Suckler Beef Demo Farm
As members of Origin Green and the SAI Platform, Dawn Meats are fully committed to leading initiatives with other beef stakeholders which enhance the viability and sustainability of suckler beef production.
Now 4 years into a 7 program, the demonstration farm in Co. Galway will test and verify collective trials regarding cow herd development, grass production, input utilization and beef output per ha targets.
These technical trials will be independently monitored and results recorded by Teagasc, with ongoing outcomes published so that suckler farmers can have confidence in their implementation at individual farm level.
We have an obligation to protect the integrity & economic viability of the supply chain and are conscious of the need to promote best practice in all areas of the business to sustain future growth. We will work with customers and suppliers to achieve this objective and the demonstration farm is another important step in this process.
Better Farm Programme
Today’s national Better Farm Beef Program evolved from the outcomes of the Dawn Meats/Teagasc Beef partnership which was established in 2000. Over the following 5 years this partnership clearly demonstrated how gross margins in beef finishing systems could be significantly increased by applying the best scientific knowledge available. The focus in this partnership was in the areas of grassland management and performance monitoring. The use of the annual profit monitor was a key driver in the process of continuous improvement.
The learnings from this process were shared by Dawn Meats and Teagasc with other industry stakeholders who clearly recognised the importance of the project and were supportive of its broader application. The Teagasc/ Irish Farmers Journal Better Farm Program resulted and is now an important nationwide initiative which assists in knowledge transfer through regular updates in the IFJ and on the Teagasc website.
The aim of the Better Farms Program is to develop a road map for profitable beef production through improving technical efficiency within the farm gate. The focus is to boost profitability on farms by reducing production costs and increasing farm output.
Dawn Direct Newsletter
Our Dawn Direct Newsletter is sent out quarterly to more than 10,000 farmers across Ireland.
YBFSP
Dawn Meats in association with Macra na Feirme’s Young Farmer Skillnet launched the Young Beef Farmer Sustainability Programme (YBFSP) in September 2017. The programme is designed to help ambitious young farmers to develop their farming skills, their business and commercial awareness.
The programme which runs for 8 months equips participants to:
▪ Analyse and evaluate their own business and to make choices for future growth and efficiency; ▪ Understand the customer requirements in the retail marketplace and how as beef farmers they can meet those requirements; ▪ Identify practices on their individual farms that can enhance sustainability and profitability; ▪ Share and communicate the knowledge gained from the programme with their fellow young beef farmers; ▪ Perfect their communication style when dealing with people – from farm staff and contractors to the bank manager.
http://www.skillnets.ie/network/macra-na-feirme-young-farmer-skillnet
LIVE 2 DEAD
We are dedicated to investing in a sustainable farming future by supporting professional development programmes such as Live 2 Dead.
Giving new and established farmers and agriculture students the opportunity to walk the supply chain, increasing their knowledge and gaining first-hand experience of seeing the required specifications demanded by consumers in practice and in turn understanding their part in delivering that specification to the factory gate.
