Great achievement: Longford farmer is crowned Irish Hereford Prime Farmer of the Year
Mervyn Johnston: “The challenges are constant. If you take your eye off it, things can start slipping.”
Longford farmer Mervyn Johnston of Cureen, Lanesboro was recently crowned the 2024 Irish Hereford Prime Farmer of the Year. The part-time farmer runs a suckler-to-beef system dominated by Hereford genetics.
“Once you are registered there are a number of targets you have to hit,” Mervyn explained the process that saw him selected as the Irish Hereford Prime Farmer of the Year.
Over 95% of the cattle on the farm are Hereford-bred cattle and a pedigree Hereford bull (originating from the farm of William Jones of the Kenagh Herd) Mervyn's enterprise supplies cattle to Kepak Athleague.
The Hereford-cross store cattle are also bought at Ballymahon Mart and his all male cattle are finished as steers, with the exception of a select few pedigree bulls sold to local dairy farmers. He operates a paddock grazing system to maximise grass utilisation and optimise animal performance.
Achieving such high standards is all down to attention to detail: “The challenges are constant. If you take your eye off it, things can start slipping.”
Referring to him as a “part time” farmer, just because he also holds down a regular job, is a bit of a misnomer: “You do a day's work and you come home, then you change your clothes and you go off again and do another day's work,” he says.
The vocational nature of farming is something Mervyn is well aware of. He says loving what you do is vital for stock management: “You have to treat your animals well and keep them stress free, you can't just put them in a field and forget about them.”
Mervyn and his wife Karen are advocates of lifelong learning. Karen is undertaking an Innovation for Sustainability professional diploma at University College Dublin which includes the creation of a sustainability report for a beef farm.
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Mervyn says they recently introduced a new animal treatment to the operation: “We're just trying a bit of homeopathy with the animals as well. Antibiotics have their place, but it's becoming a worldwide issue.
“It's about animal welfare. I haven't given up the vet, it's the same as everyone else, and I will always have one.”
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Tennyson Egar from Irish Hereford Prime said of the award: “With a strong focus on efficiency, sustainability, and animal welfare, Mervyn Johnston’s farming approach demonstrates the best of modern Hereford beef production.
“His recognition as the 2024 Irish Hereford Prime Farmer of the Year is a testament to his dedication and forward-thinking approach in the sector.”