Agriland and Bord Bia launch four-week series on Ireland’s grass-fed dairy system

# What this series covers Agriland and Bord Bia are running a four-week series titled "Irish Dairy's Grass-fed Strength." The series explores why a grass-fed diet is central to Irish milk production, how farmers managed through a dry summer, and how Bord Bia demonstrates grass-fed credentials to overseas buyers.

# Why grass-fed is the focus This summer's drought put pressure on grass growth and fodder supplies, making management choices more visible. Agriland frames grass as both an on-farm production input and a market differentiator for Irish dairy. The series treats grass as a production issue (yield, feed planning, soil health) and a commercial one (how buyers view grass-fed products).

Week 1: David Hally (near Clonmel, Co. Tipperary). Hally farms a 35 ha platform carrying about 2.6 cows/ha and produced 530 kg milk solids per cow last year. He stresses routine grass measurement as central to grazing decisions.

Week 2: Martin Crowe (Doon, Co. Limerick). Crowe farms with his wife and five children and milks 200 cows. He also works as an agricultural adviser and brings a cross-farm view, particularly on soil testing and fodder planning.

Week 3: David Kennedy, Bord Bia head of dairy. Kennedy explains why international customers care about Origin Green and the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme and how these frameworks support buyer confidence in sustainability claims.

Week 4: Fiona O'Donnell (near Golden, Co. Tipperary). O'Donnell joined the family dairy business after a banking career and has been president of Dairy Women Ireland since November 2025.

# What farmers described about this summer Farmers in the series recount how limited grass growth forced rapid adjustments: closer grass measurement, altered grazing rotations, conserving fodder, and using soil test results to target inputs. The accounts are practice-focused — measurement and planning were repeatedly cited as actions taken to manage the drought's effects.

# How Bord Bia frames grass-fed claims

# Practical takeaways for farmers and buyers

• Regular grass measurement is a core management tool for grazing decisions and fodder budgeting.
• Soil testing and targeted nutrient application inform resilience against variable grass growth.
• Certification and assurance schemes provide a pathway for producers to substantiate grass-fed or sustainability claims to buyers.

# Where to follow the content Agriland will publish the four-week series on its platform. Each week pairs a farmer perspective with the Bord Bia view so readers can compare on-farm practice with market-facing verification.

# Bottom line The series focuses on the operational reality of relying on grass in Irish dairy, the constraints exposed by drought, and the mechanisms Bord Bia uses to turn grass-fed production into verifiable claims for international customers.