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00:00Hello and welcome to Ear to the Ground.
00:03Well, it's been a traumatic and worrying time for the poultry sector here.
00:07I've been meeting some of those affected by the bird flu outbreak
00:10and asking what needs to be done now.
00:14Stephen is in Carlow on a very important day for one baker.
00:18It's been a bit nervous. I know I said I wasn't nervous,
00:20but I suppose I was holding it in earlier.
00:23And Ella is in Cork with a dairy farmer who doesn't own a blade of grass.
00:29At the end of the day, what we own here is our cows.
00:32If we have to move these cows and go elsewhere, we go elsewhere.
00:35And if we want out, we get out.
00:56As Christmas approaches, many people across the country
01:00will have already placed their orders for the festive turkey.
01:03But for the farmers who make that happen and the wider poultry sector,
01:07the last three weeks have brought devastation for some and fear and worry for others.
01:14The virus has been detected in over 40 wild birds this year
01:18and yesterday cases were confirmed in a Carlow farmer's turkey flock.
01:23Bird flu has made an unwelcome return to our shores.
01:28On the 29th of October, Carlow-based poultry farmer John Fitzgerald
01:32became the first commercial grower here to see it in his flock of 4,000 turkeys.
01:38When did you first realise there was a problem?
01:41It would have been Wednesday evening.
01:44Paddy, who looks after the feeds of beds of birds,
01:47rang me and said there was about 15 turkeys dead in the shed,
01:51which would be highly unusual.
01:52So we said we'd leave him for the night and the next morning he rang again
01:55and he said it's not good.
01:57He said there's about 50 dead.
01:59So straight away alarm bells were ringing.
02:01By Friday morning, a further 200 birds had died.
02:05Obviously it was kind of heartbreaking to see...
02:08It is heartbreaking because it's, you know,
02:11you put everything in for the Christmas season
02:13and then, you know, it's all or nothing then, isn't it?
02:18Post-mortems confirmed avian flu.
02:22Department of Agriculture officials arrived on John's farm
02:25on the 4th of November.
02:28They told us to keep out of the farm
02:30and not to move any machinery in or off the farm.
02:33So, yeah, they came in and took care of all that.
02:36When you say took care, what happens?
02:40I'm not quite sure.
02:41I think they gassed them
02:42because we had another farm up the road
02:44which was still healthy,
02:46but they were gassed as well as a precaution,
02:48which is understandable.
02:50In previous outbreaks,
02:52farmers have received compensation
02:54for the loss of their flocks.
02:56I know there's compensation,
02:57but look, it is hard to take.
03:00It'll be the first year we won't be doing turkeys
03:03or we won't be running off our feet.
03:05It's a tough time, so it is.
03:08Bird flu, look, you can be lucky or very unlucky.
03:11We just happen to be the unlucky ones this year.
03:14Since then, two more poultry farms have been impacted
03:17in Monaghan and Mead and both flocks culled.
03:21On the 10th of November,
03:23the Department of Agriculture imposed
03:25a compulsory housing order for all poultry,
03:28which will remain in place until further notice.
03:31These are self-shot images from one locked-up farm.
03:36Since the mid-1990s,
03:39the emergence of the H5N1 strain of avian flu
03:42has posed an ever-increasing risk to poultry,
03:45particularly turkeys.
03:47It's spread globally by migratory birds.
03:51Professor Ian Brown is a leading authority
03:53on avian virology.
03:55What we've got now is a virus that's extremely effective
03:59at infecting wild birds,
04:02particularly ducks, geese, and other waterfowl.
04:05These birds move, they migrate,
04:08they carry the virus with them,
04:10they deposit the virus into environments,
04:13water bodies, agricultural land, wherever,
04:16and then it gets carried into poultry farms.
04:21We know turkeys are 100 times more sensitive
04:24to this virus than a chicken.
04:26And I always give the analogy to farmers
04:28that a teaspoon of infected feces
04:32would be enough to kill a million turkeys.
