Positive Farmers, Cork, Ireland
Open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm
Telephone 087 6457987
email: mok.positivefarmers@gmail.com
www.positivefarmers.ie
2019 POSITIVE FARMERS DAIRY CONFERENCE
Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork. Jan 16th and 17th 2019
2019 Conference Speakers
As usual we bring you top world-renowned speakers, they will cover the key technical, financial, people management and research needs for successful dairy farming and profitable expansion.Heather Wildman (Scotland)
A Cumbrian Girl born and bred – Brought up on family sheep and beef hill farm in the lake district and now living and
working in Scotland for over 15 years. Heather has used her entrepreneurial skills to build her businesses and to
create a lasting impression. With over 20 year's experience of working with both farmers and industry in Scotland and
the UK. she also has an International network having worked around the world, through her developing career and
Nuffield Farming Scholarship travels in 2012 where she studied “Communication – influencing and motivating change.
“I offer a fun and unique glass half full approach combined with an ability to keep up with industry changes and
challenges. I provide a comprehensive network of industry contacts, from political to grass roots level. I have a
reputation for getting things done, for being able to help individuals and businesses collaborate with others to achieve
stronger, more lasting impressions and results. I am highly motivated, passionate and a straight talker, I am not afraid
of tackling difficult and sensitive issues and situations but I always ensure that trust, respect, values and confidentiality
are respected”
Jim Woulfe, CEO of Dairygold
Jim Woulfe is CEO of Dairygold, Ireland’s largest farmer owned Agri & Dairy Business, employing 1,200 people and with a
turnover of €760 million. Dairygold has c. 7,000 shareholders and is the country’s second largest dairy processor
assembling 1.25 billion litres of milk annually from its 3,000 milk producers.
Jim has worked in the agri-food sector throughout his career. A UCC Dairy Science graduate he joined the milk
processing division Ballyclough Co-operative Creamery in 1979. He has held many leadership roles throughout his
career including Head of HR at Dairygold and Head of Dairygold’s Agri Business before his appointment as CEO in 2009.
Following the removal of Milk Quotas Jim is leading Dairygold’s response to the change with a programme of growth and
investment, the largest in the Society’s history. In addition, the immediate challenge of Brexit and its serious
implications for the agri & food sector is currently to the forefront of the business agenda.
Dairygold recently won the coveted Cork Company of the Year Award at the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner awards
ceremony.
Dr Berry, a principal research officer at Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, is widely respected for his role in devising a
way to identify genetically elite cattle. As a part-time farmer, he is highly-motivated that his research activities are relevant
to the industry and bring about real technical developments on farm.
An internationally renowned dairy geneticist, Dr Berry’s work helped Ireland become the second country in the world to
publish genomically- enhanced genetic evaluations for dairy cattle. Through this work, Dr Berry has helped develop a
system through which every young dairy bull undergoing progeny testing is assessed for genotype, helping farmers select
only elite bulls for use in their herds. “We know that science has contributed 50% of the gains we have achieved in
increased food production over the past few decades, and animal science such as genetics has played a large part of that.
“For example, through genetics by 2020 the fertility of Holstein’s will be the highest we have achieved since 1989, but we
will have seen a 60% increase in milk production. “Our next job is to use genetic tools to expand our breeding goals to
improve the quality of the products our farmers produce.
Dr Donagh Berry, Principal Geneticist Teagasc
Sian Bushell, (Wales)
Dr Nollaig Heffernan,
Nollaig Heffernan is an independent Management Consultant based in Ireland who specialises in Leadership and
Organisational Psychology. She works across sectors with businesses from sole traders to multi-nationals to improve
their performance by increasing the efficiency of their most valuable asset; their people. Nollaig regularly delivers
workshops to Dairy Discussion Groups across the UK and Ireland and has spoken at seminars and conferences on
topics relating to labour efficiency, self-management and change management in the Dairy Sector.
Nollaig graduated with an honours degree in Applied Psychology followed by a Higher Diploma in Business and
Financial Information Systems from University College, Cork, Ireland. A Masters in Work and Organisational Psychology
from the University of Hull, UK, combined both disciplines of psychology and business and inspired further research in
the form of a PhD, specialising in the area of leadership and its measurement under the supervision of Dr. Peter
Clough. This dual-discipline background in business and psychology has been invaluable in helping companies and
organisations to improve their performance through both their processes and their people.
