M Magazine Summer 2013 - Macra na Feirme

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The search is on for ambitious young
farmers for Macra na Feirme’s
FBD Young Farmer of the Year
competition. Applications are sought
from young farmers throughout Ireland
who are involved in the running of a
farm. A county winner will be chosen who
will go through to the all-Ireland final in
September.
Macra national president Alan Jagoe
said: “The FBD Young Farmer of the Year
competition recognises the ambitious,
business-minded young farmers who are
driving the agricultural industry in Ireland.
Young farmers who are working in
partnership, or a-re out on their own, are
the cornerstones of the Irish economy.
It is crucial that they are recognised by
the industry and supported in their plans.
With CAP negotiations ongoing and quota
abolition in the near future, farming is
full of opportunity and promise but young
farmers must be supported to help them
enter the industry and develop their farm
businesses in the first crucial years.”
You can hear from the current FBD
Young Farmer of the Year on why he
The battle is on! The 2012 winner, Dermot O’Connor from Shanagolden,
Co Limerick helped launch the FBD Young Farmer of the
Year competition with John Bryan, IFA president; Christy Doherty,
of sponsors FBD; and Alan Jagoe, Macra national president.
Search is on for young,
ambitious farmers
thinks every young farmer should enter
on www.macra.ie/videos.
Run in partnership with the IFA, the
aim of the competition is to recognise
and reward the top young farmers in the
country. Entrants are judged according
to a number of criteria, including farm
business initiative and innovation, levels
of farm efficiency and enterprise quality,
farm safety and environmental protection
awareness, as well as agricultural knowledge
and community involvement.
The overall winner of the competition
will receive a bursary to undertake international
travel and study farm practices.
Young farmers can also be nominated for
the competition. Anyone who nominates
a young farmer will go into a draw for
two nights’ B&B for two adults in any
FBD hotel, including dinner on one night.
Every Macra club with a valid entry will
be entered into a draw for a club outing to
Lilliputs adventure park in Mullingar!
Apply on macra.ie or nominate a young
farmer using the form on the right. The
closing date for applications and nominations
is 31 May 2013.
Could you be your
county’s FBD
YOUNG FARMER
OF THE YEAR
APPLICATION/
NOMINATION FORM
Young farmer’s name:
Address (if known):
Contact number:
Nominated by:
Your contact number:
Please place completed form in an
envelope and return it to the following
address before 31 May:
Derrie Dillon,
The Irish Farm Centre,
Bluebell, Dublin 12.
Forage Systems’ grass silage competition underway
Macra na Feirme and Forage Systems
have launched their annual joint silage
competition. Again this year, the competition
allows the entrant to have the mineral
content of their silage analysed which is
of huge value. The competition is open to
Macra members and is an opportunity for
young farmers to test their knowledge of
growing grass in the hopes of winning a
place on the Today FM Ian Dempsey ski
for Grasstec products and services.
Macra na Feirme national president,
Kieran O’Dowd recently launched the
competition on the farm of last year’s
winner, James Barber from Rathdowney,
Co Laois.
To enter, young farmers need to visit
facebook.com/MacranaFeirme and apply
using the online application form before
28 August 2013. For more information,
12 | m | Summer 2013