04:34If they've got a speck of dirt on their Wellington boot
04:37and they walk it into a poultry house,
04:39that's going to be enough to trigger off of big infections.
04:44Biosecurity is always a major concern on poultry farms,
04:47but at times like this,
04:48it takes on even greater importance.
04:51This is a shed of white turkeys.
04:53Probably about 800 turkeys in the shed here at the minute.
04:57Marie Gray and her father, Billy,
04:59run a large-scale poultry business
05:01near Ratangan in County Kildare.
05:03We probably walk to your shed twice, three times a day.
05:06So we always want to be looking out
05:08for that they're displaying kind of happy
05:10and healthy behaviours.
05:11As well as rearing 7,000 turkeys,
05:14at any one time they may have as many as 1,500 ducks
05:18and 10,000 chickens here.
05:21There's no more running down to the shop
05:22for a pint of milk anymore.
05:24You run down to the shop,
05:26you spray the car back in.
05:28Everyone who works here is spraying in, spraying out.
05:30When you say spray, spray what?
05:31So disinfectant, car disinfectant,
05:33because you're driving along,
05:35you could pick up wild bird feces on the road.
05:37For Billy and Marie,
05:38the potential risk to their business
05:40goes way beyond the loss of all their flocks.
05:43If bird flu infects the farm,
05:45it's about how long it will take them
05:47to get back to business as usual.
05:50If we were taken out,
05:52we're out for 16 weeks.
05:53There's nine people who work here
05:54between part-time and full-time,
05:56so what do I do with them?
05:57There's lots of different things here
05:58that will create an upset.
06:01It's worrying time for us all.
06:02We walk out some morning
06:03and it's all up in the heat.
06:05All we can do is take every day as it comes.
06:08Get to Christmas Day is the big thing,
06:09and it is pressure.
06:10Making it to Christmas
06:12will bring relief for turkey farmers,
06:14but this lockdown will continue
06:16across the poultry sector
06:17for the foreseeable future.
06:20I met with Rebecca Tierney,
06:22a specialised poultry advisor with Chagask,
06:24at a location away from any poultry farm.
06:27It's much earlier in the year
06:29that we're facing this.
06:30We would expect the end of November
06:31into December
06:32when we would have faced these before,
06:34but right now we're facing
06:36a very long period of stress and fear.
06:39Are we going to get to a point
06:41where burr flu is just endemic
06:43in the environment?
06:44We hope not.
06:45There's no guarantee
06:46that that won't happen.
06:47If we look across to the UK,
06:49that has happened,
06:50where it has occurred
06:51throughout the summer months as well.
06:53We can't be sure
06:54that it won't be with us all year round.
06:57Poultry are already
06:59commonly vaccinated
07:00against a number of diseases.
07:01Could this also provide
07:03a long-term solution
07:04to the H5N1 virus?
07:07There are vaccines out there
07:08that can work.
07:09If you just vaccinate
07:10and do nothing else
07:11to control the infection,
07:12then you will fail.
07:13So it needs to be vaccination
07:15on top of what we already do,
07:17good biosecurity.
07:18But we probably can't keep waiting
07:20for another winter
07:21that could potentially
07:22be really quite severe.
07:24Ultimately,
07:24with good use of vaccination,
07:26we can get this disease
07:28under control.
07:29But I don't think
07:30it's going to be a quick fix.
07:31The reality is
07:32we are not at that point
07:33as a nation as of yet.
07:35We haven't hit too many cases
07:37where we can justify
07:39the cost of a vaccine.
07:40A vaccine is very expensive.
07:42There is rigorous testing thereafter,
07:44continuous vaccinations.
07:45It's not just a one-off.
07:47We're not at that point.
07:48But if we do,
07:49and hope to God we don't,
07:51we have that tool
07:52in our toolbox as well.
07:54The virus is going to
07:55maintain an environment.
07:57It's going to continue
07:57to circulate in the wild birds.
07:59So I think it is looking like,
08:01unfortunately,
08:02a winter of extreme risk.
