Tag Archives: Macra na Feirme

MACRA na Feirme, the rural youth organisation is to launch a new Ennistymon Macra branch this week (January 27). It has been more than 20 years since there was such a club in the town and the revival is seen as a major  progression for Macra in Clare which is 74 years old this year. Following on from the successful launch of the Kilrush club in 2019, the launch forms part of the Clare organisation’s five-year plan and will create a better geographical balance to the clubs in the county. While the new club will be based in Ennistymon, members from all different backgrounds across the surrounding areas of North Clare are welcome and people from non-farming backgrounds are also encouraged to join. On Wednesday, January 27, in an online launch, Clare Macra will make a short presentation outlining its activities and the  benefits of joining. National President Thomas Duffy will be in attendance. Guest speaker on the night will …

IT was music to the ears of Bunratty farmer Joe Melody to discover that he has been named Clare Macra Young Farmer of the Year. Having come on top at the county rounds, Joe will now go on to represent Clare in the 2020 Macra na Feirme FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition. Joe runs both a dairy and beef enterprise. The Clare native milks a herd of 139 Holstein-cross British Friesian cows, along with a pedigree herd of Charolais and Limousin cows. In 2015, Joe was milking 75 cows and since then have expanded and are now milking 139 cows; however, the hope is to go further again and milk around 160-170 cows in the near future. Explaining the expansion of the dairy enterprise over the last few years, Joe said, “We bought a lot of breeding stock, from a local farmer, such as in-calf cows and heifers, as well as breeding our own replacements. At the moment, …

This week is the fourth annual Farm Safety Week, an initiative aimed at reducing the number of farm accidents. At the moment, the agriculture industry has the poorest safety record of any occupation in Ireland and the UK. During Farm Safety Week (4-8 July) there will be five days of themed practical farm safety advice and guidance asking farmers to consider ‘Who would fill your boots?’ if an accident occurred on the farm. Macra na Feirme continues to show leadership in our work to promote farm safety. We work with all stakeholders on the Farm Safety Partnership to promote the safety message. Macra na Feirme have partnered with the Farm Contractors of Ireland to roll out a safe tractor driving course through the Young Farmer Skillnet Training Programme. The training programme is compiling a practical farm safety skills course which will be launched shortly and deliver practical safety training to young farmers. Macra na Feirme partners with IFAC Accountants for …