Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
'Putting sustainability at the heart of a conventional dairy farm”"
Bryan and Gail Daniels are both full-time conventional dairy farmers in Co. Kilkenny. They farm 157 hectares (388 ac) on varying soil types, at altitudes of 238-309m. They took on the farm at the time of quotas and found they couldn’t increase their income, so their focus became producing the cheapest litre of milk possible.
Since, they’ve been continuously ahead of the curve; using protected urea for 8 years, using Lower Emission Slurry Spreading since 2009 and using Selective Dry Cow Therapy since 2012. Their prerogative is to make their business resilient, Bryan says ‘we are trying to pre-empt anything that can be taken away from us'. Crucial to their operation is a careful breeding program where they don’t breed from cows who get lame, have a high cell count or a bad temperament and as a result, produce milk with a cell count of around 78.
They have reduced synthetic nitrogen use by over 50% from 220kg/ha in the last few years by incorporating clover. They’ve also put their foot down with their feed supplier, insisting on soya and palm-free feed from now on. This is part of a longer-term plan to ultimately use all Irish-grown grain. They’ve weaned themselves off herbicides too, using just 1 litre for spot treatments.
The Daniels have a long family tradition of farming in harmony with nature being passed on from generation to generation. They are in ACRES and have put in low input grasslands using Timothy and Coxfoot, rather than Rye but ‘try to do what is right for nature, rather than chase a grant'.
He counts some of his hobbies as rebuilding stone walls and hedge-laying. They are continuously working on creating more habitats, particularly to provide accommodation for bats at the end of the farm without any outbuildings. They often see buzzards, sparrowhawks, kestrels and kites. There are solitary bees in clay banks and dragonflies in the river.
Thanks to NPWS and DAFM for supporting this event
'Putting sustainability at the heart of a conventional dairy farm”"
Bryan and Gail Daniels are both full-time conventional dairy farmers in Co. Kilkenny. They farm 157 hectares (388 ac) on varying soil types, at altitudes of 238-309m. They took on the farm at the time of quotas and found they couldn’t increase their income, so their focus became producing the cheapest litre of milk possible.
Since, they’ve been continuously ahead of the curve; using protected urea for 8 years, using Lower Emission Slurry Spreading since 2009 and using Selective Dry Cow Therapy since 2012. Their prerogative is to make their business resilient, Bryan says ‘we are trying to pre-empt anything that can be taken away from us'. Crucial to their operation is a careful breeding program where they don’t breed from cows who get lame, have a high cell count or a bad temperament and as a result, produce milk with a cell count of around 78.
They have reduced synthetic nitrogen use by over 50% from 220kg/ha in the last few years by incorporating clover. They’ve also put their foot down with their feed supplier, insisting on soya and palm-free feed from now on. This is part of a longer-term plan to ultimately use all Irish-grown grain. They’ve weaned themselves off herbicides too, using just 1 litre for spot treatments.
The Daniels have a long family tradition of farming in harmony with nature being passed on from generation to generation. They are in ACRES and have put in low input grasslands using Timothy and Coxfoot, rather than Rye but ‘try to do what is right for nature, rather than chase a grant'.
He counts some of his hobbies as rebuilding stone walls and hedge-laying. They are continuously working on creating more habitats, particularly to provide accommodation for bats at the end of the farm without any outbuildings. They often see buzzards, sparrowhawks, kestrels and kites. There are solitary bees in clay banks and dragonflies in the river.
Thanks to NPWS and DAFM for supporting this event
