New Acres scheme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119634366#Comment_119634366

It's easier for them to get a smaller number of farmers with larger areas of land. A farmer has to draw up a conversion plan with or without a planner, then join a certification body and be inspected in a small time frame. That's all easier with fewer numbers of applicants. I doubt many who will apply would be refused, just depends on whether it suits the person or not.

ruwithme

Does seem like dafm are attempting to encourage organic farming in a greater way than ever before. Since may I've got 6 text messages from them for farm walks/organic events.

Didn't hear about the webinar the other nite on acres from them though.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119633935#Comment_119633935

I wouldn't agree with that cos alot of that type of land was producing crops of oats, barley and cabbage etc. back in the day, long before chem fert. Around my place in North Mayo you can still make out the 19th century potatoes ridges on this type of rushy land. Its all about educating the current generation of farmers on basic soil science and what makes a healthy resilient soil with a thriving microbial fauna of the type our ancestors valued and managed. Healthy soils like that also benefit stock in terms of less issues with worms etc. and general thrive, especcially in young stock

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119634454#Comment_119634454

I would not agree with that. Agri Food exports were worth 13.5 billion in 2021. It might seem small compared to total exports but it's still significant. As well it provide a lot of jobs and small businesses.

However they have issues with balancing carbon reduction while maintaining a commercial Agri sector. It's a balancing act. Acres was always going to be a tricky scheme. There was too much got away with in Glas. What I dislike is the added costs that may be levied on participant's and which may make the scheme incompatible with a lot of semi intensive farmers. It may well lead some of them to go more intensive. However you have to remember there is a greening element to you single payment as well and some Acres actions may be compatible with this

RockOrBog

You didn't mention the mountains of rich seaweed manure used to fertilise those particular crops back in those days. I can't see anyone doing that again but who knows what the future holds now.

eire23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119635536#Comment_119635536

That all sounds great but what sort of stocking rate would ya be able to carry? Things are a lot different now than compared to back in the day.

I've a lot of my land reseeded the last 10 years and my father had a lot of reclamation done before that. I think if one entered acres/organics you wouldn't be long undoing all that work. The general thought around here was that if you were trying to farm acres wouldn't suit, but it will suit anyone that had neglected land and let it grow wild and hadnt looked after it.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119635726#Comment_119635726

I'm near enough organic myself and my stocking rate is pretty similar to conventional neighbours here on similar land. I think alot of folks would be better off looking at their bottom line instead of obsessing about ever higher stocking rates and associated inputs thinking that all equals significantly higher profits, especially in the sheep/beef game. In any case more and more CAP money is going the other way in terms of encouraging reduced off farm inputs, not to mention the inflationary and regulatory pressures on said same inputs.

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119636036#Comment_119636036

Well said, I have to say it's amazing the interest in organics these days. Went to AETS talk on Saturday and it was a real eye opener. As soon as I mentioned I was in organics I had lads coming up to me for the rest of the day asking questions about it. Plenty of tyre kickers anyway, the obsession over output and stocking rates has waned a bit I think.

Stationmaster

Slightly related but has anyone used any of the liquid fertilizers that are organic friendly? Thinking of buying a small bit of one and doing an acre of a field and compare it with the ground beside it.

Stationmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119642293#Comment_119642293

To answer my own question I bought a 100g bag of supersoil today at the ploughing (thought there might have been a ploughing discount but no) so I'll do an acre of a field and see what it's like compared to the rest of the field.

Katie 2018

Went to that supersoil stand myself yesterday. She recommended pouring the contents into slatted tank when it empty now an put your slurry out on silage ground in spring. Will halve my fertilizer on silage ground

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119640490#Comment_119640490

No change there,drystock farmers always followed the easy money, I know I did anyway.

Production planning was always secondary and set by the different subsidies, extensification etc. Manys' the times I sat down on Christmas week to work out whether the subs would be applied for before new year or after new year.

But I'd always strive to have the place looking well, all the reclamation, levelling, hedge maintenance and Fencing paid off tenfold when I looked to rent it out. The way it was when I took it over in 1978 would never be practical for tillage,dairying or silage cutting with small fields, scrub,holes and sandpits.

