David Fennelly from Emo in County Laois is a full-time dairy farmer in partnership with his parents. As part of his Nuffield Scholarship, David will explore alternative, swards, inputs, and grazing strategies, which can provide solutions at the root cause of challenges facing pasture-based dairy farms. David’s farm has a strong focus on reducing environmental impact and it is also a demonstration farm for the Signpost programme, which aims to showcase science-based technologies to reduce Irish agricultural emissions. David is a 2020 graduate of University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in Dairy Business. As a member of a discussion group, David also has an active role in local Macra na Feirme and GAA clubs.

Nuffield Study report is ‘Alternative pasture management to address the nitrates challenge at the root cause’

Executive Summary:

For millennia, dairy production has grown in Ireland based on our climate and natural ability to grow pasture. Our pasture-based system exists within our unique symbiosis of climate, land and water. Irish dairy is recognised globally as safe, nutritious, and environmentally favourable, with €6.42bn of exports in 2023. In the past decade, the sector has far surpassed the target of a 50% increase in national milk production as set out by Food Harvest 2020. Our latest agri-food sector strategy, Food Vision 2030, emphasises the requirement to build food systems with a neutral or positive impact on environment. For the dairy sector – this is now the greatest challenge. Growing and utilising grass underpins the competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of Ireland’s dairy production system. The aim for water quality is to achieve good or high ecological status in all water bodies. The main issue which impacts the quality of our waters, and their biological health is increased concentrations of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Agriculture and the natural nitrogen cycle are intrinsically linked, nitrogen being an important nutrient excreted by livestock and required for maximising grass production. Nitrogen in its nitrate state in soil, in excess quantities is at risk to be leached to water.

The aim of this study is to investigate grassland management practices which can deliver resilience in our farming systems, mitigating nitrogen loss to water while maintaining productivity of grass based dairy farms. The report sets out to look at the challenge from a root cause perspective.

Ultimately the soils under our management must carry out the function of filtering water while also carrying out the role of agricultural production. More extreme weather events, surplus nitrogen above the crop requirements in forms that can leach, and the movement of water through soil, are the basis of nitrogen loss to water from soils. In order to reduce the impact of grassland dairy production on water quality, it must be a key focus to reduce surplus nitrate above crop requirements and improve the water management capability of our soils.

Key findings of this study:

• Water movement, and soil nitrate concentration at the time of water movement, cause nitrate loss to water
• There is a strong correlation between nitrate leaching and farm nitrogen surplus. Farms with lower N surplus can be more profitable while having a lesser impact on nitrate leaching.
• Increased regulation alone will not minimise nitrate loss to water from dairy farms.
• Urine patches in a typical grazing system account for the 66% of the excretion of N from dairy farms and the most significant source of nitrate pressure on water – plantain in the grazing cow’s diet can reduce this significantly.

Key recommendations for stakeholders:

• A traffic light advisory system for nutrient application events. This should be a collaborative system engaging relevant stakeholders such as Met Eireann, Pasture base, and the EPA. This could be delivered via Dairy Co-operatives areas for increased accuracy and a means to offer advice to hard-to-reach farmers.
• Farmers should engage in continued professional development training in the area of soil management and the nitrogen cycle. Observational skills are required to assess and monitor soil function and a strong scientific knowledge is required to understand the N cycle.
• Nitrogen surplus as a new key performance indicator (KPI) – This KPI should be embraced by discussion groups. This is a positive setting whereby the top performers can help to improve the performance of the poorer performing farmers in this area.
• A heightened level of agronomy in pasture-based farming is necessary. This service could be provided to farmers by existing advisory bodies or private industry. This service has the capability to increase the efficiency of resources and data on farms and be a sound source of mentoring to help farmers in difficult growing seasons.
• The industry requires a more robust model of nutrient management planning at farm and regulatory level rather than whole farm stocking rate. This could capture more of the factors that are affecting nitrate leaching and reward the uptake of better practices.

Alternative pasture management to address the nitrates challenge at the root cause

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He feels that by having a tangible link for consumers in an urban setting which they can witness first-hand and engage in, that people can make more informed and educated decisions regarding the food they eat. That trust can be built between urban consumers and rural producers. He believes that the daunting future facing the agricultural industry needs the will and support of consumers to drive the decisions made in farms all around the world. These decisions include choosing to adopt agricultural practices which regenerate and promote truly healthy soil and buoyant eco-systems full of diversity.

Brian grew up in Bishopstown in the suburbs of Cork City and has a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from UCC. Managing Director of Central Floral Supplies for the past 12 years, Brian’s background is mainly in Floriculture and the wholesale supply of fresh flowers and plants to the floristry market in Ireland.

