There has been sizeable progress made in pasture management, clover establishment and environmental footprint over the last eight years of the Grass10 campaign.
Managing grassland with less nitrogen fertiliser inputs and with greater reliance on biological nitrogen from clover can reduce cost of production, increase animal performance and reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions.
The Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year competition has run successfully for the last eight years. This has been a key pillar of the Grass10 campaign in helping farmers to achieve better grazing management practices.
The Sustainable Pasture Progress Awards
The Sustainable Pasture Progress Awards will recognise those farmers who demonstrate and continue to progress their levels of pasture production and utilisation in a sustainable manner. This competition will be open all livestock farmers.
Prize Winners
This is a national recognition event with a total fund of €35,000 per year. An award of €1,000 will be made to a farmer from each county in Ireland. Regional winners will be selected from Munster, Leinster and Connacht / Ulster and these winners will receive an additional prize of €2,000. An overall winner will be recognised and will receive an additional prize of €3,000.
Grass10 Campaign
The Grass10 campaign aims to increase the quantity of pasture utilised on livestock farms (dairy, beef and sheep), with the objective of achieving 10 tons pasture Dry Matter per hectare per year utilised, with 10 grazings per paddock each year. The Grass10 campaign is supported by Teagasc, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, AIB, FBD, Grassland Agro and the Farmers Journal.
