A decade after the end of milk quotas, one former dairy farmer reflects on expansion, exit, and finding a new purpose beyond the farm.
Ten years ago this week, farmers in the small Tipperary village of Nine Mile House celebrated like it was the early 1980s.
The reason? The abolition of milk quotas, which in a bid to reduce over-production across Europe had constrained milk production in Ireland and the EU since 1983.
Among those celebrating at a milk quota abolition party was Walter Power, a dairy farmer who, perhaps with a touch of humour, described the end of quotas as “the biggest thing since we got rid of the Black and Tans”.
Like many of his colleagues, Walter took full advantage of the new-found freedom, significantly expanding his herd in the years that followed. But now, a decade later, his life has taken a different turn. He has retired from dairy farming and embarked on a new career as a tour guide.
“I suppose I was nearer to the end of my career than I thought I was,” says Walter, reflecting on the party.
“I continued dairy farming until 2023, but effectively, the last milk I sent was in 2022. Myself and my good wife Margaret reared four great, hard-working children. They worked hard in school and on the farm, but farming wasn’t for them.
“So at the end of ’22, I sold most of the cows, then sold the replacement heifers in ’23 and leased the farm. I was just coming up to 60, and there’s a time for everything, and that was my time to retire.”
Retiring from dairy farming was not a decision taken lightly, and Walter acknowledges the uncertainty that came with it.
“You never know if you are doing the right thing. I loved dairy farming, but there was a time to stop being a dairy farmer. We were incredibly busy, going from 150 to 350 cows, and it was getting very hard to get help,” he says.
“I wanted to spend less time on the farm, but I was actually spending more and more time on it.”
So what’s it like watching someone else farm the land now after all his years of hard work?
“For me personally, no problem. My attitude to the land was that I have the use of it. When Margaret and myself are gone, all four children will have the use of it.
“At this moment, none of them are going farming. That doesn’t bother me, at least they can do whatever they want to do with it, but I can empathise with people that it would break their heart to see somebody else farming their farm.
“I gave a year going to Libya with cattle for Purcells. And then I spent five years in America. So I was away from 17 or 18 until I was 25 or 26, so I suppose I wasn’t married to it to the degree that some people are.
“Some people would say it was a brave thing to do, and more people would say the opposite. And it’s like they were both right. It all depends on perspective,” adds Walter, explaining that he just had other interests.
One of those things was training to become a tour guide, a move that led him to work at Kilkenny Castle last year.
“This year, I’ll be doing walking tours in my own area. Some of my friends will farm until the day they die. For them, it was almost like I was letting down the side. But I always said, ‘I’m not wearing the wellies to the coffin’. And I’m very happy saying that.
“I loved milking cows—it was one of the nicest jobs I ever did. But the paperwork, the rules, and regulations, I didn’t have enough energy to keep doing that.
“I always thought I was pretty well-informed, but all I could see was more and more rules and regulations. We were at a cow per acre, with all our grazing platform in place.
“We had two milking parlours – one on the home farm and another on a rented farm a mile and a half away. That system helped in early and late grazing, but the overall trend in dairy farming was towards more restrictions, and that made life increasingly difficult.
“I definitely didn’t think I’d be out of dairy farming 10 years after quotas ended. There was always some belief that one of the children might take up farming, but they didn’t. It was no issue for us because we had the conversation on the table for years before making our decision.”
Walter credits his financial prudence with allowing him the freedom to retire when he wanted to.
“We never borrowed huge sums. We had a simple, profitable system, and we could exit when we wanted to. We went from 150 cows to 350 cows in a very short time, but we had some cash reserves coming out of quota and some property we were able to sell.
“We started dairy farming with just 30 cows. I always believed in borrowing for stock or necessary investments like reseeding or drainage.
“But borrowing huge sums for machinery? That was bonkers. When we had our machinery auction, it raised just €45,000 – including two telescopic loaders and a tractor. But they were all old.”
So has quota abolition been good for Irish dairy farmers?
“Absolutely, absolutely. It was excellent for dairy farming. The current situation isn’t perfect, but if quotas had stayed, dairy farming would be in dire straits. That said, I do think the regulators – the Department and the processors – need to be more mindful of the farmers.
“The golden goose is the man milking the cows, but every year, there were new hurdles. Looking ahead, there are even more regulations coming, and they’re stretching farmers too much. Processors should shoulder more of the burden instead of passing it all on to farmers.”
Walter’s transition from dairy farming to guiding tourists (Walk with Walter) was a natural step.
“I was always interested in local history, a love I got from my father. I trained as a national tour guide in Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, which was fantastic. At that stage, I still had some stock, but I was three days a week in Clare, with homework to do, and still a bit of farming.
“That transition gave me purpose. Last year, I worked in Kilkenny Castle for the OPW. It was a great experience, especially being told what to do for the first time in 50 years!”
He laughs as he recalls the freedom that came with stepping away from the farm.
“Margaret and I went away for our 30th wedding anniversary. The day before, I was working in Kilkenny Castle, and it dawned on me – when we had the farm, going away was always a stressful period, with so much to organise. But this time, the day before was as good as the days we were away. That was an eye-opener.”
Walter’s advice to those contemplating retirement is simple: “If you’re absolutely married to farming, you should stay at it. If you cut yourself off completely, you’ll be lost, like a tree without roots. But if you have other interests that give you purpose, then you should strongly consider it.
“A friend of mine said something that stuck with me: 60 to 80 is 20 years. Most of us, hopefully, will live to 80 with a reasonable quality of life. But if you keep working too hard, you might bring that cut-off point forward.
“If you can afford to retire and you keep pushing, you might be making that quality-of-life period shorter. That’s something to think about.”
For Walter Power, the past decade has been one of change, reflection, and new beginnings. While he still cherishes his years as a dairy farmer, he is content with the road he has taken.
“I loved dairy farming, but I love what I’m doing now too. And that’s a good place to be.”
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