Grange Beef Research Center, Sheplands Farm, and the Irish National Stud

On Wednesday, our itinerary showed that we would be spending most of the day at the Grange Beef Research Center. As a vegetarian of eight years, I was not looking forward to this day at all. I thought we were going to see slabs of meat, learn about slaughtering, and maybe even taste some meat (grass-fed vs concentrate-fed, maybe?). Thankfully, none of that actually happened.
I learned that cattle in Ireland are mostly grass-fed. Since Ireland has the great weather where there's a downpour of rain one minute, then bright and sunny the next, the green, green grass there is lush, fresh and beautiful. So, if the feed for the cattle is free and nutritious, why waste money on buying concentrates and supplements (like the U.S. has to do)? Grange has nine key concepts to obtain the optimum beef: beef systems, genetics/breeds, animal reproduction, nutrition, forage conservation, grassland, animal housing and storage, animal welfare and health, and beed quality. There are 3 beef production systems: beef from suckler to heard, beef from dairy herd, and modeling beef production. There is a beef production index for sucklers, a growth index in dairy beef cattle, and feed efficiency in sucklers called RFI (residual feed intake). Production of feed is where most of the expenses lie, so it is important for the cattle to have a well-balanced diet while also not running the farm out of business. Grange uses molecular technology to improve fertility. This is relatively controversial, however most of the population has accepted techniques like artificial insemination. Concerning nutrition, the calves are weaned at 7 weeks old and go into bull beef systems and bull growth paths to ensure a healthy growth and development. Forage conservation focuses on ensiling and feeding alternative forages, grass silage/traditional bales, industrial uses, and gaseous emissions. Conservation is incredibly important because the last thing a farmer wants is a deficit (or on the opposite end of the spectrum, an excess) throughout the seasons. Grange is an environmentally conscious company, so any gases emitted during forage processing are monitored and limited. Studies on grasslands focus on maximizing grass in the diet and grazing on legumes. Pasture rotation is maintained so the cows do not graze on grass to the point where it is too short or lack of grazing so the grass gets too long. There was a specific length of grass where it was not too short but not too long and the nutrients were optimal. Even though I would never pursue a future in anything beef related, I definitely learned a good amount of information at the Grange Beef Research Center.
All of my favorite parts of this trip consist of spending time with the locals. Fortunately, we were able to go to Sheplands Farm, a beef cattle farm run by a German man named Heinz Eggert. I am more of a visual learner in general, so I was paying more attention to my surroundings than what the farmers were saying, but that's not to say I didn't learn anything here. We were given a handout upon arrival that contained a graph with the breakdown of farming costs. As expected, feed costs took up a majority of the finances. While here, we learned that Mr. Eggert is running the farm with an organization called Teagasc, associated with Alltech, on a program called the Better Farm Program. The goal of this program is for the farmer(s) to have a steady increase of gross profit, which Mr. Eggert has achieved. The program ensures this by reducing production costs and increasing farm output. There are a few other variables, of course, but so far the program has been quite successful.

Mr. Heinz Eggert on his farm

After our lectures and seeing the farm, we took our bus to the Irish National Stud and Japanese gardens.  The founder of the stud had a fascination with japanese gardens and astrology, an odd combination with breeding horses, but he was definitely doing what he loved. Our tour guide took us around the grounds of the stud and showed us several of the mares with their foals. Then, he lead us over to where the stallions stay. All of the stallions had their own individual paddocks with plenty of space to gallop and do whatever they please. They were all quite beautiful but one stallion really stood out. Invincible Spirit is his name and he is insured for 60 million euros. SIXTY MILLION. For a horse! It's total madness to me, but I'm sure the people there know what they are doing. Invincible has an incredible amount of offspring, most with great records like him.

After our tour of the stud, we were able to explore the Japanese gardens on our own. The gardens were so beautiful with the exotic flowers and vibrant colors. Even the stonework was beautiful. Definitely a must-see if you're even in this area of Ireland! The pictures really do not do it justice.

Much like every other evening after our learning time was over, I was starving! So, me and the lovely girl from the University of Wyoming made our way on to the other side of the Liffey to check out the restaurant scene. We didn't have to look far because right in front of us was a place called O'Shea's Merchant.

Our stomachs were roaring so we weren't about to be picky, as long as there was a place to sit. I really enjoyed this little pub. It was dimly lit and relatively quiet, considering that in nearly every pub there is almost always live music and large crowds. Perhaps it was because we were having an early dinner, but either way, this was a lovely place to end the day. Also, my meal here was particularly delicious and the presentation of the food! Maybe it was just because I was so hungry, but look for yourselves :) This was also the first place that I managed to stuff down a dessert as well. Totally worth it.