They say that you should “never let the grass grow under your feet “ but there is no need to tell a busy farmer that especially this time of year.
Ironically, fantastic grass growth is exactly what any grassland farmer needs for his dairy, beef, or sheep enterprise throughout the year with quality silage needed to boot.
Nobody knows grass better than local Castlehaven man Roland Whelton whether it’s on the football field or in the paddock.
Having a huge interest in farming with a particular interest in on-farm grass utilization, and preservation to get the best return from this vital energy source.
With many years of experience as a Technical Sales Advisor, Roland joined the Agway team in 2021 for the West Cork region.
Roland studied Dairy Herd Management followed by completing a level 8 BSc Hons in Agriculture.
Keen to expand his knowledge to support his role and his clients, Roland studied Pest Control and Sustainable use of Pesticides at UCD.
Roland enjoys sharing his knowledge locally on maximizing animal performance, including calf health and nutrition with Agway's excellent range of milk replacers.
He also offers in-depth knowledge of grassland management, grass variety options, and full reseeding programs to promote farm production in the most cost-effective way.
Joe O'Mahony, an Aherla native who has over 40 years of experience in the Agri industry is MD and co-founded Agway back in 1987.
Joe says “We are delighted to have Roland on board with us in Agway alongside Andew O’Connell who is based in the extended Cork area. Since the beginning, Agway has led the way in innovation by being one of the first companies to introduce both silage inoculants and slurry additives in Ireland. Agway has a history of technical expertise coupled with excellent customer service that has set Agway apart from its competitors and we are delighted that Roland can share this expertise with our valued West Cork customers”.
Grass has been a core part of Agway's business from the beginning.
Recognizing the unique way in which Irish grassland is utilized, as well as making up the most costeffective part of the rumen diets is the basis of our products.
5-star grass seed such as Stockmans Edge has the advantage of including high-quality 5-star grass varieties in the mixtures to maximize the grazing potential and animal performance from your pasture.
We also stock Multispecie mixes and clover blends. SweetSile is a premium silage additive for improving the nutritive value and preservation of grass silage for more than 30 years.
The use of Agway is also stockist of the New top rating variety “Vast” - a new late tetraploid ryegrass from DLF.
Vast is delivering the ultimate combination of density, quality and production for grazing to maximise stock performance and productivity.
SweetSile results in an intensive lactic acid formation which drops the pH value quickly in silage crops.
Agway also stocks SweetCorn M-100, a cereal additive incorporating a unique combination of lactic acid bacteria for improving the stability of Whole-Crop Cereal, Maize, and Crimped Grain Silage after your pit is opened.
Roland added “Grass is clearly the number one driver for profitability on farm.
A huge investment is made by farmers every year between establishing new paddocks with suitable varieties and costly fertilizers to achieve good quality silage.
It is vital to ensure that you get the best value and preservation to have suitable high-energy fodder for the Winter months “ The correct use of additives to maximize onfarm profits speak for themselves:
SweetSile Yields and DM intake: Avg. 0.5kg/cow/day increase in DM intake Avg. 1.2kg/cow/day increase in milk yield Avg. 70g/cow/day increase in milk fat yield Avg. 55g/cow/day increase in milk protein yield €100 extra/ cow (Winter Milk at 60c/litre over a 150 day Winter) €39.75 extra/ weanling (Price at €4.50/kg over a 150 day Winter)
