Denis Griffin

Knocknagashel, Co. Kerry

My name is Denis Griffin, and I have a farm in Knocknagashel, Co. Kerry.

Our farm is located in a very high rainfall area, we usually get about two metres of rainfall per year on average. The large amount of rain is a challenge and to overcome it we have divided the land into paddocks. We strip graze to save the ground, and we also have a road which is accessible by every paddock, which allows us to move the cattle easily when needed.

In 2021 and 2022 we were advised to use multi species swath or red clover, so in 2023 when I reseeded, I used multi species swath and incorporated that into a three-acre field last year. I sowed it in May and once it had grown, I was able to move cattle into that field every two weeks to keep the grass down. This is its second year, and it is definitely thriving better than the rest of the land on the farm, with very little nitrogen, (about 12kgs to the acre).

We dedicate eleven percent of the farm to nature, and we are actively reducing the amount of fertiliser we use, from 200kg per hectare to around 80kg per hectare, which is significant and demonstrates the journey we are on to make the farm more sustainable.

We have been farming Herefords since 2010. We switched to Herefords because of their docile nature, they are very easy to manage, and they are also available locally.

When I go into a restaurant and see Irish Hereford on the menu, it makes me very proud to be an Irish Hereford Prime beef producer.

I would highly recommend Hereford cattle to any farmer, especially if you are in an area with heavy rainfall, their weight gain per day on this type of land is far better than any other breed I’ve had. They are ready at a lighter weight, and you can carry more of them and still achieve the same weight gain. More weight gain per hectare really helps the bottom line on a farm.