Teagasc – Helping Farmers Turn Ideas into Action

Transforming ideas into new businesses was the main theme of the first ever Teagasc Rural Entrepreneurship conference held today, Thursday, 19 October, in Mullingar, County Westmeath. The aim of the conference was to assist and guide people with new business ideas to set up their own enterprise.

Paul McCarthy, Teagasc Rural Business Specialist, urged the 300 people attending the conference to be positive and to pursue the opportunities that exist in areas where they have particular strengths.

John Concannon, Chief Executive of JFC, speaking at the conference, said that a person who succeeds in developing an idea into a business is a person with determination and one who never gives up and never envisages their ideas or products failing. He urged those attending to start by taking small steps, writing down their ideas, and developing a plan for the business.

Angela Lacey set up a business to solve farmers’ paper headaches. Her business Deerpark Farm Services, assists farmers in organising herd profiles, bovine registers and general farm administration. Angela advised the conference delegates that the most effective tool for anyone who is starting their own business is a business management plan.

Raymond O’Malley, Chairman of Biogreen Energy products told delegates how his company has expanded from crushing 60 tonnes of oilseed rape in its first year, to crushing approximately 12,000 tonnes in 2006/07. He said that Biogreen has made things happen in a small way. Big things are waiting to happen but we as a nation must decide that we want Bio-energy to work.

To-date 15,000 farm families have participated in the Teagasc Options Programme, where the first seeds of diversifying into a new enterprise are uncovered. Farmers are then offered the opportunity to attend a Rural Business Start Up course, to help them research their idea, develop marketing skills, assess the financial aspects and complete a business plan.

Over the last year 300 people have completed the training course and 100 people completed business plans. This process has seen people diversify into a range of businesses such as agri services, tourism, manufacturing, services, equine and food.

The JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business were also launched at the Teagasc Conference. The closing date for entries is Thursday 30 November, 2006.