�We started with a Kerry Cow in 1995�. That's according to Christine Hyland, who, together with husband Seamus Hyland, runs the Glenmore farm and food business in west Waterford.
Things are different now for the 80 acre holding just above the Blackwater valley between Lismore and Ballyduff, next to the woodlands and river which gives the farm its name.
(Image: Waterford castle)
Now, the couple run a mixed enterprise, consisting of 60 suckler cows, 10 ewes, one ram, one bull and a thriving new egg business.
The process of converting to organic began in 1996, with farm visits to regional organic pioneers like Michael Hickey.
They re seeded over the years to help with fertility, growing arable silage and undersowing with a grass clover mixture. The mix they have planted is a vibrant organic ley mixture, full of different grasses and herbs:
�The fields were white with clover with the weather this year� Christine tells me, while also making reference to the dandelions in the spring, the timothy and chicory, and the wild grasses that come through in fields without synthetic fertilizers and herbicides.
Their Hereford Angus crosses are sold direct from the farm gate. Before converting to organic, they found the Friesians they stocked very expensive to feed with rations:
�I studied rural planning in college � that was an influence in converting over to organic. We were always rearing Friesians to finish and it was very costly, I preferred the notion of low input and less fertilizers. We feel its just the right way to go.�
In both changing over to organic and in developing their egg business, there were other considerations too: �It was a part time farm, my husband was in construction at the time, and feeding winter rations and the like was very time consuming as a part time operation. The Hereford-Angus' don't need as much rations, mostly they just need them at weaning time�
In January 2009, they initiated their bird business � against all official advice. �At the start we were told it was very difficult for small farms to get involved in the egg business, as the rules and regulations are the same for small and big operators�. This inevitably costs the small operators more as a proportion of overall time and income..
�Friends in Galway encouraged us along, as did Richard and Stella from Ladybird organics. We also did a free range egg production course with Teagasc� she tells me.
They started with 100 hens in a hen house � 100 is the optimum level under organic regulations, as it is considered the natural flocking size for hens.
� Now we have 4 houses and packing station. The birds love it as they can go out all the time�.
Apart from feed and housing differences, another difference under organic regulations is that the birds cannot be debeaked.
�I buy organic stock in Monaghan - day olds - and rear my own chicks. We have both Lowman Browns and Gold Lines�
Their eggs are sold in shops and at markets across the west Waterford and east Cork region, including in Fermoy, Cappoquin, Ballyduff and Dungarvan.
As with the beef and lamb sales, they have found that direct selling opens up new opportunities:
�We started at a new farmers' market in Youghal. There we get to sell mixed sizes. You can't pack an egg of less than 53 grammes for shops. At the market, our boxes are mixed size�
�It is always great when I do the delivery rounds and the eggs are cleaned out and I put in the new batch that were laid in the previous couple of days.
According to Christine, �most shops that I supply didn't stock organic eggs previously so I think that it is the great taste of the eggs, their freshness and the fact that people do like to support local producers that has allowed us to expand the business�.
Glenmore farm will have a stall at the market in Waterford city on the 12th September at the Waterford Harvest Festival, which runs from 10th-19th September. For more, see here
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