The 17th annual Milk Quality Awards hosted by Aurivo was held on the 7th May to honour commitment, dedication, and overall excellence in dairy farming. A total of eight farms were awarded for their work in 2023, ranging from Champion of Sustainability to most improved SCC. Each of these farms have been recognised by Aurivo for factors such as their dedication to animal welfare, sustainable farming practices, and excellence in milk quality

Dara Killeen, Overall Winner and Aurivo Champion of Sustainability
Dara and Beatrix Killeen, of Bawnmore farm in Co. Galway, were chosen as the overall winner, and were honoured for their commitment to excellent milk quality and sustainability across all aspects of farming practice.

Sustainability is brought into everyday practice through milk-recording, the use of EBI and DBI indexes when making breeding decisions, participating in the National Genotyping Programme and protected urea use. The inclusion of clover and multi species swards has reduced the amount of chemical fertiliser used on farm. There is ample space for nature, with 10km of hedgerows, allowing biodiversity to flourish.

Having been passed down for four generations, Bawnmore farm is a true family affair, with Dara relying heavily on the help and support of his parents Mary and Charlie, wife Beatrix, and two children, Isabella and Oliver. Dara began milking in 2019, leaving the world of sheep and beef farming behind, and now has 160 high EBI, cross-bred cows on 120 hectares.

He will now go on to represent Aurivo at the NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards, which seeks to celebrate excellence in milk suppliers.

Aurivo Milk Quality Awards Overall Winners 2023, Isabella, Dara, Oliver and Beatrix Killeen of Bawnmore Farm in Co. Galway

Donal Tierney, Chief Executive of Aurivo, sincerely thanked the farms involved for their commitment, stating “Without the hard work and dedication afforded to us by our farming families, Aurivo would not be able to produce some of the best quality dairy products in the world. It is an absolute pleasure to honour our awardees who have thrived despite a difficult 2023 that involved challenging weather and declining milk prices. As we continue into 2024, I look forward to our enduring partnerships that allow us to maintain producing the highest quality dairy products while simultaneously protecting and safeguarding the environment around us.”

The seven other milk suppliers honoured for their excellence in dairy farming include:

Michael Marley, Excellence in Udder Health:
Hailing from Templeogue, Co. Sligo, the Marley family have been farming for three generations. With 26 Holstein Friesian cows, Michael attributes his success in udder health to good hygiene practices, including clean mats; liming twice a day, and post-spraying. In addition, he prides himself on his attention to detail, watching closely for clots in filter socks.

Ian McKeague, Lowest TBC in Liquid Milk:
Ian McKeague farms 100 Pedigree Holstein cows in Culdaff, Co. Donegal. The McKeague family have been farming since records began, and as such, have developed a surefire way to ensure their liquid milk contains the lowest TBC possible. The practice involves three hot and one cold wash after every four milkings with the auto washer maintaining consistency in the wash routine. Ian’s attention to detail and excellent hygiene practices guarantees low levels of bacteria in his milk.

Back: Raymond Barlow Aurivo Chairman, Lawrence McNamee Aurivo Board Member, Lisa McKeague, Ian McKeague, Donal Tierney Aurivo CEO, Paul Cullinan Aurivo Dairy Advisor.
Front: Anna, Grace and Rose McKeague.

Kevin Madden, Most Improved SCC
Kevin Madden has been honoured for the most improved somatic cell count on his farm in Roxborough, outside Roscommon town. He milks 110 Holstein Friesian cows with the help of his wife Lyndsey and son, Owen. Kevin attributes his improved SCC to strident milk-recording and hygiene practices including dipping clusters after each cow and stripping each cow every morning.

Raymond Barlow Chairman Aurivo, Tommie Devine Dairy Advisor Aurivo, Michael Kenny Aurivo Board Member and Aurivo CEO Donal Tierney with Kevin Madden and his family from Co. Roscommon, awarded for Most Improved SCC at Aurivo Milk Quality Awards.

Craig Finnerty, Highest Average Milk Solids
Craig comes from a first-generation farm in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway where he farms 70 Jersey-cross cows. Craig receives a helping hand from his father Paddy, mother Collette, wife Laura and his five boys, Jamie, Luke, Kyle, Charlie and Leo. Having secured the award for the highest average milk solids, Craig believes his success comes from the farms grass quality, grazing the right covers, a good baseline of stock, breeding the best quality cow, and a compact calving rate.

Back: Raymond Barlow Aurivo Chairman, Kevin Callanan Aurivo Board Member, Craig Finnerty, Colette Finnerty, Paddy Finnerty, Killian Bannon Aurivo Dairy Advisor, Donal Tierney Aurivo CEO.
Front: Luke, Jamie and Kyle Finnerty.

Vincent Diskin, Best New Entrant
Vincent took over his fourth-generation family farm near Tuam, Galway in 2015, making the decision to convert to dairy farming in the process. He now milks 60 high-EBI Holstein Friesians on his farm in which he lives with wife, Andrea and their three children, Luke, Keith, and Ella, as well as his father Paddy. Vincent credits his success to several factors including his attention to detail on grass, hygiene practices on the farm and a willingness to learn and adapt.

Raymond Barlow Aurivo Chairman, Killian Bannon Aurivo Dairy Advisor, Andrea, Ella, Luke, Vincent, Keith, Carmel and Paddy Diskin, Seamus Killoran Aurivo Board member (back), Donal Tierney Aurivo CEO.

William McCollum, Best Northern Ireland Supplier
William has been farming at Carin Farm in Coleraine, Co. Derry for 50 years, now milking 300 Holsteins with his son Andrew. Having been recognised as the best Northern Ireland Supplier for 2023, William attributes his success to his strident focus on genetics, closely followed by optimal management to keep SCC low, as well as dry cow management. His aim is always to keep his cows in positive energy, resulting in high fat and protein.

Raymond Barlow Aurivo Chairman, Allister Erskine Aurivo Dairy Advisor, Andrew and Jane McCollum, Lawrence McNamee Aurivo Board Member, Donal Tierney Aurivo CEO, David Nesbitt Aurivo Dairy Advisor.

Michael Gibbons, Lowest TBC in Manufacturing Milk
Michael, from Claremorris in Mayo, currently milks 40 Holstein Friesian cows. He is a second-generation farmer, having took over the farm from his father. During the 38 years Michael has been perfecting his craft, he has come up with a robust approach to lower TBC in manufacturing milk. This includes a strict hotwash routine of caustic and descale in place, ensuring the correct temperatures at the start of hot wash and discarding the water at the right temperature, having the right equipment for cooling the milk using a variable speed pump and plate cooler and regular inspections of the milking equipment.

Raymond Barlow Aurivo Chairman, Simona Ciorita Aurivo Dairy Advisor, Michael Gibbons, Eamon Gibbons, Siru Vannemaa, Aurivo CEO Donal Tierney.