Now in its 13th year, the awards are an annual national programme which recognise dairy farming excellence – the most prestigious awards ceremony for Irish dairy farmers. This is the second time in three years that an Aurivo supplier has scooped the top award.
Dairy co-operatives nationwide put forward their top suppliers for the awards each year. Nominated farms undergo a detailed assessment by an expert judging panel based on milk quality, sustainable farming practices, technical knowledge and animal welfare on-farm practices.
Husband and wife team Austin and Yvonne are the fourth generation farmers at the Connelly homestead in Tuam. Austin took over the family farm in 2003 and continued suckler and sheep farming until he and Yvonne took the leap and switched to dairy in 2019, making this award an absolutely tremendous achievement given they are relatively new to dairy farming.
Today, they milk 97 Holstein Friesian cows on 120 acres and enjoy the family life balance dairying has allowed them to have with their four daughters – Ava, Anna, Jane and Kate.
The Connelly family have credited their successes in dairy farming to putting into practice what they have learned from other dairy farmers, the support and expertise of their Aurivo milk advisor and Aurivo team and Teagasc, as well as utilising what they have on farm first, making the most of the grass with as little input and meal as possible while working with the environment.
Commenting, Stephen Blewitt, Aurivo’s general manager of dairy, said: “I would like to personally congratulate Austin and Yvonne and their four daughters on their success. The Connellys are wonderful ambassadors for Aurivo and the dairy farming community and their dedication to producing the highest quality dairy produce, while working with the environment.
“This is a significant award for both the Connelly family and the entire Aurivo Co-op team. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the dairy team involved in every aspect of milk supplier advice, milk collection, the lab and quality team and particularly head of farm enterprise Michael O’Brien and farm profitability specialist Majella McCafferty who played a major role in helping Austin, Yvonne, Ava, Anna, Jane and Kate to win the award.”
Said Raymond Barlow, chairman, Aurivo: “The high standard of milk produced and products made by Aurivo are a credit to each one of our farmers and the vast amount of work they put into their farms every day. A quality award such as the NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards further confirms Aurivo’s constant strive for excellence and the production of the highest quality dairy products. This is a celebration for the entire Aurivo group and one we can all be very proud of.”
