Dairy gold herd in clover
Connellys of Cloontua Road map out profitable dairy farming route
THE CONNELLYS switched to dairy in 2019 and the awards they’ve won since have helped vindicate that move.
Austin and Yvonne Connelly, along with their quartet of daughters Ava, Anna, Jane and Kate, run a 120-acre holding on the Cloontua Road just outside Tuam.
The milk from their 96 herd of Holstein Friesian cows goes to Aurivo’s Co-Op in Ballaghaderreen. Every two days, a milk tanker arrives in the yard to ferry the milk to the Roscommon town.
The family was chosen as Best New Entrant at the annual Aurivo Milk Quality Awards after their first year of dairying.
Two weeks ago, they picked up the top prize at Aurivo’s 15th Milk Quality Awards, being named Milk Supplier of the Year for 2021, a feat that will see them represent Aurivo at the National Dairy Council (NDC) and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards.
“Every day is a school day. You’re always learning in this job. We’re working on it the whole time,” said Austin, who took over the family farm in 2003 and kept a sheep and suckler operation on the grounds until 2019 …
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