New Farming Methods, Arva, Co. Cavan, Ireland 1967

A report on the modern farming methods used on the Mulligan farm in County Cavan.
In this extract from the series a look modern farming methods used on the Mulligan farm in Arva, Co. Cavan. Brothers Eddie and Danny Mulligan farm 42 acres of unfertile land. They keep cows and pigs and have increased their revenue by using modern farm management methods. Such methods include the construction of cattle walkways on the farm and the housing of sows. This report describes how they have increased their yields.
‘Telefís Feirme’ which means ‘Farm Television’ was an agricultural education series. ‘Telefís Feirme’ began broadcasting on 12 October 1965.
The first series offered 48 weekly programmes on farm education. Programmes were often watched by groups of farmers. Notes for the programmes were printed in the newspaper the Irish Farmers Journal. The Department of Agriculture paid for the rent of television sets for farming groups around the country.
An article in the RTV Guide 8 October 1965 set out details of the planned programmes and gave features on presenter Justin Keating and producer Sheamus Smith.

[@grahamburbage8443]

It's incredible how you could raise a family on such a small amount of land. Supermarkets have a lot to answer for. A perfect example of wealth transfer.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

The European Community has a bit to answer for as well. My Grandad who has only been dead ten years would never recognise a farm in this day and age.

[@hugostiglitz6914]

Supermarkets with shareholder investors. Their dividends get priority. Belittling Aldi and Lidl as some kind of low end shopping when in reality they can sell at low price because they are privately owned with no shareholders.

[@barkershill]

This all looked so familiar to me, as I grew up on a farm in Wiltshire only slightly bigger than this . But I don’t see how you can blame supermarkets for the changes . Farms were always going to get bigger and more mechanised , I think it’s called economies of scale . And I suppose supermarkets are an example of economies of scale applied to retailing . My dad made a good living off thirty cows and a few pigs , but today you would need a herd of nearly 200 to get anywhere . Farmers living standards and real incomes are undoubtedly higher the work might be a bit or even a lot less physical but the hours are much the same . I have a couple of nephews who often spend twenty four hours at a time sat on a tractor seat when silage making .

[@Castlebravo100]

Reminds me of when I was a young lad in the 1960's visiting the farm next to my home in County Antrim.

[@markgannon1279]

Farming has come along way thanks to hard working young farmers who wanted

[@toyotaprius79]

Quite delusional given how badly IFA and supermarkets have squeezed the land and the farmers dry

[@charliekavanagh1217]

Great to look back at the sixties . Happy carefree days

[@hugostiglitz6914]

I wouldn't say that, simpler times but a whole different set of worries!

[@noelmaher4633]

We all thought the same when we saw the electric fence, if you know you know😁

[@jamesbrennan9591]

Loved this

[@Epiph5]

Slurry... with drainage down the hill!

[@cattlewranglerwalsh116]

Better than most councils nowadays who pump raw sewage directly into rivers or the Pfizer plant in Cork pumping their waste into Cork harbour.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@cattlewranglerwalsh116, Those feckers those lazy councils and Pfizer plant in Cork, they should be stoped, excuse my bad language

[@tomellis4324]

@@jamesbradshaw3389 WYB James I saw a question on a game show today (as it was pouring rain ) that said 71% of all emissions worldwide come from 100 large companies and they mostly blame farmers for it.

[@edmundhamill2916]

@@jamesbradshaw3389 yeh ...but if Paddy the mucker poisons all the rivers all over the country its "grand" ..

[@emcc8598]

@@edmundhamill2916 Ah but if Tony the Jackeen and friends have all their untreated sewage pumped into the local river or local bay that's all right then ...

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Eddie and his brother Danny Mulligan, hard-working farmers, changing the farm from cows to pigs, If you told Eddie & Danny how farming would look like in the year 2021 they would not believe you.

