Beef - Dempsey Farm, Ireland
Management
Assurance schemes
The farm is a member The Beef Quality Assurance Scheme operated by Bord Bia. This scheme enables the beef industry to meet demands of consumers, and is kept under review to ensure that it continues to reflect the emerging requirements of the marketplace. Participating farmers must abide by a code of practice covering issues such as stockmanship, welfare, nutrition, use of veterinary medicines, animal traceability and environmental controls.
The Farm joined the Animal Welfare, Recording and Breeding Scheme for Suckler Herds in early 2008. This requires the strict compliance with seven compulsory measures to be eligible to receive the annual payments for each cow registered under the scheme. The aim of the scheme is to improve the welfare of the suckler cows and calves and to identify bulls and replacement cows that have good maternal calving characteristics including docility, with good growth characteristics.
Environmental management schemes
The farm is also a member of the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS), whose objectives are to find ways of using agricultural land which is compatible with the protection and improvement of the environment, biodiversity, the landscape and its features.
Ray has planted one hectare of ‘Linnet’ (Land Invested in Nature, Natural Eco-Tillage). This is a habitat which has been sown with oats and kale. Once planted this area is left in a completely natural state with no application of chemicals or fertilisers and no harvesting carried out. These areas provide important food sources for wildlife, especially in areas dominated by grassland.
The farm also has another one hectare listed under REPS habitats. This area includes field margins, hedgerows and watercourses, and is particularly important for birds and wildlife. These are all marked on the farm’s REPS map and there are severe penalties for interfering with these habitats.
Both environmental and ethical good practice is achieved through careful farm management and participation in recognised farm assurance and environmental management schemes. The farm goes beyond the ‘minimum requirements’ in a variety of areas, resulting, in particular, in a very high standard of animal welfare and improved wildlife management within the farm.