Good farming practises are never wasted

tellmeabit

Bough some myself just there

tellmeabit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119647702#Comment_119647702

What did it cost

Stationmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652354#Comment_119652354

€50

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119650041#Comment_119650041

That approach doesn’t make sense per their recommendations as you need x amount per acre. Difficult to control in the slatted tank?

but if it works like they say it works will putting it in the slatted tank at the start of the winter mean it has multiplied 10 fold by the spring for spreading?

Katie 2018

Yeh I was enquiring about how much to put on silage ground next year to cut back on fertilizer. She recommended putting in tank when empty.the acreage you usually get from Emptying your tank put in the same of supersoil is what I gathered

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119658187#Comment_119658187

Ah sorry. I thought you were the same poster that bought 100g bag.

Sugarbowl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119650041#Comment_119650041

That claim sounds a bit far fetched to me. I would rather try Supersoil in a sprayer first to see the results rather than risking putting a lesser amount of fertilizer on my 1st cut and getting caught. You would always see a good response from slurry itself in the Spring so I would find it hard to determine the benefits from supersoil in it. Having said that, I would like to try Supersoil. Sounds like something you could use in a dry weather and not worry about rain coming.

blue5000

Does anyone know what is in supersoil? Like it could be a fungus or something that already exists on your farm. Sounds a lot like a biological silage additive to me.

J.O. Farmer

It is a biological additive, whether it works or not may depend on what you have being doing previously. Adding in the good microbes should help if the soil is low in them.

@SayMyName has been posting interesting stuff on here about promoting the types of microorganisms that are presumably in supersoil.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119659477#Comment_119659477

I'd love to know what "quantum" compression is......

If they aren't using **** lasers to collapse electron orbitals on atoms to squeeze more of it into a smaller volume I'll be disappointed.......

I want to see approved by Planck, Bohr and Heisenberg (Werner) on the packaging too.........

Silverdream

Anyone thinking of doing the Tree planting option. I see in the terms it is a 4m spacing between trees, is this the norm as I've seen commercial forestry planted a lot closer than that. Also whatabout distance to a neighbouring boundary, would 4m again be required?

My thinking is to plant the 300 trees as in 20 years+ I'd have a ready supply of firewood for the stove. Plus for 300 trees I'd get paid €9300 over the 5 years. The ground I'm planting is wet rushy ground, full of liver fluke. I think this would be a great option.

I'd say a mixture of Alder, scots pine and mountain ash.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665403#Comment_119665403

Alder Will fly there, Always amazing how quick it grows.

If it was too wet I'd be concerned about the Scots pine and especially the Rowan.

Sessile Oak would thrive there, as would birch.

It's an option I'm looking at as well.

mauser77

I'd say a mixture of Alder, scots pine and mountain ash

Dont plant the ash just from looking around can see a big difference this year. In 5 years plus they'll all be dead wont be any left in the country

massey 265

Im also looking at that option and planner says approx .8 of an acre required for 100 trees so approx 1 hectare for 300 trees.

J.O. Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665403#Comment_119665403

One potential problem with the plan is in 20 years time will you be allowed cut them (or any tree) down for firewood.

Will you still have the stove, I know you probably like to think so as do I but will it get to the stage where even if not outright illegal will it be acceptable to be lighting a fire to heat your home.

On the 4 metres is commercial forestry not planted close to reduce the risk of trees failing. They then go in and thin them out after a few years.

Silverdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665432#Comment_119665432

Alder is a fine tree, I don't know how good it would be for firewood or making my own fencing posts. The scots pine is the best tree for this but I think some of the ground may be too wet.

The other question I have is can you have several smaller plots or does it all need to be in the one area?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665740#Comment_119665740

Can't see how they can restrict people like that. 99% of homes in Ireland have a Chimney. Even so I'd say you'd still be able to use a efficient woodchip burner.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665989#Comment_119665989

Alder Burns really well, intense, quicker than other hardwoods though.

Its timber doesn't rot in wet ground but hardens further.

How much tensile strength is in it I don't know.

It can hit 18 inch width trunk in as many years in Cork, faster if it is red alder. It also coppices well so plenty of suckers for other years.

J.O. Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665989#Comment_119665989

Look at the smoky fuel ban they're bringing in now, it's the thin edge of the wedge. There could be all sorts of restrictions in 20 years from now.

Fast forward 20 years and I wouldn't be sure they wouldn't have some kind of restriction saying timber has to be kiln dried to a certain moisture level before it can be burned or you might only be able to burn government approved fuel in your wood chip boiler.

Then there's whatever restrictions they might dream up about cutting trees