My Farming Week Monday 05/03/2012 – John Barron
John is a committee member and former Chairman of MED. He farms approx 45 hectares of mixed land near Ballyshannon, running a spring calving continental x suckler herd and 50 ewes.
He has had a busy week as lambing has just begun and he is appreciative of good mild weather this week. Cows continue to calve.
Ground is beginning to dry and grass growth is good. Older calves are grazing by day.
Upcoming Tasks: John hopes to spread nitrogen on grazing next week, but reckons he had this task completed by this time last year.
He also intends to begin spreading slurry next week if the dry weather continues and it may be possible for some lighter cattle to be put to grass in 10 days time.
Activism: John believes in being actively involved and influencing the decisions that affect farmers. Off farm he is Chairman of the ICSA rural development committee and attended a mid week meeting of the ICSA CAP committee. John says ICSA continue to lobby for the new CAP deal to support active farmers and young farmers.
This week John joined the beef technology adoption programme discussion group being promoted by MED Partnership Group.
John Barron feeding silage to calves