Equinox: Autumn of our life and Spring of younger generations

Stand in the Gap

Kathleen Duffy

The days are shortening and by 7.30pm the night draws close, while the mornings cool as the day shorten. The swallows that lived here all summer are busy getting ready to make their way to Africa much later than last year. It is beautiful to see them training for their long flight, from the gutters of the calf shed or swooping in and out around the barn. I have seen lots at other peoples’ farm buildings as well, they are beautiful to watch and they are such a mystery how they know when and where to come and go.

Walking through the farm this September, I stop to see the abundance of sloes, elderberries, haws and blackberries that adorn our hedgerows this time of year. It has been a great summer and the good weather created a bountiful supply of apples, plums and damsons to help us over the next winter. The blackberries are great to put with apples and if only we had the time, every farmhouse could produce culinary delights.

I am trying to find an outlet again this year for all the apples that are in the orchard. Last year I stewed or made apple sauce and froze it in bags and I had them for 12 months. Apple sauce is beautiful in porridge, on Weetabix, on bread, and if time allows to use them to make cakes and making apple jelly. Those blasted crows and magpies are sitting on the branches and pecking every eating apple. There are plenty for them on the ground. I heard the Buzzard a few days ago. I wish he would stay around and scatter the crows. The other pests this year is ants or pismires as I call them, as well as plenty of house spiders. The ant’s sting and spider bite are very sore.

The grass is growing very well with this good weather. The advice at mid-September is to have covers of 1200 at a stocking rate of 3.5 LU/Ha with a 35 day rotation as we are grazing the 2nd last rotation for 2025. In our case, we are fairly heavily stocked, but at the moment we have to slow down the rotation so we can keep the cows out and start closing paddocks hopefully on the 10th October with interim date of the 1st November to have 65% grazed and housing during November weather dependent, while being mindful of the traffic ability of land and of the cost and usage of compound meal or silage supplements. The last of the fertilizer protected urea is spread for this year, the slurry tanks are almost empty, which needs to done by end of month, leaving the fields to take their time rebuilding grass.

Generational Renewal is the buzz word this last 2 weeks, especially given the launch of the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming Report by the Agriculture Minister at the ploughing last week. It is 180 pages long with 31 recommendations. On RTE Radio 1 Countrywide the Minister outlined that there are 4.35% under 35 and 37% are over 65 farmers in Ireland at present. He felt that the money needed to change is not available and will have to wait until the EU Common Agricultural Policy reforms post 2027, in reality post 2028. One of the 31 proposals was to give €25,000 to both the retiring farmer and €25,000 to the young entrant, but the minister seemed reluctant on this as well as dismissing Commissioner Hansen’s proposal to change the state pension for farmers aged 66 plus who are receiving the contributary pension and the CAP Payments. He made the point that there are already tax incentives in place. He surprised me by saying that young people are not willing to work 365 days a year and constantly referred to part time farming, saying there are too many choices for young people instead of farming. Does he not realise that so many young people have moved to Australia, working long hours to try and build money they’d need to return to Ireland? In my view that attitude is very dismissive of doing any action at all. It would be better to give them the chance to do the same here by addressing the barriers.

The presidents of some of the farm organisations spoke on AgriLand at the ploughing said that young farmers need security as they develop business plans for banks for both their farms and to build a home. They rightly said many of 20 to 40 years age group is not in this country, question is how we can keep them.

The Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming Report looks in-depth at the background in agriculture in Ireland and it analysised the demographic trends in Irish Farming through public consultation and factors Influencing generational renewal including the current supports, tax measures, access to finance and land, training, advisory, collaborative farming arrangements.

“Based on research presented to the Commission from research and advisory services and other stakeholders, economic uncertainty was identified as playing a major role in delaying or obstructing farm succession…It highlights that for succession to happen, there needs to be a willingness for the farmer to pass on the farm, an interest and readiness from a successor and sufficient processes and incentives in place to enable the transfer. Succession process supports and incentives can help to navigate the complex nature of transferring a family farm that often involves the interaction of a solicitor, accountant, agricultural advisor, the farmer, the successor and other family members.”

It is not an easy time for both generations getting everything sorted and both need help and guidance. This report shows a good researched pathway which needs support at national and EU level and not just financially.