At Parkduv Farm, we believe in a commitment to top quality and sustainable development. We try to achieve this through continuous improvement of our processes, our produce, and our environmental impact. Attention to detail is part of our ethos and we believe that this leads to long-term success and sustainable growth. We try to live by these principles on a day-to-day basis.
Consumers play a pivitol role in food production and they have been sending strong signals to us as producers, that they want safe and sustainably produced food. We are extremely conscious of this message and that is why we put such an effort into creating a workplace environment which we would be proud to show to any consumer.
Ireland’s green image is one of our key marketing strengths which can be seen through Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme. At Parkduv, we want to continue to build on this image and that is why we invest resources into maintaining a clean and picturesque farmyard and surrounds.
We feel a strong responsibility to protect the environment. We comply with all the environmental regulations, e.g. hedge cutting and slurry spreading, and are committed to going above and beyond these standards. Our water quality, which is tested annually, is excellent and we ensure that all soiled water is diverted to collection tanks to prevent contamination. We have adequate waste management facilities for our current stocking rate.
We use a dribble bar to spread slurry all our slurry. This helps reduce odour pollution, increase uptake of nutrients in the soil and reduce the power requirements when spreading.
We are very conscious of energy conservation on the farm and we have adopted many of the industry best standards for example, we use geothermal and solar heating systems in the dwelling houses, we use LED & CFL lighting throughout the farmyard, and we use an ice builder for cooling the milk which uses night rate electricity.
Recycling is something that we try to do as much as possible. Compost bins are used for food waste which in turn is used in the gardens. All farm plastics are recycled at the IFFPG Bring-Centres.
Soil quality and grassland management are other key component of sustainability. Healthy soil will produce healthy grass therefore we strive to keep our soil nutrient levels at their optimum. We do this through annual soil sampling, liming, nutrient management plans, re-seeding and recording of applications. Grass measuring allows us to maximise the grass crop produced from our healthy soil and we currently produce between 14 and 15 tonnes of dry matter per hectare. We try to aim for a 275+ day grazing season.
Lifestyle plays an important part in sustainability and having the correct labour requirement for our intensive management system, is vital. Extra cow numbers have led to an extra labour unit being required, which has also made the workload of the farm manager more sustainable. We have adopted a number of labour saving technologies to help achieve a better work-life balance e.g. automatic calf feeder, automatic cluster removers and parlour washing.
Health and safety is paramount on the farm. Machinery is maintained to a high standard and serviced appropriately, while necessary protective clothing is provided for hazardous tasks e.g. liming cubicles, spraying, tree cutting, etc. The livestock facilities are designed for maximum comfort for the livestock but also to protect those who work with them. Safety messages can be viewed throughout the farm and we have a safety statement which is reviewed annually.
Animal breeding, health and nutrition, and reproduction, are areas on which we focus a lot of our attention, as these are key drivers of profitability and sustainability. Genetic gain is cumulative and permanent and that is why decisions we take today will last long into the future. Thankfully our success in this area has put us in the top 100 herds in the country on the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) with an index of €206. Not only has this improved our milk quality, fertility and herd health, it has also facilitated bulls being selected into AI and very good demand for our surplus replacements. Reducing our carbon footprint will also be achieved through breeding a more efficient cow.
A herd health programme is important to sustainable livestock production and we have been part of a herd health programme for many years. We vaccinate for Blackleg, IBR, Lepto and Salmonella and have tested free of BVD for over seven years.
Community Development also plays a role in sustainability and at Parkduv we are to the fore when it comes to developing the next generation of young farmers. We regularly host Teagasc trainee students for farm walks to assist with knowledge transfer. We are part of two farm discussion groups which helps hugely when it comes to ideas sharing and continuous professional development.
Farm Walks at Parkduv Farm
In summary, we believe that the ‘attention to detail’ ethos that we embrace will be evident from the moment you arrive at the farm. Our top-quality genetics will be a standout along with our excellent grassland management. These have all led to the excellent quality milk we produce at Parkduv Farm.
Parkduv Dairy Farm 