Descended from a long line of West Wales farmers, Siân Bushell was trained as a succession facilitator in Australia in
2006 by Lyn Sykes, a Family Farm Business Facilitator. Armed with these skills she set up Siân Bushell Associates to
provide succession planning for farming families and other family businesses.
This followed a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Glamorgan University gained in 2005.
Before that, she was partner and then director of a successful dairy farm for 25 years and has been a director and
chairperson of two dairy farm related businesses.
Good communication skills and an understanding of how to manage people were evident in her farm business where
she gained an Investors In People Award.
Sian also completed a Primary Certificate Course in Performance Coaching in 2012.
Farm business study tours have taken Siân across New Zealand, Ireland and across the UK, where her services as an
inspirational speaker have been much in demand.
Aidan Brennan
From a family run dairy farm in Co. Tipperary.
Graduated with a degree in Agriculture in 2007 and a diploma in Economics in 2010.
Managed research farms in Teagasc Moorepark for over seven years, working with researchers on grazing and
genetic experiments.
Passionate about profitability pasture based dairy farming systems.
Joined the Irish Farmers Journal as Dairy Specialist in 2015.
He became a member of the Positive Farmers Team in Nov 2016
John Moloney
Chris Procter,
Mount Gambier, South Australia
Chairman DCC Plc
,
Coillte Teo (the Irish State Forestry Company) and a non-executive director of Greencore
Group plc, Smurfit Kappa plc and a number of private companies.
Mr. Moloney has extensive top management and board level experience internationally and domestically in the
dairy, meat and nutritionals sectors, covering processing, marketing and distribution. He served as Group
Managing Director of Glanbia plc from 2001 to 2013. Prior to that he held a number of roles with that
organisation including CEO Agribusiness and CEO Food Ingredients. He also worked with the Department of
Agriculture and Food and in the meat industry in Ireland. He is a former council member of the Irish Business
and Employers Confederation.
John McNamara
Jonh McNamara Teagasc advisor, Clonakilty
John is the Teagasc dairy advisor working in the joint dairy advisory programme with Carbery Milk Products in
West Cork.
He is also the advisor to Greenfield project at Shinagh, Bandon.
At the 2017 PFC he received an award for Best Speaker and also Best Chairperson of 2016 Conference (voted
by attending delegates)
Eddie O’Donnell
Holly Beckett
Project Director at focussedfarmers
Holly Beckett, 2015 Nuffield scholar and fourth generation of a Midland's farming family gained
sponsorship from The Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust to pilot the introduction of the latest
developments in psychology within the ag-sector.
“I am a farmer’s daughter, working within the family business has provided me with a strong link to
agriculture from my childhood. Through the hard work and innovation of my forefathers, I have had the
opportunity to work within the family business which has diversified via a farm shop, restaurant, cookery
school and conference facilities alongside the development of numerous business lets to a range of
business types.
I am passionate about people realising what opportunities they have in their reach and how they can best
support one another to make the most of what they have either in the agri-sector or beyond.”
Dr. Pat Dillon, Teagasc, Head of the Animal & Grassland Research
Dr Dillon graduated from University College Dublin with a BAgr. Sc. in 1986 followed by a MSc. in UCC and he
went on to complete his PhD in Grassland Science in the National University of Ireland.
He joined the research staff at Moorepark in 1990, became Head of the Moorepark centre in 2004 and has been
the Head of the Teagasc Animal and Grassland, Research and Innovation programme since 2009.
Pat Dillon provides leadership, strategic management and direction for the organisation’s research platforms to support Irish animal production systems. Pat has successfully led the Teagasc programme, integrating their ruminant based livestock research which takes place across multiple sites. The capacity and expertise developed in Teagasc in areas such as genomics and grass production and utilisation can be used to exploit our competitive advantage in grass production and utilisation.
Denis and Eddie O’Donnell are milking in two farms near Golden in Co. Tipperary. They are farming 165
hectares in total of which 112 hectares are in the milking block. In 2006, they were milking 85 cows on the
home farm when the opportunity arose to milk on a second, leased unit. They milked 318 cows in 2017,
which is a stocking rate on the milking platform of 2.84 cows/ha. This second unit is located approximately
10 km away from the home farm. There are two employees working on the farm along with Eddie and
Denis.
Average grass growth over the last three years was 17.4t/ha with each paddock getting grazed an average
of 9.05 times per year. Further increases in stocking rate is planned over the coming years. Milk solids
production per cow in 2016 was 485kg and is expected to be over 500kg in 2017 from about 550kg of meal
fed per cow. Empty rate in 2017 was 7% after 12 weeks of breeding.