08:05John Fitzgerald
08:06is the third generation
08:07of his family
08:08to keep poultry
08:09and started out
08:10when he was just 17.
08:12While he's been dealt
08:13a huge blow,
08:15he's no plans
08:16to give up on that legacy.
08:18Look,
08:19some people might say
08:20you're crazy
08:20to go in again next year,
08:22but it's all we've ever done
08:24so it's hard to change.
08:26It is a tough time
08:27but look,
08:27we'll get through it.
08:30While the impact
08:31of bird flu on his farm
08:32has devastated John,
08:34the measures
08:34now being imposed
08:35by the Department of Agriculture
08:36will hopefully ensure
08:38that other producers
08:39will be able
08:40to bring their birds
08:41safely
08:41to the Christmas market.
08:44That's it for part one.
08:46Coming up after the break,
08:47Ella's with the farmer
08:48who's achieved something
08:49that no other woman
08:50has ever done.
08:51It looked out to me.
08:52A female has never won it.
08:54You have to go.
08:55You're able for it.
08:56You should do it.
08:57And Stephen meets
08:58a Carlo baker
08:59taking things
09:00from start to finish.
09:10It's 6.45 in the morning
09:12and although you mightn't think it
09:14looking at these surroundings
09:15near Blarney in Cork,
09:16I am about to go milking cows.
09:19Morning.
09:20Good morning.
09:20I'm here to meet
09:21full-time teacher
09:22Aileen Sheehan
09:23who for the past four years
09:25with her husband Philip
09:26has been running
09:27a dairy farm
09:2815 kilometres away
09:30in Whitechurch.
09:33Is your heart
09:34and your head
09:35more in farming
09:37or teaching?
09:38Oh, that's very hard.
09:39Like, I love teaching.
09:41It's almost part
09:42of my identity
09:42but now I'm loving
09:43what we're doing
09:44so much
09:45in a separate life.
09:47Yeah.
09:47I don't know
09:47how I'm going to merge
09:48those two.
09:51Aileen is nearly
09:52halfway through
09:52her 10-year lease
09:54on this 50 hectare farm.
09:56When she signed the lease
09:58she bought the existing
09:5990-cow herd
10:01and has been adding
10:02to it since then.
10:04Today,
10:04she has 140 cows.
10:07Come on, ladies.
10:08Hi, Bo.
10:09Is that your favourite?
10:10This is Bo.
10:11This is my pet.
10:11Ah, she's lovely.
10:12The jersey, is she?
10:13She's a purebred jersey,
10:15Bo.
10:15And she loves the cuddles.
10:17When did you get her?
10:18Don't you?
10:18Got her for Valentine's
10:20three years ago.
10:20You did not.
10:21Yeah.
10:21So this is my
10:22Valentine's present.
10:25Since 2022,
10:27Aileen has invested
10:28money in this farm
10:29improving infrastructure
10:31and buying new equipment.
10:34During busy periods,
10:35she also employs
10:37three part-time staff.
10:39You put it in a new
10:40parlour, didn't you?
10:41Yeah.
10:42Yeah.
10:42By putting in a new parlour,
10:44it increased the time
10:45efficiency of it.
10:46Quite an investment
10:47considering you don't
10:48own the land.
10:48So in a 10-year lease,
10:50after 10 years,
10:51if you don't renew,
10:51you're walking away
10:52from something you've
10:53invested in.
10:54Exactly.
10:54But the money has to work.
10:56You just have to be
10:56as good as a strategic
10:57management as you are
10:58a dairy farmer.
10:59You can't just expect
11:00to come in here,
11:01milk the cows,
11:02just manage that side
11:03and go.
11:05Until six weeks ago,
11:07Aileen's husband,
11:08Philip,
11:09was an army officer
11:10in Collins Barracks.
11:11But coming from
11:12a dairy farm background,
11:14their plan was that
11:15once finances allowed,
11:17Philip would join Aileen
11:18full-time in running
11:19the farm.
11:21The couple have
11:22a mobile home here
11:23to make life
11:24more manageable.
