All-Ireland AGM
The Guild held its All-Ireland AGM recently with a visit to Silver Hill Foods in Monaghan, and a meeting with renowned Enniskillen butcher Pat O’Doherty.
Just prior to a visit of agricultural journalists last month, Silver Hill Foods’ hatchery had just seen 20,000 duck eggs hatch, and the ducklings move to local farms.
Managing Director Stuart Steele told journalists that the family-owned company has been producing ducks since the 1960s and has bred its own type of duck, Silver Hill, to satisfy its markets needs.
Stuart said the company is looking to grow by 50 per cent as part of a five-year plan. The company exports to the UK, Europe and China – which provided a market for every part of the duck. With chefs such as Gordon Ramsey and Heston Blumenthal using its duck, Silver Hill has gained a name for high quality duck. “We are very expensive, as everything is done by hand,” according to Stuart. “We have high expectations of ourselves.” Silver Hill Foods' success has been recognised over the years with numerous awards for its high quality duck product.
Silver Hill Foods is Ireland's only fully integrated family-owned duck, which means all aspects of duck production are handled by the company. Its own hatchery, located a number of miles from the main production site, has 60,000 to 100,000 eggs hatching every week. From here the ducklings are moved to farms around the area where they are reared before processing.
In recent times Silver Hill has expanded into using all parts of the ducks, including making duvets from the feathers, and recently opened a farm shop, where it is stocking duck and local quality products. The company recently opened a farm shop, and has become involved with local schools – providing an allotment site and horticulturist for them.
AGM
The Guild then travelled to the Share Centre on Lough Erne, where it held its AGM. Brian Donaldson, as All-Ireland President chaired the meeting and Robert Irwin, Northern Chairman, gave a run down of the events the Northern Guild had enjoyed during the year. Margaret Donnelly, Southern Chairman, read the minutes from the last AGM, and told the AGM of Southern events over the past 12 month and some upcoming events, including plans for the Guild’s 50th birthday in 2011. Southern Treasurer Damien O’Reilly outlined the Guilds finances. There was no election of officers for the year.
Black Bacon
After the AGM members joined Enniskillen butcher Pat O’Doherty on a boat trip around Lough Erne.
Pat started to produce black bacon in the 1990s when the demand for ‘proper’ bacon came through his shop. “During the 1980s and 1990s I was looking at producing top quality meat products, as I had quite a few customers looking for ‘proper’ bacon – bacon that didn’t shrivel up on the pan and release lots of water . I was ringing suppliers but could not get the quality I was looking for to produce such bacon.”
But, after touring the country and meeting numerous farmers in Fermanagh, and surrounding counties, who remembered how bacon was produced and cured down through the years, he set the wheels in motion to provide his own supply of bacon.
He persuaded a number of farmers to rear rare breed pigs, such as Saddleback and Essex pigs, and along with his own herd on an island of Upper Lough Erne.
Today, his black bacon has been featured on the search for the Great British Menu, with chef Richard Corrigan singing its praises. The bacon was awarded ‘Supreme Award for Outstanding Product’ by the Ballygowan Irish Food Writers Guild.
Guild agm
The Guild held a very enjoyable and well-attended agm recently.
Hosted by Bord Bia, Michael Murphy, Director of International Markets with Bord Bia, gave members an overview of Irish beef exports – where they currently stand and the market prospects.
He gave details of South America’s presence – that production was up in Brazil by 10 per cent, but down in other countries such as Argentina. EU production levels are down, he said, while Irish calf registrations are down 100,000.
Bord Bia is continuing looking to differentiate Irish beef, he said, with increased focus on sustainability. The Irish export board, he said, is carrying out a number of studies looking at the sustainability of Irish beef production, based on consumer demand.
Aidan Clifford, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, also presented to the Guild. Giving an outline of the CAP post 2013, when it is due for reform, he covered areas such as the budget and that 40 per cent of the EU budget currently goes to agriculture. Pressure, he said, was coming from other countries, not just to look at the overall agricultural budget, but also how that budget is then distributed amongst Member States. New Member States, he said, are pushing for greater parity in relation to the Single Farm Payment.
He also covered areas such as Rural Development and the growing role of the Parliament in the decision making process.
At the agm, Margaret Donnelly gave an account of the previous year’s activities and outlined some events that are in the pipeline. Stephen Cadagon gave an overview of ongoing activities in the IFAJ, while Damien O’Reilly gave an update of the Guild’s finances.
David Markey updated the Guild on the November Awards, which is currently being organised by the committee.
Death has taken place of Mike Byrne, well known
Local Radio Farming Journalist
The death has taken place after a short illness of Mike Burke, Farming correspondent with KCLR 96fm and one of Irish radio's most respected agricultural correspondents.
