“Small, light on land and easy to mow from the grass – Dexters are ideal for organic farmers”
When Niall Moynihan took over the 64ac family farm in Co Cork from his father in 2003, his aim was to keep it economically productive and environmentally responsible.
Selling produce directly wasn’t really on his radar, but in 2009, while studying MSc in organic farming at SRUC in Scotland, he visited organic farms who were doing just that.
“It opened my eyes to the possibilities of direct selling even for a smaller family business,” he says. “Here at Duhallow Organics we produce excellent quality meat and by selling direct we are able to get a good return on what we do.
“It’s a simple approach that takes a lot of work, but our meat is a fantastic product, produced to extremely high animal welfare standards.
“We farm in a truly sustainable way with myriad environmental benefits, which is good farming history and a good option for many farmers.
“We started selling organic eggs direct in 2010 and now have around 400 laying hens and sell to 15 independent shops in Cork, Kerry and Limerick.
“We now sell organic beef, poultry and pork products direct and demand is strong and growing.”
Niall farms in Boherbue, near Mallow, with his partner Emer Fahey and their three young children. When he went organic at the Irish Organic Association in 2006, they were producing weaners from Simmental and Charolais cattle.
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Niall Moynihan sells his product direct to the consumer
The farmland is heavy clay, so breeding these breeds from grass and buying organic concentrates wasn’t really a viable option.
“After a particularly wet summer of housing animals, I started looking into smaller breeds, and the Dexter really shined,” says Niall.
“I started by buying five pregnant heifers and selling the meat at farmers’ markets. Then in 2015/16 I switched the whole herd to Dexter and we now have about 45 cows and breed our own replacement from a Dexter bull.
“The animals are ready after about 30 months, as this gives them time to mature nicely so the meat can marble and the flavors can develop properly. The texture of the meat from smaller animals is excellent, and adding weed to it really improves the flavor.
“After slaughter, the animals mature for 30 days and are then expertly butchered by an artisan butcher before being sold either fresh or quick-frozen to consumers and restaurants.”
Handling a rare breed like the Dexter requires specific husbandry skills.
“We didn’t know much about Dexters before we bought them,” says Niall. “Like other rare breeds, they are not overly domesticated and some members of the herd can be strong-willed at times.
“We practice holistic grazing and put the animals on fresh grass every day so that they get used to a certain amount of handling, which is increased during the housing period. Keeping the stress level of the animals low is a priority for us.
“I was delighted to see rare breeds being accepted into the ACRES program – breeds like Dexter have unique characteristics and it’s great to see breeds that were once on the verge of extinction being bred again.
“These animals are about half the size of a typical Hereford or Angus, they are very light on land, cause little compaction and are easy to finish off the grass, making them ideal for organic farmers.”
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Niall says, “Like other rare breeds, they are not overly domesticated and part of the herd can be strong-willed at times.”
Duhallow Organics works closely with neighboring organic farms to raise their animals cooperatively.
“We work with like-minded local farmers who finish our animals for us all year round,” says Niall.
“We kill about four animals a month; This way we can ensure continuity of supply while farmers receive a guaranteed price.
“It’s a win-win and really helps build a very local food supply chain. The animals are slaughtered at slaughterhouses in Ballincollig, Mitchelstown and Macroom, all within a 40-mile radius of the farm.
“Small local slaughterhouses are dying out in Ireland and we need to reverse this trend as they are vital to sustainable food production for both farmers and small producers who raise their own animals
.”
The Covid-19 pandemic led to a dramatic change in Duhallow Dexter’s business.
“Before Covid, we sold about 20 of our produce at three farmers’ markets a week and the other 80 at restaurants,” says Niall.
“Then when Covid hit our business turned around completely, with 80 units being sold direct to consumers and the rest through shops and restaurants.
“This trend has continued, with consumers buying the bulk of our produce at the farm.
“It was a real test for our business, but fortunately it worked out well. We’re producing grass-ready organic meat and people are becoming more conscious of how their food is produced.
“I’m not a marketing guru but I do know one thing: if people didn’t like our meat they wouldn’t keep buying it and the majority of our customers are repeat customers so we must be doing something right!
“People can order our meat online and our meat box sizes vary from 5kg to 20kg, giving customers a variety of options based on their needs. We cater to specific dietary needs of specific customers, so organs and bones can also be included in their order.
“Our customers are mostly local and we have a developing national market for our products sold through our website.”
Grace Maher is Development Officer at the Irish Organic Association, grace.maher@irishoa.ie
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/beef/beef-farm-profiles/small-light-on-land-and-easily-finished-off-grass-dexters-are-ideal-for-organic-farmers-42266910.html “Small, light on land and easy to mow from the grass – Dexters are ideal for organic farmers”