11:26Something that's
11:26even more important
11:27since baby Katie
11:28arrived six months ago.
11:31When I visited,
11:33Philip's mum Catherine
11:33was on baby-minding duty.
11:36This is our life
11:37during the day.
11:37We leave our home
11:38and we don't go back.
11:39We come here instead.
11:40We eat here.
11:41We feed here.
11:42We have our chats here.
11:43We have our meetings here.
11:45For this to work,
11:47I mean,
11:47this is all about organisation.
11:49Yeah, 100%.
11:50And it wasn't
11:51without its challenges either.
11:53Like, I still remember
11:54our first year here.
11:56Aileen's name is on the milk supply.
11:57Aileen's name is on the herd.
11:59Yet they'd still be ringing
12:00Aileen asking for the boss.
12:01Everyone ought to make
12:02a conscious effort
12:03to push Aileen's name forward
12:06so that they'd get the idea.
12:08Aileen is the boss with me.
12:10The two of us
12:10are running this together.
12:1240 years ago,
12:14if somebody asked me
12:15what I was doing,
12:16I'd say I was Tim O'Leary's wife.
12:17Or I'm a farmer's wife.
12:19And it took a long time
12:21for women to actually,
12:22you were always saying
12:23the woman mustn't be behind,
12:24you know,
12:25to step out and say,
12:26well, I'm actually,
12:27I'm a farmer.
12:29If I hid behind
12:30and just, I suppose,
12:31followed Philip,
12:32I don't think
12:33it would have worked for me.
12:34I just love being challenged.
12:36I love,
12:36I'm competitive.
12:38And that's what this farm
12:39has allowed me to do.
12:41Last July,
12:43after a little persuasion,
12:44Aileen entered the
12:45FBD Young Farmer of the Year
12:47competition.
12:50She became the first woman
12:52in the 27-year history
12:54of the contest
12:55to win the title.
12:57Philip said to me,
12:58a female has never won it.
13:00You have to go.
13:01And maybe that's another thing
13:02of confidence in the girls.
13:03Maybe they just didn't have
13:04confidence in their ability.
13:05Whereas he was like,
13:07you're able for it,
13:08you should do it.
13:09But I thought about myself
13:10as a challenge.
13:12If I can get through
13:13these interviews,
13:13I'll be more knowledgeable
13:14in my farm.
13:15I have to research,
13:16I have to know my cows.
13:17So this is a challenge for me
13:18to sit in front of five judges
13:20and explain my system,
13:22know my farm.
13:23This is a challenge for me
13:24I can only learn from.
13:26And what you're doing,
13:27it's an interesting,
13:28different kind of model
13:28because we're so used
13:29to the family farm model,
13:30which is basically
13:31inheritance, inheritance,
13:32inheritance.
13:33You are stepping outside of that.
13:35Do you consider yourself
13:36still to be family farmers
13:37or something completely different?
13:40I think we're actually
13:41really lucky doing what we are.
13:42There's no pressure on us.
13:44Like we produce milk
13:46and we produce profits for us.
13:47We're not trying to support
13:49our parents.
13:49We're not trying to support
13:51people connected to the farm.
13:52We can walk away from this
13:54at any stage if we want to.
13:55We've invested what we've invested.
13:57We've invested time.
13:57We can't get that back.
13:58But at the end of the day,
14:00what we own here is our cows.
14:02If we have to move these cows
14:03and go elsewhere,
14:03we go elsewhere.
14:04And if we want out,
14:05we get out.
14:06There's no pressure on us
14:08to do this job.
14:09We opted back in
14:10in our 30s to do it.
14:11No one wanted us to do it.
14:12But I suppose nowadays,
14:13sometimes there is a lot of pressure
14:14on maybe parents expecting kids
14:17to take over farms
14:18when they have no interest
14:19in doing so.
14:21At the school in Blarney,
14:23where Aileen teaches maths and PE,
14:25she also shares her knowledge
14:27of farming.
14:28Two years ago,
14:30she set up an agricultural group
14:32in the school
14:32for students interested
14:34in a career in farming.
