Rathcormac native, Jack Kearney, has been named the Young Dairy Farmer of the Year at the National Dairy Awards.
The Mullinahone Young Dairy Farmer of the Year award is presented in recognition of dairy farmers under the age of 35 who have shown exceptional dedication to maintaining the health and welfare of their herd through the implementation of best practices and innovative solutions.
28-year-old Jack is a native of Rathcormac and runs an enterprise in partnership with his mother and father for the last nine years.
Jack’s farm is involved in the Signpost Programme, helping gather on-farm data for research, as well as sharing knowledge with other local farmers to support climate and sustainability actions on farms.
Since coming home to farm, the herd in Rathcormac has doubled and now sees the family milking 160 cows.
Martin Ryan, CEO of Mullinahone Co-Op, presented Mr Kearney with the Mullinahone Co-Op Young Dairy Farmer of the Year award.
When initially named as a finalist, Jack was named alongside Rikki Bayer of Carrignavar, who is in a long-term lease milking 130 dairy cows through two robots. Rikki followed her passion for grass-based dairy farming, progressing through the industry from farm hand to farm manager, to running her own dairy business.
The National Dairy Awards, which recently took place at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise, recognise the highest level of achievement in the dairy sector and celebrate the primary producers, the artisan producers, sector services and the dairy processors as an industry collective.
