Michael McManus Farming For Nature Ambassador 2021 скачать в хорошем качестве

Michael McManus Farming For Nature Ambassador 2021

Michael McManus hails from county Leitrim where he farms a suckler herd over 180 acres. The organic farm is comprised of 3 distinct areas. The first is described as ‘rocky outcrop’ land, the second is ‘sandy loam’ land and the third he describes as a ‘shale type’ land. All three of these distinct areas contain their own rich variety of grasses and vegetation. Michael operates a rotational grazing system, whereby the animals are moved from one area to the next throughout the year. They are moved in accordance with the stage of growth they are at or whether they have calves on them at the time – “I firmly believe that having different plant types for cattle to graze on provides them with a wide range of minerals and nutrients. I think cattle have natural curiosity that needs to be satisfied – they enjoy grazing different areas that have different types of vegetation.” The natural meadows have not been reseeded and provide great biodiversity on the farm. “The grazing of this type of land with cattle helps promote the natural vegetation here. The only management of the land is the cattle grazing, then letting the grasses and flowers grow (buttercup, rushes, meadowsweet and so on) then cutting the meadow for hay/silage later in the summer.” The cattle overwinter outdoors where they are supplemented with some meal and hay/silage. Michael is interested in agroforestry, permaculture and preserving traditional methods of farming. He values nature, heritage and biodiversity on his farm.