Shane & Kate farm in partnership with Shane’s dad John at the foothold of the Comeragh Mountains near Portlaw, Co. Waterford
Shane Fitzgerald and Kate Curran are young dairy farmers managing 93 hectares (230 ac) in Portlaw, Co. Waterford. Farming with Shane’s father John, they run a spring-calving, grass-based system of 210 Holstein Friesian cows. They have reached the maximum herd they can carry and are turning their attention to building on the environmental gains they have been making in the last few years.
Shane standing in front of the wildlife pond they dug out on their farm last year
20% of their grassland is a multi-species sward with the remainder having a clover/grass mix. Nitrogen output has dropped from 250kg/ha to 150kg/ha. They’ve stopped spraying under hedgerows and along boundaries to allow space for nature and have also revised their hedgerow management aiming for that good A-shape. They are of the opinion that ‘If you need every inch of land under production you must be doing something wrong’.
They have joined ACRES but not just for the sake of it; Shane and Kate are focussed on improving the biodiversity on the farm after becoming more aware of the issues. They are adamant that any farm business must find the balance between the three pillars of sustainability; financial, environmental and social ‘if you’re not leaving room for nature or the farm isn’t economically viable, the farm won’t survive, if it’s not enjoyable the next generation won’t be interested’. They’ve incorporated 3m field margins, riparian buffer zones and installed owl boxes under ACRES and they are looking for more through the Native Woodland Scheme. Through the Farming for Nature Horse’s Mouth program they were advised by Ambassador Gearóid Maher and consequently had a wildlife pond dug in 2023.
The plan for the future, consists of more tree planting to create smaller paddocks and providing better wildlife corridors with the ultimate aim of giving the Barn Owl every possible chance of making it to their owl boxes.