Chris has harnessed the practices of New Zealand’s low input, pasture-based dairy farming and put them to work in
South Australia’s Lower South East. Chris had earmarked the region for its capacity to replicate New Zealand
dairying practices, with added benefits of irrigation and lower land prices. The climate is similar, rainfall is
comparatively high compared to other dairying regions and importantly, the region – particularly around Mount
Gambier - can really grow grass.
Growing 22 tonnes of grass /ha. (Irrigated) 2200kgs/ms/ha
Keen interest in sports He has climbed the Matterhorn and Mount Blanc in last couple of years.
Padraig, Ena & Mark Collins
Shared Vision Discussion Group
•
16 members
•
30 ½ average age
•
8 from dairy farming backgrounds
•
8 from non dairy farming backgrounds
•
2 sharemilkers
•
4 farm managers
•
3 farm partnerships
•
3 family partnerships
•
1 farm owner operator
•
3 leased farms
Padraig, Ena and Mark Collins are farming 180 hectares on the Tipperary/Kilkenny border near Callan, Co. Tipperary.
There are 168 hectares in the milking block along with a 12 hectare out-farm. There are 130 hectares owned and the
rest is leased. In 2017, the Collins’ family are milking 308 cows on a grass based system. There are 375 cows to calve
in spring 2018. The six week calving rate was 86% in 2017 but is on target for 90% in 2018.
Padraig’s family moved from Upton in west Cork to Callan in Co. Kilkenny in 1979, selling their 31 hectare farm with
45 cows. He is chairman of Callan Co-Op and is a member of a few discussion groups as well as being vice chairman
of South Eastern Cattle Breeding Society.
Ena is from a dairy and tillage farming background in Tipperary. She retired from the HSE in 2002 to concentrate on
rearing the family. She has established a successful self-catering tourism business on the farm.
Mark is currently in second year of the Dairy Business course in UCD while his sisters Kate and Avril are working in
management and marketing in Dublin.
Positive Farmers, Cork, Ireland
Office Open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm
Telephone 087 6457987
email: mok.positivefarmers@gmail.com
www.positivefarmers.ie
2018 POSITIVE FARMERS DAIRY CONFERENCE
2018 Conference Speakers
As usual we bring you top worldwide speakers, they will cover the key technical, financial, people management and research needs for successful dairy farming and profitable expansion.Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork. Jan 10th & 11th 2018
Heather Wildman (Scotland)
A Cumbrian Girl born and bred – Brought up
on family sheep and beef hill farm in the lake
district and now living and working in Scotland
for over 15 years. Heather has used her
entrepreneurial skills to build her businesses
and to create a lasting impression. With over
20 year's experience of working with both
farmers and industry in Scotland and the UK.
she also has an International network having
worked around the world, through her
developing career and Nuffield Farming
Scholarship travels in 2012 where she studied
“Communication – influencing and motivating
change.
“I offer a fun and unique glass half full
approach combined with an ability to keep up
with industry changes and challenges.
Jim Woulfe, CEO of Dairygold
Jim Woulfe is CEO of Dairygold, Ireland’s largest
farmer owned Agri & Dairy Business, employing
1,200 people and with a turnover of €760
million. Dairygold has c. 7,000 shareholders
and is the country’s second largest dairy
processor assembling 1.25 billion litres of milk
annually from its 3,000 milk producers.
Jim has worked in the agri-food sector
throughout his career. A UCC Dairy Science
graduate he joined the milk processing division
Ballyclough Co-operative Creamery in 1979. He
has held many leadership roles throughout his
career including Head of HR at Dairygold and
Head of Dairygold’s Agri Business before his
appointment as CEO in 2009.
Dr Berry, a principal research officer at Teagasc
Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, is widely
respected for his role in devising a way to
identify genetically elite cattle. As a part-time
farmer, he is highly-motivated that his research
activities are relevant to the industry and bring
about real technical developments on farm.
An internationally renowned dairy geneticist,
Dr Berry’s work helped Ireland become the
second country in the world to publish
genomically- enhanced genetic evaluations for
dairy cattle. Through this work, Dr Berry has
helped develop a system through which every
young dairy bull undergoing progeny testing is
assessed for genotype, helping farmers select
only elite bulls for use in their herds.
