Part-time Farmer Wins Top FBD Student Award

10 March, 2004

John Brennan, a part-time farmer from Laois has won the FBD Student of the Year award for 2003.

The 24-year-old is the first part-time farmer to win the prestigious award. He was chosen from 700 graduates of the Teagasc training programme for young entrants to agriculture and the agri-industry.

John, who runs a 40 hectares (100 acres) suckler beef farm at Ballickmoyler, Co. Laois, also works full-time as an Assistant Branch Manager with Glanbia. He was presented with the top student award by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Joe Walsh at a function in Dublin.

The award winner was described by Teagasc Chairman, Dr Tom O’Dwyer, as the epitome of excellence, professionalism and dedication who will serve as a beacon for the next generation of Irish farmers, both full-time and part-time.

“John Brennan is a classic example of the new generation of part-time farmers who have the skills and motivation to operate a productive farm alongside an off-farm job,” said Dr O’Dwyer.

In addition to his farming and business careers, John Brennan is also an active participant in community and rural affairs. He is currently Chairman of the Carlow County Executive of Macra na Feirme.

He is also a strong believer in continuous learning and has recently completed an intensive course on crop protection.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food also presented joint runners-up awards to full-time farmers, Martin Jennings from Cong, Co. Mayo and Dara Kavanagh from Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

Martin Jennings, who is 20, runs a 40 hectares dairy farm on the family farm while Dara Kavanagh, who is 19, is establishing a 50 cow dairy herd on part of the family farm in Wicklow. Both are members of young farmer discussion groups.

Dr O’Dwyer said a growing number of participants in Teagasc training programmes are now opting to travel overseas to complete the 9 month work placement period of their training.

“Almost 100 trainees are currently located on farms outside Ireland. Half of these are in the US, with the remainder in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

He also announced that Teagasc has signed its first work placement agreement with one of the EU accession states. In recent weeks, the organisation has approved an agency in Poland for work-placement of horticultural students.