An award-winning farm family in Co. Cork have highlighted to hundreds of farmers why sustainability is an important part of their farm investment strategy.

Carbery Milk Quality and Sustainability Awards 2024 winner, Glenn Forde and his family hosted a farm walk in Ballinadee, Bandon, Co. Cork last Friday (July 25).

Among the topics discussed at the event were breeding and its contribution to the farm’s success; financial performance of the farm and how it funded farm development; and how milk quality performance has been achieved and maintainted.

Forde farms with his wife Pamela and their twin teenage sons Conor and Shea.

His parents Maynard and Margaret remain involved in a supporting role, on hand to help and advise.

The family is farming on Horsehill, overlooking the Bandon River.

The farm was bought by Forde's grandfather in the 1940s, and he took over from his father in 2006, expanding from 80 to 250 cows. The family farms on 101 hectares now.

A new 24-unit parlour was installed in 2012 and is just one in a range of measures introduced to steadily grow the head and improve efficiency.

According to Teagasc analysis, the farm has consistently delivered strong financial performance, with last year being no exception.

With a combination of good cost control and strong output, this allowed the farm to maximise the benefits of the high base milk price.

When compared to other spring calving dairy farms which completed a Teagasc profit monitor for 2024, the Forde family's financial performance places them close to the top 10% of farms for profitability, both on a whole farm hectare and per cow basis.

The family says a strong focus on grassland management is key for financial success, with about four tonne per cow or 10.5 tonne per hectare utilised in 2024.

Sustainability has also been an important part of the farm's investment, with Forde being one of the first participants in the Carbery Greener Dairy Farms group.

He told Agriland at the farm walk event that the farm has "taken water quality extremely seriously" and has "invested heavily" to implement measures for sustainability.

A water quality-related measure the farm has taken recently is putting in place a feature for management of run-off, erosion and nutrients at the field margin near the farm's yard.

The system for improving water quality and lessening soil erosion uses features from the Farming for Water EIP, including a sediment trap for retention of solids, willow filter beds to hold water and take up nutrients, and a downslope grassy swale for polishing water.

With no certainty that Ireland will have a Nitrates Derogation post-2025, Forde said a derogation loss would "affect our system severely".

He also spoke of the importance of promoting generational renewal in farming.

"I have twin boys aged 13, and I would like to see that they would be interested in the farm, and we encourage them," he said.

"With our children growing up the same, I would hope that they will have the same interest that I do."

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon attended the farm walk event, and told farmers there are many challenges facing agriculture, including generational renewal.

He said it is important for farmers to be sustainable in other ways to be able to deliver environmental sustainability - "they can't go green if they're in the red".

"There is no greater driver of making sure the next generation want to take over the farm than it being a profitable farm," the minister added.

Members of the Carbery Group met with Minister Heydon, and Minister of State with responsibility for biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan, at the event to discuss the proposal to include the Habitats Directive as a requirement to extend Ireland’s nitrates derogation.

The board said it expressed concerns around the proposal while also emphasising the importance of maintaining derogation to farming in West Cork.