In March of 2020, Brian was forced to close his wholesale flower business due to the COVID-19 lockdown and he engaged in a rooftop farming project in the heart of Cork City, namely Cork Rooftop Farm. Through considerable social and main-stream media attention, a viable business emerged from the lockdown with a focus to connect urban consumers with their produce using regenerative and sustainable techniques.

He plans to travel to Northern and Central America, Australia, Singapore and Europe as part of his Nuffield Scholarship.

A Framework for Urban Agriculture

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Aside from farming, Alison graduated from UCD with a BSc in Physiotherapy in 2008 and an MSc Re-search (Physiotherapy) in 2010. She worked in the HSE and Sports Private Practice part time until 2016. Since this time she has been working as a clinical tutor in the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick. She regularly presents to farming organisations as part of health promotion initiatives and is a strong advocate for activity participation and healthy living.

Alison’s Nuffield study is entitled, “Are we Fit to Farm? Investigating Irish Farmer Health Status and Sustainability.” She plans to use her relevant previous experience to explore the role of continuing professional development and education in farming and how it can be utilised to progress practice and improve farmer health and wellbeing and the perception of farming as an attractive profession.

Alison intends to travel to Denmark, New Zealand and Canada during the course of her Nuffield scholarship.

Alison was elected to the Nuffield Ireland board in 2023.

Are we Fit to Farm? Investigating Irish Farmer Health Status and Sustainability

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After Patrick completed his Agricultural Degree in 1999, he joined AIB and worked in their Strategic Development unit on Business and Agricultural Policy / initiatives. In 2005, Patrick took up the role of Agricultural Advisor, dealing directly with farming customer and is based in AIB Nenagh.
Patrick study will investigate ‘How can Irish farmers be encouraged to meet GHG emission targets? – The Role of the CAP’. While there is a large variation between individual sectors, markets supports make up a large portion of farm income in Ireland. “Recent CAP reforms have made some adjustment, but I believe that there is a missed opportunity to better support active farmers in Ireland.”

Patrick intends to travel to the USA, Europe, Japan, and Africa and will look at a range of concepts to try to overall increase the impact of the CAP budget for Irish farmers.

Pat was elected to the Nuffield Ireland board in 2023 and is currently Treasurer.

How can Irish farmers be encouraged to meet GHG emission targets? - The Role of the CAP

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Karol was appointed as Treasurer to the Nuffield Ireland board 2022 – 2025.

Review of perceptions of agriculture in primary schools students and opportunities for developments

Views Karols presentation slides here

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His study topic was ‘The role of Dairy Futures Markets and other price risk management mechanism in the EU Dairy Industry’. Tadhg travelled to the US, NZ, UK, Holland, Belgium and Germany in pursuit of this topic.

Tadhg is a Board member of Nuffield Ireland.

The role of Dairy Futures Markets and other price risk management mechanism in the EU Dairy Industry

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His Study topic was ‘Options for Young Irish Dairy Farmers to Grow their Business Efficiently’. He travelled to New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, France and Denmark in pursuit of his study topic.

Seamus was appointed to the Nuffield Ireland Board of Directors in 2025.

Options for Young Irish Dairy Farmers to Grow their Business Efficiently

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After moving to Ireland, Catherine did a Marketing Graduadeship in the Marketing Institute of Ireland.

She worked for Hibernia Meats, Airmotive Ireland and finally the Confederation of Irish Industry (which became IBEC), before joining the Irish Farmers’ Association.

After 26 years as the IFA’s Dairy Executive, she left in September 2020 to set up her own agri-policy consultancy practice, Cúl Dara Consultancy, based in Kildare Town.

Catherine’s Nuffield Scholarship travels and research were carried out in 2000/2001.

Catherine’s Nuffield topic was “Farmers’ Unions – The Challenges of Representation” and she travelled to Australia, New Zealand, the US, France and the UK to meet with farmers’ unions in all of these countries.

She explored how the increasing rural to urban shift affects their ability to influence political agendas and how reduced numbers of members and consequent reduced unions’ incomes can be overcome to ensure members’ interests can fully and efficiently continue to be represented.

How farmers’ unions plan to cope with the challenges involved in representing farming and rural issues

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Grainne worked for several years in the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland in a number of roles including administrator of their professional indemnity insurance. In more recent years, Grainne was General Secretary of the Irish Grassland Society, a position she held for eight years.  In 2007 she left the IGA to set up her own company, Nore Conference Services acting as a Consultant to several major agricultural events, including the Nuffield International Conference. In 1999, Grainne was the first woman in Ireland to be awarded a Nuffield Scholarship.

Her study topic was looking at the role of women in agriculture.  She travelled to Norway, France, New Zealand and Australia to research her subject.

Grainne was elected to the Nuffield Ireland board in 2023.

Women: Access to Agriculture

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