14:37Owning the land you farm
14:39is still very much
14:40the norm in Ireland.
14:42He's not focused on growing grass.
14:45He's focused on what?
14:46The genetics.
14:46The genetics.
14:47And how many cows did he have there?
14:49He had 60 cows.
14:51But could future generations
14:53of farmers here
14:54be facing a very changed
14:56agricultural landscape?
14:58It's something that Aileen
14:59continues to grapple with.
15:02I suppose people might look at it
15:03and think,
15:04why don't you just go
15:05and buy a farm?
15:06It would be the dream.
15:07The absolute dream.
15:08And we thought that's
15:09where we would go.
15:10That's kind of pushing
15:11further and further away from us
15:12now that we have a young family.
15:14We'd love to own it,
15:15but just where we live,
15:17how competitive the market is.
15:19It's getting further and further away
15:21from young people
15:21being able to buy land
15:23like my father would have been able to.
15:25While Aileen and Philip
15:27would love to own their own farm,
15:28they both feel that this model
15:30is working for them.
15:32And it could for others.
15:35We're getting phone calls
15:36from people being like,
15:36I've heard about you,
15:37you're the girl in Whitechurch.
15:38Me and my husband,
15:39me and my boyfriend,
15:40we really want to do
15:41what you're doing.
15:42How do we do it?
15:43Where do we start?
15:44What do we do?
15:45I suppose being out there now,
15:46we're able to advise people
15:47in the best way we can
15:49because we've lived through it.
15:50So I do think
15:51there's more people
15:51going to follow us
15:52with this being shown to them
15:55and showing that it's possible.
16:02Many farmers in Ireland grow wheat.
16:04Very few, however,
16:06get to taste bread
16:07made from the wheat
16:08grown in their own fields.
16:10Last August,
16:11I went to Carlow
16:12to witness one
16:13very important harvest.
16:15But my first port of call
16:17was to Pleur Becquery
16:18to meet its owner,
16:20Seamus Jordan.
16:21How are you doing?
16:21Not too bad.
16:24This right here
16:25is the last
16:26of last season's wheat,
16:28so I'm really looking forward
16:29to harvest today.
16:31This is it?
16:32This is all you have left?
16:33Yeah, after last season, yeah.
16:35There's not many loaves of bread
16:37left in that at all.
16:38No.
16:39Seamus is one of only
16:40a handful of bakers in Ireland
16:41who mill their own wheat.
16:43How do you actually
16:44mill wheat and make flour from it?
16:46So it's pretty simple.
16:47You fill the hopper
16:48and it feeds the wheat
16:50through the centre
16:51of this top stone
16:52and the two stones,
16:54they basically grind
16:55the wheat into a whole grain.
16:56And so it actually is
16:57ground via stones.
16:58It's two stones
16:59and it feeds
17:00into this machine
17:02where here you'll see
17:04a sieve.
17:05Basically,
17:06it's whole wheat flour
17:07going into this sieve
17:08and this sieve is turning,
17:10spinning,
17:10and it'll shake off
17:12the white flour.
17:13It'll fall to the bottom,
17:14keeping the bran
17:15in the sieve.
17:16God, it's so simple.
17:17Yeah, it's super straightforward.
17:20Seamus first opened the bakery
17:22at his home near Boris
17:23in 2022.
17:25I started as a chef
17:27back 11, 12 years ago.
17:29I started as a chef
17:31and entered in
17:32through working
17:33in local restaurants,
17:34getting my hands
17:35covered in dough
17:36and really getting into it
17:38in every other job
17:40I didn't like
17:40compared to this one job.
17:42I was like,
17:42yeah, I could be doing this
17:43for the rest of my life, yeah.
17:45What about the decision
17:46to go out on your own
17:48and start your own bakery?
17:50We built this house
17:52and we were moving
17:52back down to
17:53where I grew up
17:55and I had that skill
17:57and there was an opening,
17:59like there was no one
17:59around here doing it,
18:00so bringing back a skill
18:02to your local community
18:04and sharing it with people
18:05was, yeah,
18:06it was a nice thing
18:07to be able to do.
