Features
A Man with Good Breeding
Breeding cattle is what Liam Lyons likes best about farming. Looking at his herd at Carrowneden, Aghamore, Ballahaunis, Co. Mayo you can readily see the results of his years of selection and culling.
Liam farms fifty-six acres and leases a further forty. It's dry limestone land which he describes as good fattening land. He manages twenty-three cows and about forty followers which he rears to beef.
'I've had an interest in breeding since I was a child 'says Liam.' That would be my main focus-trying to breed good quality stock. I've always tried to breed from my best females and match them with a good quality bull. The aim is to produce faster growing animals with a higher kill out rate. But a level of docility would also be high on the my list.'
Temperament
Limousins are his chosen breed and a section of his herd are pedigree stock. Many farmers would steer away from this breed given their reputation for having an aggressive temperament. But Liam thinks this is an unfair description of Limousins. 'They've probably got a bad name but I see the other side of it' he says. 'You'll find animals with a bad temperament in any breed of cattle.'
Liam has been organic for ten years. His brother Jimmy had been organic for a few years before him and this allowed Liam to see at first hand the benefits of the organic system. He believes it's a better environment for his stock and that it has enhanced his breeding programme. It's not intensive and the animals are not being forced.
Marketing problems
Liam manages to sell all of his finished cattle as organic-no mean feat given the state of the market.' I either sell the beef myself or I deal with Martin Jennings in Ballinrobe' he says. Liam sold about four beef animals from the farm last year. But marketing is not his forte. 'I'll sell as much as I can from home but that's not the road I want to go down-I don't really like selling' he says.
Going organic
Changing to an organic system wasn't a major upheaval for Liam 'Going organic wasn't a huge change for me 'says Liam. 'I wasn't overstocked and I wasn't using much artificial fertiliser. Being organic hasn't hindered my farming in any way. I've never been short of grass or silage.'
Some farmers, especially those in the west, are reluctant to convert to organic methods because of the requirement to bed the stock when housed. Straw is expensive, and regardless of the system you have for mucking out, it's a lot of work. Liam doesn't agree. 'It's part of the organic standards and it's certainly better for the stock. I don't feel there is that much extra work involved.'
Winter feed
In winter the stock are fed silage and the bulls get Morrins Eco Beef. He has found Morrins feed to be readily available and the pellets easy to feed to cattle. However Eco beef is not fully organic. Liam is not really happy with this and he plans to buy organic straights in future. He doesn't believe that organic animals should be getting even a small amount of conventional feed.
Stagnant growth
Like many organic farmers Liam is worried that the numbers of organic farmers in the country is not increasing. He reckons it's watershed time for organic farmers. 'I don't think the numbers are growing and that's easy to understand because marketing your beef is very difficult' says Liam. 'That's why I started selling directly because I found myself in a situation where Jennings couldn't take all of my finished stock 'he says.
That's the way organic farmers will have to go. Everyone will have to try and market directly. A measure of direct selling is the way forward for organics.'
Who's to blame?
As any organic farmer will tell you, its totally disheartening to raise an animal organically for two years or more and then find that you can't get the organic premium. But that's been the experience of many farmers in recent years. In that situation farmers blame everyone from IOFGA to the government. But who is really to blame for the state of the market?
Liam believes that the government has done very little for the organic sector. ' I don't really think that the government have a huge interest in promoting organic farming' says Liam. 'And I suppose that IOFGA are restricted by their limited resources. It's an administrative body really and it's very difficult for them to do the marketing for farmers.'
Perception of beef
Liam sees a particular problem with selling beef as compared with other organic products. 'The consumer seems reluctant to pay that bit extra for organic beef 'says Liam. 'I think that there's a perception that tracability in beef in general has improved greatly and I think that has had an effect on the organic market. Consumers are not as worried about buying conventional beef as they were in the past.'
But some of the problems in selling organic beef are more deep rooted and have to do with the consumers view of the product. 'People don't seem to see such a huge difference in organic beef as they do, for example, with organic vegetables' says Liam. 'When you think about vegetables you think of pesticides being sprayed directly on to what you are eating as occurs on the conventional product. It's a harder sell with beef. Consumers don't see that there is a huge difference in taste and anyway it's all debatable as to whether there is any difference.'
Welfare
What would be Liam's method of promoting his organic beef? 'My selling point is that anyone is welcome to come and see how my farm is run' says Liam. 'The animals are treated humanely from when they are born to when they're slaughtered. They're raised in an environmentally friendly environment and I just think the way the animals are raised is much better. Animal welfare should be a big part of the promoting of organic beef.'
Liam appears to be correct in his identification of animal welfare as an issue that is growing in importance with consumers. Most promotional campaigns of organic beef have focused on presenting the product as being of superior quality. But 'quality' is a word that is so overused as to now have little meaning. An increasing number of organic beef farmers are, like Liam, coming to the realisation that the higher level of animal welfare that is required under organic management would be a better aspect of beef to promote- especially as all the indications are that it is fast becoming of more importance to consumers than even an organic label.
Horses
Liam keeps a few Irish Draught horses. But it's more of a hobby than a serious farm enterprise. It's probably a continuation of his interest, or even fascination, with breeding animals. They come running to the gate when called, as do his cattle.
On any farm that's the best indication that the animals are happy and being well treated. If they weren't, they'd run away.
Physical problems
At the moment Liam is walking somewhat tentatively. He's recently been in hospital for an operation on his back. 'I hurt my back lifting bags of organic beef nuts' he says. 'I've been laid up for the last few months. Luckily my brothers live close by and they come in to help with the farm. But there are a number of jobs building up. It makes you realise how we farmers are dependent on being in good physical health.'
The future
As for the future Liam is happy with his farming and has no intention of changing. 'I'm very pleased with the fact that I decided to go organic. I'm happy with the farm and intend to continue. I think I've found my place in life.' Continuity is important to Liam. While it's clear that his children will be allowed to chose whatever career they like, there is no doubt that Liam would be hoping that at least one of them will carry on the farm. 'My boys are interested in the farm and that's important to me says Liam.' I think it's important for them to have a grounding in farming and an interest in nature.
Teaching
Being a good example of a well-run organic farm, Liam gets many visitors from interested farmers and students on organic courses. He welcomes them all and patiently answers all their questions- as he welcomed me. He's a gentle man in the full meaning of the word, a man who is happy with his place in the world. To walk his farm is both a privilege and a pleasure.
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