Dr Donagh Berry, Principal Geneticist Teagasc
Sian Bushell, (Wales)
Dr Nollaig Heffernan,
Nollaig Heffernan is an independent
Management Consultant based in Ireland who
specialises in Leadership and Organisational
Psychology. She works across sectors with
businesses from sole traders to multi-nationals
to improve their performance by increasing
the efficiency of their most valuable asset;
their people. Nollaig regularly delivers
workshops to Dairy Discussion Groups across
the UK and Ireland and has spoken at
seminars and conferences on topics relating to
labour efficiency, self-management and
change management in the Dairy Sector.
Nollaig graduated with an honours degree in
Applied Psychology followed by a Higher
Diploma in Business and Financial Information
Descended from a long line of West Wales
farmers, Siân Bushell was trained as a
succession facilitator in Australia in 2006 by
Lyn Sykes, a Family Farm Business Facilitator.
Armed with these skills she set up Siân Bushell
Associates to provide succession planning for
farming families and other family businesses.
This followed a Masters Degree in Business
Administration from Glamorgan University
gained in 2005.
Before that, she was partner and then director
of a successful dairy farm for 25 years and has
been a director and chairperson of two dairy
farm related businesses. Good communication
skills and an understanding of how to manage
people were evident in her farm business
where she gained an Investors In People
Award.
Aidan Brennan
From a family run dairy farm in Co. Tipperary.
Graduated with a degree in Agriculture in 2007
and a diploma in Economics in 2010.
Managed research farms in Teagasc
Moorepark for over seven years, working with
researchers on grazing and genetic
experiments.
Passionate about profitability pasture based
dairy farming systems.
Joined the Irish Farmers Journal as Dairy
Specialist in 2015.
He became a member of the Positive Farmers
Team in Nov 2016
John Moloney
Chairman DCC Plc
,
Coillte Teo (the Irish State
Forestry Company) and a non-executive
director of Greencore Group plc, Smurfit
Kappa plc and a number of private
companies. Mr. Moloney has extensive top
management and board level experience
internationally and domestically in the dairy,
meat and nutritionals sectors, covering
processing, marketing and distribution. He
served as Group Managing Director of Glanbia
plc from 2001 to 2013. Prior to that he held a
number of roles with that organisation
including CEO Agribusiness and CEO Food
Ingredients. He also worked with the
Department of Agriculture and Food and in
the meat industry in Ireland. He is a former
council member of the Irish Business and
Employers Confederation.
John McNamara
Jonh McNamara Teagasc advisor, Clonakilty
John is the Teagasc dairy advisor working in
the joint dairy advisory programme with
Carbery Milk Products in West Cork.
He is also the advisor to Greenfield project at
Shinagh, Bandon.
At the 2017 PFC he received an award for
Best Speaker and also Best Chairperson of
2016 Conference (voted by attending
delegates)
Eddie O’Donnell
Holly Beckett
Project Director at focussedfarmers
Holly Beckett, 2015 Nuffield scholar and
fourth generation of a Midland's farming
family gained sponsorship from The Frank
Parkinson Agricultural Trust to pilot the
introduction of the latest developments in
psychology within the ag-sector.
“I am a farmer’s daughter, working within the
family business has provided me with a strong
link to agriculture from my childhood.
Through the hard work and innovation of my
forefathers, I have had the opportunity to
work within the family business which has
diversified via a farm shop, restaurant,
cookery school and conference facilities
alongside the development of numerous
business lets to a range of business types.
Dr. Pat Dillon, Teagasc, Head of the Animal &
Dr Dillon graduated from University College
Dublin with a BAgr. Sc. in 1986 followed by a
MSc. in UCC and he went on to complete his
PhD in Grassland Science in the National
University of Ireland.
He joined the research staff at Moorepark in
1990, became Head of the Moorepark centre in
2004 and has been the Head of the Teagasc
Animal and Grassland, Research and Innovation
programme since 2009.
Pat Dillon provides leadership, strategic management and direction for the organisation’s research platforms to support Irish animal production systems.
Denis and Eddie O’Donnell are milking in two
farms near Golden in Co. Tipperary.
They are farming 165 hectares in total of which
112 hectares are in the milking block. In 2006,
they were milking 85 cows on the home farm
when the opportunity arose to milk on a
second, leased unit.
They milked 318 cows in 2017, which is a
stocking rate on the milking platform of 2.84
cows/ha. This second unit is located
approximately 10 km away from the home
farm. There are two employees working on the
farm along with Eddie and Denis.
