Prestigious award for Mayo dairy farm

COMMUNITY NOTES: BALLYHAUNIS - WESTERN PEOPLE (OCTOBER 15 EDITION)

An organic dairy farm located near Aghamore has been awarded a bronze medal in the Blas na hÉireann awards, an all-island annual competition for food producers.

“I think we’re the first ‘bottled raw milk’ producer to win,” explained Sinead Moran, who runs Gleann Buí Farm with her partner Mick McGrath.

The farm sells raw milk direct to the public from a farm shop called the Bainne Barn.

“We are absolutely delighted to win the award for our 100% pasture-fed organic raw bainne [milk],” explained Sinead.

Gleann Buí Farm milks a 12-cow herd of Shorthorn cows.

“We are but simple farmers, bringing our gurls’ [cows’] bainne to people’s tables,” remarked Sinead. “To reach the finalist stage was just amazing, but to take home a bronze was, truly unexpected! We’re chuffed.”

The award caps a challenging year weather-wise as the farm enters the last few weeks of the 2024 season.

“It’s been one of our best years as a food business [but] our toughest farming year,” explained Sinead. “It’s been a difficult growing season, with a slow Spring and cold June but we muddled through.

“Our farm collections have grown and grown in 2024. Our milk club is at full capacity for the rest of this season now. We will up the number of our little herd next year which will allow us to open the milk club and offer more raw cream and raw butter in 2025.”

Customers pre-order milk for farm collections. The couple operates an honesty box at the farm, charging €2.50 cash per litre of milk, and also staff the farm shop on Saturday and Sunday. Aside from on-farm sales, Gleann Buí also supplies a range of independent grocers including Hopkins’ Shop in Ballyhaunis and Cafe Rua in Castlebar.