18:09Seamus mostly mix
18:10sourdough bread.
18:12The process begins
18:13by mixing flour and water
18:14with a natural yeast starter.
18:17You want it to rest
18:19for 30 minutes.
18:21You'll see right now
18:22the way it's all
18:22breaking apart,
18:24but in 30 minutes
18:25it's going to develop gluten
18:27and it'll become
18:28very stretchy.
18:30Half an hour later,
18:31this batch of dough
18:32is ready to be
18:33divided up into loaves.
18:35So we'll let these
18:35sit here and rest
18:37before I put them
18:38into baskets
18:39and then into the fridge
18:41where they'll sleep
18:41until tomorrow morning
18:42where I will take them out
18:44and put them in the oven.
18:45And why sour though?
18:46It's natural.
18:47It's like,
18:48there's no adjectives,
18:50it's flour, water
18:51and salt
18:51and that's it.
18:52And how many loaves
18:53of bread
18:53are you going to get
18:54out of this?
18:55This batch
18:56that we're going to do today
18:57will get 30 loaves of bread.
18:58What would you usually do
18:59in a day?
19:00In a day
19:00I would do about
19:01300 loaves
19:02in a day, yeah.
19:05From the beginning
19:05Seamus wanted to be able
19:07to mill his own
19:08organic wheat.
19:09He trialed different varieties
19:11on the only land
19:12he owned,
19:13the small plot
19:14around his house.
19:15I started with one acre
19:16and in that acre
19:17we had four different varieties
19:19of testing plots
19:21what we wanted to grow.
19:22Encouraged by the results,
19:24last year
19:25Seamus managed to secure
19:2614 acres of land
19:27from neighbouring landowners.
19:28but it was only
19:30a temporary arrangement.
19:32Luckily for him
19:33a more long term solution
19:35would come in the shape
19:36of Rathrush farmer
19:38Jim Hogan.
19:39Tell me about Jim,
19:40how did that relationship
19:41come about?
19:42True friends,
19:42knowing friends
19:43and he was looking
19:44to grow wheat
19:46this year
19:47and I was looking
19:48for someone to grow it
19:49and yeah.
19:50Match bread in heaven.
19:50Absolutely.
19:52In March of this year
19:54Seamus and Jim
19:55sold 15 acres
19:56of organic wheat
19:57on Jim's land.
19:59This crop
20:00has been minded
20:00and nurtured
20:01by both men
20:02over the past five months.
20:04How important
20:05is it for you
20:06and your business
20:07that this harvest
20:08goes well for you?
20:09It's key really
20:11because it's our lifeline
20:12it's our yearly supply
20:13that's going to be cut today
20:14so it's a big thing
20:15yeah.
20:16Are you nervous?
20:18Nah.
20:18I'm not.
20:19To produce
20:20high quality bread
20:21you need
20:22high quality flour
20:23and you only get that
20:25from high quality wheat.
20:27Tell me
20:28how do we know
20:29this is actually
20:30ready to cut?
20:31We'd usually get them
20:32at the wheat
20:32you'd put into your mouth
20:34and if you can crack it
20:34with your teeth
20:36you'll know
20:36that's very hard
20:37that's really ready to cut.
20:39I can hear the cracks
20:40so I can't.
20:41Yeah.
20:41It's bone dry.
20:43Well we'd better crack on
20:43with it then so.
20:49Jim Hogan's family
20:50has been working
20:51this land
20:52for over 200 years.
20:54He runs a mixed farm
20:56also keeping cattle
20:57and sheep
20:57with the help
20:58of his father
20:59Seamus
20:59and his three children.
21:01He's been farming
21:02organically
21:03since 2022.
21:06From the time
21:06I went organic
21:07I'd love to be able
21:08to grow something
21:09and eat it straight
21:10and know that
21:11this is coming off
21:12my farm
21:13and I love the idea
21:14that it's milled
21:16in County Carlow
21:17as well
21:17and grown
21:18in County Carlow.