Average grass growth over the last three years
was 17.4t/ha with each paddock getting
Padraig, Ena & Mark Collins
Shared Vision Discussion Group
•
16 members
•
30 ½ average age
•
8 from dairy farming
backgrounds
•
8 from non dairy farming
backgrounds
•
2 sharemilkers
•
4 farm managers
•
3 farm partnerships
•
3 family partnerships
•
1 farm owner operator
•
3 leased farms
Following the removal of Milk Quotas Jim is leading Dairygold’s response to the
change with a programme of growth and investment, the largest in the Society’s
history. In addition, the immediate challenge of Brexit and its serious implications
for the agri & food sector is currently to the forefront of the business agenda.
Dairygold recently won the coveted Cork Company of the Year Award at the Cork
Chamber Annual Dinner awards ceremony.
Grassland Research
Pat has successfully led the Teagasc programme, integrating their ruminant
based livestock research which takes place across multiple sites. The capacity
and expertise developed in Teagasc in areas such as genomics and grass
production and utilisation can be used to exploit our competitive advantage in
grass production and utilisation.
Chris Procter,
Mount Gambier, South Australia
Chris has harnessed the practices of New
Zealand’s low input, pasture-based dairy
farming and put them to work in South
Australia’s Lower South East. Chris had
earmarked the region for its capacity to
replicate New Zealand dairying practices, with
added benefits of irrigation and lower land
prices. The climate is similar, rainfall is
comparatively high compared to other
dairying regions and importantly, the region –
particularly around Mount Gambier - can
really grow grass.
Growing 22 tonnes of grass /ha. (Irrigated)
2200kgs/ms/ha
Keen interest in sports He has climbed the
Matterhorn and Mount Blanc in last couple of
years.
“We know that science has contributed 50% of the gains we have achieved in
increased food production over the past few decades, and animal science such
as genetics has played a large part of that. “For example, through genetics by
2020 the fertility of Holstein’s will be the highest we have achieved since 1989,
but we will have seen a 60% increase in milk production. “Our next job is to use
genetic tools to expand our breeding goals to improve the quality of the
products our farmers produce.
I provide a comprehensive network of industry contacts, from political to grass
roots level. I have a reputation for getting things done, for being able to help
individuals and businesses collaborate with others to achieve stronger, more
lasting impressions and results. I am highly motivated, passionate and a
straight talker, I am not afraid of tackling difficult and sensitive issues and
situations but I always ensure that trust, respect, values and confidentiality are
respected”
Systems from University College, Cork, Ireland. A Masters in Work and
Organisational Psychology from the University of Hull, UK, combined both
disciplines of psychology and business and inspired further research in the form
of a PhD, specialising in the area of leadership and its measurement under the
supervision of Dr. Peter Clough. This dual-discipline background in business and
psychology has been invaluable in helping companies and organisations to
improve their performance through both their processes and their people.
Sian also completed a Primary Certificate Course in Performance Coaching in
2012 Farm business study tours have taken Siân across New Zealand, Ireland and
across the UK, where her services as an inspirational speaker have been much in
demand.
grazed an average of 9.05 times per year. Further increases in stocking rate is
planned over the coming years. Milk solids production per cow in 2016 was
485kg and is expected to be over 500kg in 2017 from about 550kg of meal fed
per cow. Empty rate in 2017 was 7% after 12 weeks of breeding.
I am passionate about people realising what opportunities they have in their
reach and how they can best support one another to make the most of what they
have either in the agri-sector or beyond.”
Padraig, Ena and Mark Collins are
farming 180 hectares on the
Tipperary/Kilkenny border near Callan,
Co. Tipperary.
There are 168 hectares in the milking
block along with a 12 hectare out-farm.
There are 130 hectares owned and the
rest is leased. In 2017, the Collins’ family
are milking 308 cows on a grass based
system. There are 375 cows to calve in
spring 2018. The six week calving rate
was 86% in 2017 but is on target for 90%
in 2018.
Padraig’s family moved from Upton in west Cork to Callan in Co. Kilkenny in
1979, selling their 31 hectare farm with 45 cows. He is chairman of Callan Co-Op
and is a member of a few discussion groups as well as being vice chairman of
South Eastern Cattle Breeding Society.
Ena is from a dairy and tillage farming background in Tipperary. She retired
from the HSE in 2002 to concentrate on rearing the family. She has established a
successful self-catering tourism business on the farm.
Mark is currently in second year of the Dairy Business course in UCD while his
sisters Kate and Avril are working in management and marketing in Dublin.
