Anyone heard about the OFS (Organic Farming Scheme)?

cmac

I know a few people entered organic farming this year as part of Glas and I'm wondering if anyone has gotten any word back about it?
Like all the seemingly mythical payment dates, OFS payments were supposed to land this week but no acceptance/denial letters have made it through our letterbox. Three weeks ago the Organic Unit told us they were in the processing the applications and letters would be issued in the coming week(s), and when I rang last Friday the phone line got cut-off mysteriously.
Organic certification fee falls due January 1st, so the OFS payment is critical at this point.

3611

I'm in the same boat as you. I got through yesterday and was told that letters should be issuing to new entrants from today, with payments to follow.

My neighbor is in it a few years and got paid this week.

cmac

Thanks for the info 3611. At least you didn't get 'cut-off' ;-)) Fingers-crossed we'll get a letter before the New Year.
I wasn't too concerned until I met an acquaintance today who seemed surprised that we had not yet been paid. They, too, are long-time organic farmers.

3611

I got the acceptance letter and the text this morning. Happy day's 😀

Willfarman

This scheme is open again I see.

My question to my learned hipster farming colleagues is are you allowed to farm conventional livestock organically. Could I buy my usual conventional dairy cross stores in the local mart and fatten them organically but sell them conventionally and still qualify for this payment?

_Brian

But isn’t preference being given to

Dairy
Tillage
Horticulture

I didn’t see any mention of beef at all.

Willfarman

It is listed @220€; a hectare to a maximum 60 hectares.

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmingsectors/organicfarming/organicsscheme/organicfarmingscheme/

manjou

no if you are in organics you have to buy organic or in conversion stock. the stock on the farm at start can be non organic and sold conveniently but farmed organically but once you are in they have to be organically. The reopening of the scheme will be weighed heavily to get dairy tillage and horticulture farmers into organics so these sectors will be given preference.

lalababa

Willfarman wrote: »

This scheme is open again I see.

My question to my learned hipster farming colleagues is are you allowed to farm conventional livestock organically. Could I buy my usual conventional dairy cross stores in the local mart and fatten them organically but sell them conventionally and still qualify for this payment?

AFAIK the last time I checked (3yrs ago), you only can bring in/buy 10% (of your herd) of non organic stock per year. This is to accommodate new breeding bulls especially (and heifers )sort of thing.
You can start off with conventional stock and it takes 2 yrs (the transition period) for them to be organic.
AFAIK to qualify for organic payment your farm has to be in transition or fully organic. All aspects of the farm have to be organic including the livestock!
This of course would tend to suit a breeding farm. But you could do it with drystock if you looked around Abit for organic stock, but at a slight premium I'm guessing between 5 to 20 %.

endainoz

I'm looking into this a bit more as well, main things really are no chemical fert can be used and there is a bit of a restriction on the amount of slurry your can put out I think? Chemical sprays would obviously not be allowed either, and your limited with what you can inject with I think?

In saying that, I know you can get a vet to sign off on using a specific treatment if an animal is unwell enough.

Is there many here that are organic? If so what were the main issues you have to deal with that non organic don't have to worry about?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Willfarman wrote: »

It is listed @220€; a hectare to a maximum 60 hectares.

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmingsectors/organicfarming/organicsscheme/organicfarmingscheme/

The 220/ha is during the conversion period of two years only and drops to 170/ha afterwards, iirc.

148multi

Willfarman wrote: »

This scheme is open again I see.

My question to my learned hipster farming colleagues is are you allowed to farm conventional livestock organically. Could I buy my usual conventional dairy cross stores in the local mart and fatten them organically but sell them conventionally and still qualify for this payment?

Conventional stock belonging to a third party can be fed on an organic holding for up to 6 months in any year. Organic stock aren't that dear early in the year.

Birdnuts

I was shocked to read 2day in the farming indo that no one is this country is producing organic butter or butter milk despite rising demand from artisan bakers etc. for the stuff!!

keryl

Crawfords in Cloughjordan produce dairy including butter.

Base price

Birdnuts wrote: »

I was shocked to read 2day in the farming indo that no one is this country is producing organic butter or butter milk despite rising demand from artisan bakers etc. for the stuff!!

TBH I never thought about organic butter/butter milk until I read your post. I know one organic dairy farmer (c.120 cows) and I presumed that the milk from his herd was processed to make organic butter, cheese etc which seems unlikely when I think about it now.