Mitchell Hayes and his family are the fifth generation to farm in the area of Dawstown, outside Blarney where he farms 125ha. Mitchell’s farm is predominantly a dairy enterprise and he supplies Dairygold Co-op. Mitchell believes that schemes like the SDAS audit and Origin Green are very important in providing confidence to the end consumer. Dairy farmers who are certified members of the Bord Bia Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) and who participate in a farm sustainability survey as part of their audit are members of Origin Green. By participating in SDAS, Origin Green farmers can measure and benchmark their sustainability practices, helping them to identify efficiencies which they can improve on their own farm, which can also improve profitability. Key improvement measures on dairy farms taking part in SDAS and the sustainability survey include: Increased Economic Breeding Index (EBI), longer grazing season, improved nitrogen use efficiency, improved slurry management and energy efficiency. Amongst many other efficiencies, Mitchell insists that the big money saver on his farm has been the efficiency of his herd. ‘I’ve become more conscious of the environment’ he says. ‘I always want to push the boundaries on my farm. But we need to do it in a sustainable way.’ His focus is on growing as much grass as he can and converting it into milk solids. Mitchell also has very clear views on selecting the right breed and currently has a Jersey crossbreed on his farm. ‘Our cows do a lot of walking during the grazing season – sometimes up to four km per day walking to and from the milking parlour. The size and weight of the cow matters.’ says Mitchell. ‘In my view you get more than the average with the hybrid vigour in terms of feed efficiency and herd fertility. I have a relatively small animal, approximately 500 kilos. I believe the lighter the animal; the more efficient they are in terms of feed conversion. It is easier to fully feed her completely from a grass only diet,’ says Mitchell. ‘I also benefit from increased milk constituents so we have increased milk value per litre. I look for a kilo of milk solids per kilo of liveweight.’ Mitchell and his wife Siobhan, a midwife in Cork University Maternity Hospital have three teenage daughters Meg, age 19; Molly age 17 and Ella, age 15. ‘As a farmer, I use feedback from audits, research and science from Teagasc to help me to target areas in the business that need improvement. It’s little steps and improvements that push boundaries all the while – but being conscious that we are producing food to the highest world standards, that is both good for us and produced in a sustainable manner. I wouldn’t want anything less for my own family,’ he says. Origin Green dairy farmer Mitchell Hayes is pictured with Denis Guiry, Regional Milk Advisor, Dairygold Co-op. pic Fergal O’Gorman
