I have a personal and academic interest in farming. I spent every weekend of my childhood on our family farm (my grandparent’s homeplace). I don’t romanticize farm life—it’s hard work that never ends. But I do love to spend time in the country and meeting the people who grow our food.
One of my colleagues in Mayo, Michael Gill, is a part-time farmer and professor at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Mayo. He and I met my first week on campus. I asked him if he would show me his farm and take me to the Mart—the cattle auction—this fall. Last Saturday (November 26), it finally happened.
Ken and I met Michael at the mart at 10, but we arrived around 9:30 and entered a sophisticated labyrinth of cattle stalls and pens. Buy/observers were ushered up onto a huge catwalk that gave us a safe and bird’s eye view of cattle as they were unloaded and moved into three areas: one of heifers (young female cows), dairy cows, and bullocks (or steers), a castrated male). The cattle were packed into pens that held 8 larger or 10 small animals. There were three bulls—they were allowed private bullpens because they are large, aggressive, and unpredictable.
We met Michael at 10 and he took us down to the floor after the cattle were secured. He was in the market for 2-4 bullocks, preferably 500 kg or larger. He explained the beef grading system in Europe, and how to look for bullocks that are likely to fill out (beef-up) well. The larger the bullocks purchased means that he can prepare the animal for slaughter more efficiently and inexpensively.
As a business practice, cattle farming has narrow margins. Michael isn’t interested in younger, smaller bullocks, as the cost of feeding and fattening isn’t cost effective. The larger animals are more expensive to purchase but are less expensive to get ready for market.
Michael pointed out different body types. Bullocks with flat backs are more likely to fatten well, while rounded backs are more likely to grow, but not put on extra meat. With that cursory knowledge we moved into the bidding arena, where animals were brought in one at a time for auction. Balla Mart is open most Saturdays and auctions off approximately 1000 animals per week. Some cattle will sell beef in lots (i.e., 4-8 animals at time) and can move through more animals. The Mart manager explained that Irish farmer prefer to bid on one animal at time.
Before we entered the arena, I met several farmers and Mart regulars who were standing at the main door. These men were characters—teasing one another and cracking jokes. They were very friendly and welcoming, and seemed thrilled that an American academic would be interested in a cattle auction.
The auction ring was smaller than I expected, but Michael explained that there are three auction rings in the mart for the three types of cattle sold.
Above the ring were two screens that gave the vital statistics of the bullocks: the farmer selling (including where their farm is located), along with the breed, weight, health status, birth date, and number of times the animal has been sold. Like all auctions, the bidding starts with an opening bid from the auctioneer and is either accepted or bid down by the buyers. I met several professional buyers—men who represent farms from all over the Irish republic and Northern Ireland who buy in bulk for large farms. They often started the bidding, typically 2-3 thousand euro below what the auctioneer offered.
I was the only woman in the arena, and that attracted some attention from the other farmers. I stood between Michael and Ken, and Michael told me when to start bidding. The first two animals I bid on I bought and got a good price. Ken and Michael said that there was some surprise when I started bidding, as folks were stunned that I was actually buying. Michael said that several of the farmers simply stared in disbelief at what was going on. I bid on about 17 animals and bought 3. The last one (a huge Aberdeen Angus) was the most expensive. By that time, the other buyers knew I was serious and started to actively bid against me.
When we left the auction we went to the Mart canteen, which offered a variety of foods and a full Irish breakfast. That was an opportunity to chat with other Mart regulars. One man tried to talk me into buying a property close to where we are now renting. As he said, “An American’s going to buy it, it might as well be you.” I was expecting a farm parcel with a cottage, but the Ross House is actually a manor house on a lovely peninsula on Clew Bay, and decidedly out of my price range.
After our tea break, Michael invited us to his farm to see his property and cattle. His friend, Tom asked if we’d like to drive out in his cattle truck, “just for the craic.” It was a huge tractor trailer that can haul up to 30 cattle in two trailers. Ken and I climbed the ladder into the rig, and we took off down a series of small laneways. The views from the truck were spectacular.
The main farmland was Michael’s home place. Once a dairy farm, he pastures small breed cattle, Belted Galloways (that look like Oreo cookie cows) and Highland cattle (that look like fuzzy calves). He also has large breeds, but he moves them around to ensure that the pasture isn’t too rutted as the ground is soggy in the winter.
We walked the pastures of his varied parcels—he has several that are withing walking distance of his homeplace and several others that are non-continuous. Like many farmers in my home state of West Virginia, he has purchased and leased land across the nearby townland to meet the needs of his small-scale farm.
The landscape was incredibly beautiful. It started as a cloudy day that cleared in late afternoon with a beautiful blue sky with fast-moving clouds that are common here in Ireland. In the various parcels Michael had set up solar powered auto-feeders that would empty meal into feeders twice day. He also spreads silage once a week. His automated system is set up so he can work his full-time job weekdays and then attend to the animals on the weekend.
Since we arrived in August, Ken and I have been impressed with the local meat and produce available in Irish markets. Almost everything is grown or raised locally (except berries) and the quality of the grass-fed beef, the sweetest milk I’ve ever tasted, and fresh produce at the local Lidl is what we would expect at the Whole Foods at home. Locals tell us that prices are up, but they are significantly cheaper than the prices were seeing in the U.S. in August.
Michael loves farming. His land and his animals are his vocation or calling. There is no real money in farming, he tells me, but he loves the work and keeping the land in production. I appreciate the fact that these animals are living as they should—grazing and eating grass, not shoved into feedlots as is the practice in the U.S. As a result, the animals are healthy and happy, and certainly well cared for.
The food quality in Ireland is outstanding. We have Irish farmers to thank for that.
With thanks to Anne Reynolds, I have found your blog.
i love that you have cows! 💖