Farmers aiming to protect waterways

Close to 100 people including students from Ballyhaise College, representatives from Cavan County Council’s Climate Action department, and Lakeland Dairies attended a walk on the farm of Alan Clarke and his father Tom in Killinkere last Friday.

The focus of the event, organised in conjunction with Teagasc, was on ‘Better Farming for Water’ - and exploring water quality and climate on the 97ha holding, which has 155 cows, 90 of which are being milked and the rest in calf to beef production.

The layout of the farm means there’s two roads to cross - two underpasses were installed in 2017, which transformed the set up, according to Alan. Around the same time, he started grass measuring. As a result there have been “big changes and improvements in that time”.

The agricultural industry has to reduce its greenhouse gases by 25% by 2030 and Teagasc believe they have a roadmap to assist farmers on that journey. However, representatives at the walk highlighted how, even if farmers were to get as close as they can to that target and adopt the numerous measures suggested, the industry will reach just 18% of the target.

Those gathered also heard there is huge pressure on Teagasc and on farming organisations to deliver on water quality. And so far, “it’s not going in the right direction,” according to Tom Kelleher, Teasgasc Regional Manager for Cavan, Monaghan, Westmeath and Offaly. “The starting point is farmers becoming aware of the water quality in their area.

“Then they need to examine what they are doing during their every day farming that may be putting that water at risk or not. What can I do to make it better?

“There is a plan that has eight actions included that will help to improve water quality across the board,” he directed.

Back at the ranch, participants got an opportunity to examine the measures implemented by Alan to reduce carbon emissions and improve water quality at his farm under the Signpost programme. Those gathered heard that, prior to the programme’s implementation, Alan had already introduced some of the measures such as clover and protected urea. Initially he was sitting at .91 of kilo of carbon per kilo of fat and protein corrected milk and that has reduced.

Water quality and biodiversity are also areas to which Alan has been paying particular attention in his efforts to improve farm sustainability. Ireland’s response to challenges around water quality are set out under the National River Basin Management Plan, which has 190 priority areas for action (PAAs) identified across the country. There are multiple pressures across each of these areas including agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, septic tanks, forestry, and urban factors.

Alan’s farm is in two blocks. The home block is where the milking enterprise occurs. This is in the Blackwater (Kells) Upper PAA and the Blackwater flows through this part of the farm. The status of the water body is considered ‘poor’ because of phosphorus and sediment losses. The outfarm is in the Chapel Lakestream PAA where the waterbody of the same name flows. This river is regarded ‘good’ in status, in part due to the practices adopted by Alan.

Alan is hovering between 60% and 65% protected urea use with the aim of getting to 100%, and has a 100% low emissions slurry spreading rate on the farm. The event also heard that he has invested heavily in slurry storage in the yard and the big focus is on soil fertility.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus in the land is the main issue in County Cavan and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified three problems with water quality including nutrients, sediment, and hydromorphology - the physical character of the river including the flow of water in the river; the course the river takes; or the form and shape of the river channel.

The event heard that 5m/10m buffer margins can help with this, as does hedging along the river bank.

“Fifteen per cent of the local water bodies have been deemed ‘poor status’ and, while this is of concern, huge efforts are underway to rectify that, including improving efficiency on farms. The closed period in Cavan is from September to February and it’s important to adhere to that.

“Alan has over seven months of slurry stored on the farm and therefore he is never under pressure to get slurry out,” outlined Mr Kelleher.

A spokesperson from the Climate Action Unit of Cavan County Council added:

“We feel that it is important to support programmes such as ‘Farming for Water’ because these initiatives play a crucial role in improving water quality, promoting sustainable farming practices, and protecting the local environment.

“As we continue to face the challenges of climate change, protecting our water resources remains a top priority here in Cavan.

“Today’s event highlighted the vital role sustainable farming plays in safeguarding both our environment and local agricultural sector.”