Switching when a farm is organic in all but name
While Blacklion beef and sheep farmer Shane McManus only officially converted to organic farming two years ago, the nature of his land means he had effectively been employing organic methods for years.
Having become officially an organic farmer, Shane reports he has benefited from the switch and encourages other intensive farmers to do likewise.
“I farm in Cuilcagh Mountains and near the Shannon Pot. A lot of my land is on very steep ground so it wasn’t accessible to spread fertiliser on it in the first place. So the change has caused very little disruption. I’ve reduced my stock from 180 sheep to 75 and my cows from 10 to five, but overall I’m better off.
“On the parts of my land that are accessible by machinery I make better use of my slurry by spreading it at the optimal times and I also manage my rotations better to make better use of the grass that’s there.”
Farmers who are classified as organic have to source stock from other organic farmers which can be inconvenient for some, but Shane says he has no issues with it.
“My local mart in Drumshambo has an organic mart once a month where I can buy and sell stock. There is another one in Roscommon, but that is quite far away.
“A lot of local farmers have made the conversion in recent years so it’s quite easy to source and sell stock on local farms. It’s handy because I’m able to get advice from others who converted before me.”
Changing to organics demands certain requirements regarding housing, but this wasn’t as issue for Shane who had already converted his housing.
“For organic farming, a maximum of 50% of your shed accommodation is allowed to be slatted sheds and the rest has to be a dry bed shed. I had discussed this with a neighbour five years ago as I was already thinking of converting so I got a TAMS grant for a bedded shed.”
One of the biggest issues with converting is the significant increase in the cost of feed, which must be approved as organic.
“It costs me €23 to buy a bag of organic feed, whereas before it only cost €14 for conventional feed.
“I make my own silage, but if I had to buy some in it would also have to be organic, which is harder to source and more expensive. If I ever ran out of feed and couldn’t get some from anywhere else I would be able to apply for a special derogation to be able to use conventional silage for animal welfare reasons.”
While Shane is still in the early stages of his conversion, he is certain he is much better off than he was before making the switch and would recommend that more farmers convert to organic farming.
“The subsidies are better, and apart from the feed costs, there isn’t much difference between how I farmed before.
“It takes a few years for the full impact to be felt, but I’m already seeing the benefits. Other farmers should definitely look into it, especially those that are on marginal land.”