Laois students reach semi-final to win five purebred Irish Angus calves

Three Laois girls from Mountmellick Community School who are working hard to support farmers, have reached the semi-final of a national Irish Angus competition that could win them five calves to rear.

Aoibhe Foyle, Lucy-Jane Burke and Rachel Heffernan are in Transition Year and have packed a huge amount of positive work into their entry in the Certified Irish Angus Schools competition.

The competition awards TY student teams with five purebred Irish Angus cattle to fatten up over 18 months and sell at market, learning about the business, science and rewards of beef farming at the same time.

The Mountmellick team entered with a project called Driving On The Future Of Irish Angus Beef.

If chosen, they will be awarded their calves at the next National Ploughing Championships, staged again in Laois in 2024.

They told the Leinster Express / Laois Live more. 

"We submitted a video entry in October and were chosen to complete an interview in Portlaoise in January. We actually have made it to the semi-final stages in Croke Park on March 1 where we get to present our project to a group of judges in hopes to get through to the final stage, the rearing of five purebred Irish Angus cattle," Aoibhe said. 

Their project investigates the role Irish Angus Beef has in both environmental and social sustainability.

"In the Agricultural Sector there is a huge push towards environmental sustainability within farming. We wanted to find ways to make it as easy as possible for farmers.

"During our research we found that Angus cattle have a lower feed requirement as they can thrive on an exclusive grass based diet, which reduces the need for chemical fertilisers as well as reducing the carbon footprint associated with feed transport costs. Tackling two of the big environmental issues affecting farmers.

"Not only this but Irish Angus cattle are also hardier cattle which reduces the need for antibiotics and overall improves the quality of beef.

"There are so many environmental benefits to the Irish Angus breed but we also wanted to look at the benefits in Social sustainability. There would be no food on our plates without our farmers," said Lucy Jane.

They carried out a survey with farmers in their community to find out about the pressures of farming in today’s climate.

"We found that farmers feel a lack of support from the government and feel their concerns are not being listened to. This coincides with research discovered from UCD where weather and lack of workers/ help were two of the leading
stressors for farmers in today’s society," Rachel said.

"We also noted that farmers felt that there is a lack of services for those who are struggling with mental health issues in rural ireland. Upon further research we found that loneliness in the farming community to be one of the biggest issues,
farmers don't feel comfortable to speak up about difficulties and worries they have.

"Similar results from UCD where they conducted a survery in 2022 with 25 % of farmers saying they have considered suicide.

"We believe that farmers are the backbone of our country and we want to ensure their future.  Ensuring the future of farming will only benefit our economy," she said.

They held lots of fun activities in the school to promote awareness about the Irish Angus breed and the importance of looking after mental health.

"We hosted a cookery class using certified Irish Angus beef to promote the benefits of using quality beef when cooking.

"Each year a ‘Funky Shoe Day” in conjunction with St Patrick’s Mental Health Services ‘Walk in my Shoes’ campaign is held in our school to promote mental health awareness.

"This year we asked students to wear wellies in an act of solidarity with those in the farming community who have mental health issues. The Wear Our Wellies (WOW) to school day promoted awareness of the difficulties farmers face and it addressed ways of looking after our mental health in rural Ireland," the team said.

Mountmellick CS supports Macra’s national mental health awareness campaign ‘Make the Moove’.

Make the Moove is a mental health initiative that supports people in the farming community and rural Ireland. They offer training, counselling and a crisis response team. 

"Our belief is that community support and education among farmers is huge in improving mental well-being. A guest speaker from Make the Moove presented to our fifth and sixth year classes. 

"Community support leads to a sense of belonging and shared responsibility while education provides farmers with the correct knowledge to get the best out of their efforts, enhancing job satisfaction and reducing financial related stress.

"We are fortunate to have an active, local Macra group in our town. Joining Macra can be a great way to combat social isolation and loneliness in rural Ireland. 

"We hope to continue our work on this matter as young farmers ourselves," the girls say.

Keep an eye on their instagram for updates and see more about Irish Angus on @absolute_angus 
For more information about the competition check out www.certifiedirishangus.ie