[@denisreidy8106]

They were hardworking James, farming advanced to its max in 2021, the sulpher and carbon laws will put intensive farming in Ireland to a finish, worse than any quotas, we advanced under europe but now they are going to put us on a short leash, fail to comply and your cheque in the post willl suffer.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

​@@denisreidy8106 Thank you for your reply, I agree with what you say yet I do not live in Ireland, I know that it is totally crazy that people are not allowed to cut their own turf in places yet turf is been imported into Ireland from lands across just across the sea but still on planet earth, it has been said many times that the Law Is an Ass and that has been proven to many times. Without the hardworking farms the people would starve including those who have strong opinions against farming

[@burnsnight1]

@@denisreidy8106 They punish the Irish farmer and tried to bring in cheap beef from south America. Luckily it got vetoed.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@burnsnight1 Most people who are not farmers do not know or understand the hard works those people do. it is a 7 day week x 52 weeks per year job and no weekends of especially of the farmer looks after livestock, they do a almost brilliant job and most of them are the salt of the earth, this comes from someone who never owned a farm

[@radharcanna]

Those poor pigs. A slurry pit with drainage down the hill. No EPA in those days!

[@grendel_nz]

And ~50 years of runoff now entering the waterways , promoting algal growth killing the river systems. Sea lettuce at the beach :( Shame they didn't make good compost. Makes you appreciate a hose or waterblaster!

[@aodhaganb2976]

Wow were did you get that forage it’s Verry intrestion

[@hugostiglitz6914]

This is the type of Agriculture that gives the rest of nature a fighting chance. Unlikely they would survive now adays without some kind of second income!

[@oscarosullivan4513]

The Aran islands agriculture practices were deemed inefficient in the 1970’s by the EEC.

[@toyotaprius79]

​@@oscarosullivan4513the ECC ruled by IFA like minded businesses made absolutely destitution of the health of land, nature and farmers across Europe

[@samuelpepys2108]

There is a lot wrong here, especially in the pig house !

[@tomellis4324]

This is from 1967 FFS give them a break 🙄

[@michellemcdermott2026]

Have you lived on an Irish farm in 1967?

[@joenavanodo3780]

“No ill effect” he narrated, on the pig in a space so small she can’t turn around , and now the boy can build himself a big, grand house.

[@rahawa774]

Yes, because it's a FARROWING pen - not a permanent home.

[@sydneywood4511]

Do you want to lay in it for a fee months?

[@sydneywood4511]

*few

[@johnflynn1639]

120yrs before this lrish people were dying in the ditches of starvation

[@jimmymcjimmyvich9052]

Mooooo

[@zonoka9609]

🐮

[@johnquinn4098]

Not even kinda funny

[@znome8500]

@@johnquinn4098 shut up

[@saoirse1184]

@@johnquinn4098tis a bit, got a good chuckle out of it

[@Johndonvan861]

Exceptional farm for 1967, away ahead off its time , it doesnt truly represent 1960s Ireland

[@owenmartin3307]

Slatted shed has done away with the dreaded slurry pit. Manys a child died in them.

[@denisreidy8106]

To a point, many modern units have open tanks walled on 4 sides with chain link wire around them resembling lagoons, good capacity easy to agitate but the rain water is their downfall

[@henrymellard5647]

Pig prison amoral

[@cattlewranglerwalsh116]

Maybe check out spike Island prison in the late 1800's many prisoners would think they were in heaven if they were in a pig pen like that as opposed to be chained up in a dark cell 24 hours a day with barely enough clothes and rats crawling at their feet, that was only 80 years before this clip was made.

[@henrymellard5647]

@@cattlewranglerwalsh116 pain is pain their suffering changes nothing about the pigs

[@cattlewranglerwalsh116]

@@henrymellard5647 Except they weren't suffering

[@henrymellard5647]

@@cattlewranglerwalsh116 the prisoners or the pigs . You are lying if you say that those pigs were not suffering from spending all their time on earth on a concrete floor between iron bars. How detached can you be. What a pig has evolved to experience is not that. That's hell . Yes man has caused worse suffering to more noble animals but that is not an excuse. You may say that they don't suffer from cold and cramp and all the things which they do but you lie to me and I don't believe you. Are you stupid enough to believe yourself?

[@newspaperface]

Eat the prisoners of the pig prison!