Mike died on Thursday, June 24, at Waterford Regional Hospital following a short illness.
Mike's career in local radio extended over 30 years. Mike is survived by his wife Nuala and three children and a wider family.
Paying tribute to Mike Burke, KCLR Chief Executive John Purcell said: "Despite the fact that Mike had been seriously ill his death comes as a huge shock to all his colleagues and friends.”
Mikes' career in independent radio extended over 30 years and he was known throughout the country for his commitment to covering the issues affecting the farming sector. He was widely respected by his colleagues, throughout the entire farming community and by his listeners.
KCLR has been inundated by a huge number of messages of sympathy from listeners and members of the farming community, people from a huge range farming organisations and agri - businesses, politics and public life. They are testament to the esteem in which Mike was held and all show a common appreciation for his love for journalism, his enthusiasm and energy and his passion for farming and the interests of the people involved in the area he loved. All have remarked on the depth and breadth of his knowledge about farming and the issues facing the farming community.
“He is a huge loss and will be sorely missed by his colleagues, friends, listeners and the farming community,” John said.
Agricultural journalists overcome travel chaos for IFAJ congress
Agricultural journalists overcame global travel chaos to make a great success of the 54th International Federation of Agricultural Journalists annual congress, hosted by Belgium.
The event was marked by unprecedented recognition for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) by the EU, the major world food trading bloc.
Four Irish members attended, and because they also took part in the pre-congress, they arrived in Belgium before the travel ban due to volcanic ash.
Unfortunately, six other members of our Guild were unable to get to Belgium — including Guild Chairman Margaret Donnelly, whose Alltech Young Leader award was accepted on her behalf by our IFAJ executive member, Stephen Cadogan.
Of the 170 who registered for the Congress, about 30 were unable to attend. However, the Belgian organisers took the setback in their stride. Those stranded at home were enabled to participate on-line, through the well designed live reports from each day on the ifaj2010.org website, which you can visit now to see all the pictures and news from Belgium.
The post-congress proved to be the highlight for many people. The efforts of the EU institutions to improve their communications were particularly obvious in the major seminar on CAP Reform they organised for us, and in the speech on our last night by European President Herman Van Rompuy.
Meanwhile the winner of the Star Prize for Agricultural Photography was announced at the Congress in Belgium. John Eveson, from the UK, won with his winning picture, entitled Sheep Dog vs Sheep, also won the production category. Peter Nordholm, from Denmark, won this year’s IFAJ Star Prize for print journalism.
Death of Don Gomery
It is with great sadness to hear of the death of UK journalist and colleague Don Gomery, the UK Guild’s honorary general secretary for the past 25 years.
Don was taken ill towards the end of March. He died on the afternoon of April 1.
Don Gomery was a skilled journalist, who worked on Dairy Farmer and Farmers Weekly during his long career. He was editor of The Farmers Club Journal for the past 10 years.
Don enjoyed company and greeted everyone with his characteristic broad smile. He was also the most enthusiastic supporter of the Guild and its role as a community for agricultural journalists and communication professionals.
In addition to his role as secretary of the Guild, he gave his time as secretary to the Trustees of the Guild’s Charitable Trust and as the Guild’s representative at the International Federation of International Journalists (IFAJ).
His contribution to the Guild and its members is unmatched. Our thoughts are with his wife, Pauline, and members of their family.
Darragh McCullough represents Ireland in IFAJ starprize
Guild member Caitriona Murphy of the Farming Independent reached the top three in the world in last year’s IFAJ Star Prize for print journalism.
Justin McCarthy of the Irish Farmers Journal was the international runner-up in 2008.
This year, the Guild bids to do even better, with entries for IFAJ’s 2010 print, broadcast and photography contests.
The winners will be announced at the IFAJ’s 54th Annual Congress, in Belgium in April.
The print entry from Ireland is the exclusive report on rural crime by Darragh McCullough in the Irish Farmers Journal’s Country Living section, published last November.
Our judges said his well-researched report on a topical issue got top marks for writing style.
Ireland’s entry in the inaugural IFAJ Star Prize for Broadcasting contest also comes from Darragh McCullough. His Ear to the Ground report on Irish veal production was transmitted by RTÉ in February, 2009. Darragh was involved from research through to presentation, on an issue which merited coverage, despite the reluctance of some vested interests to address the topics of unwanted dairy bull calves and veal.
There was an honourable mention award for Ireland’s Tony O’Gorman in the 2006 IFAJ photo awards.he Guild is represented in the 2010 IFAJ Star Prize for Agricultural Photography contest by a number of people.