21:19To me
21:20it's quality
21:21that it makes
21:22for a good milling
21:22and that Seamus
21:24is happy
21:24and
21:25because this is
21:26his year's supply
21:26it's in that field
21:28he doesn't have it
21:29anywhere else
21:30and that's where
21:31the pressure is.
21:32So
21:32I suppose
21:33when will you be
21:34happy
21:35with this crop
21:36as such?
21:37When I'm eating
21:37Seamus's bread
21:38that's when I'll be happy
21:40with a big blob
21:41of butter.
21:42Jim had expected
21:44to fill one trailer
21:45here
21:46but it was becoming
21:47clear
21:47that the yield
21:48was going to be
21:49significantly higher
21:50than anticipated.
21:51They've just sent
21:52for another trailer
21:53and they're not
21:54finished yet.
21:54Yes.
21:55You must be happy.
21:55Oh, I'm over the moon
21:57like I'm delighted
21:57I'm delighted to see it.
21:59Yeah.
21:59It's been a bit nervous
22:00I know I said
22:01I wasn't nervous
22:01but I suppose
22:02I was holding it in earlier.
22:05How soon before
22:06this crop of wheat
22:07will be made into bread?
22:09Hopefully
22:09within the next week
22:10I'll be putting it
22:11through the mill
22:11and doing a test batch
22:12and seeing how it all
22:13fares out
22:13for the next year.
22:15This harvest
22:16has secured
22:17Seamus' bakery
22:17for the next year
22:19and he and Jim
22:20plan to continue
22:21their arrangement
22:22for the foreseeable future.
22:25Currently
22:25Seamus sells his bread
22:26locally in Bars
22:27and has distribution
22:29through wholesalers
22:30to 20 other shops
22:31and restaurants.
22:33We'll tear it open
22:33and we'll see
22:34what's inside.
22:35So you'll see
22:36like it is
22:37nice
22:37soft crumb
22:39with a crispy crust.
22:41You can smell
22:42the creaminess from it.
22:43Smells amazing.
22:44Yeah, it's amazing.
22:44Yeah.
22:47You've seen
22:47the seed going
22:48to the ground
22:49right through
22:50to the bread
22:51being baked.
22:52There must be
22:52huge pride in that.
22:53There is, yeah.
22:56There's a good bit
22:56of work involved
22:57but I don't mind it.
22:58I don't see it as work.
22:59Like, I love what I do.
23:01Yeah.
23:01And the whole process
23:02is just a driving force
23:03for me, yeah.
23:08That's it for this week.
23:10Coming up on the programme
23:11next week,
23:12Stephen will be
23:13in County Mead
23:14meeting a family
23:15planning to get
23:16a bigger slice
23:17of the apple market.
23:18The growers
23:18that have been there
23:19before,
23:19it's served them well
23:21but time for change.
23:22Ella will be
23:23in Calvin
23:24with a young woman
23:25determined to secure
23:26her farming future.
23:27Now we're able
23:28to plan ahead
23:29and we're also able
23:30to invest back
23:31into the land too
23:32so it's been brilliant.
23:34And I'll be in Roscommon
23:35finding out why
23:36beef prices
23:37are going through the roof.
23:39You're talking maybe
23:39over a million every day.
23:41That's every day.
23:42This is like
23:43the Vegas of Ireland.
23:44Something like that, yeah.
23:45Don't forget
23:46this programme
23:46will be repeated
23:47on Sunday
23:48at lunchtime
23:49after the farming weather.
23:50You can contact us
23:52on Facebook
23:52and follow us on X
23:54and you can hear
23:55more farming stories
23:56on Countrywide
23:57this Saturday morning
23:58on RTE Radio 1.
24:27on RTE Radio 1.
24:28On RTE Radio 1.
24:28On RTE Radio 1.
24:29On RTE Radio 1.
24:30On RTE Radio 1.
24:30On RTE Radio 1.
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