work out of that.

Hopefully the turnover for farmers will go up again and the weather will be good next year. That would mean more work for us.”

With almost half a century of experience, O’Leary Transport are proven experts in their chosen field. They have an exceptional fleet of vehicles at their disposal and the input of excellent staff, whom Dennis regards as his greatest asset: “We would be lost without our drivers,” he concludes.

Wish all at O’Leary Transport continued success 76

“We have one man who has been with us for 37 years now.

Once a driver trains with us, he tends to stick with us. They are all fully trained and updated on the latest rules and legislation The RSA are very strict now but we have the green light on and we intend to keep it on!”

€51,500 inc vat selling price €41,870 +vat selling price €333 commercial road tax

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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