This article is from page 36 of the 2008-04-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
FARMFEST °08, the major Teagasc open day of the year was launched in Athenry on Friday. The festival in- corporating Bioenergy ‘08, will take place in Athenry, on Friday, 20 June. Announcing details of the event, Teagasc director, Professor Gerry Boyle said: It has been 10 years since a major Teagasc open day was held in Athenry. The full range of Teagasc activities in advisory, research and education will be showcased. The best technical advice for dairy, beef, sheep and tillage businesses, along with the latest research from young scientists will be available.” Professor Boyle continued: ”The Irish economy and rural Ireland has changed dramatically over the last ten years and this is reflected in the emergence of innovative rural-based
businesses right around the country. Farmfest °08 will reflect this new ru- ral Ireland, bringing together these rural innovators to display their novel range of products including many artisan foods. The rural devel- Opment opportunities are many, and visitors will have the opportunity to find out more about some of the best and most promising ideas to develop in rural Ireland in recent times at this upcoming event.”
“I am particularly pleased that Bioenergy *O08 will be a significant part of the event, and we welcome our partners, Sustainable Energy Ire- land and COFORD, to work with us in highlighting the potential of this exciting and emerging new sector,’ he concluded.
Exhibits at Farmfest *O8 will in- clude a dairy exhibit which will fo- cus On opportunities for new entrants
and expansion, a major beef breeding display, a tillage exhibit will include newly established cereal trial plots in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and an education exhibit will see all the colleges mount individual practical skills displays in an interesting for- eatele
The Teagasc national sheep re- search programme is based on the Athenry campus so the sheep exhibit will be particulalry significant.
Bioenergy ‘08 promises to be even bigger than last year’s event, bring- ing together all stages of the supply chain, from producing energy crops, through the processing stage, to the options for the final consumer.
Covering over six hectares of eround, the environment exhibit will feature the main environmental chal- lenges facing Irish agriculture, while
providing practical demonstrations for the thousands participating and interested in REPS.
Artisan food, scientific research, forestry, equine and Health and life- style together with farm safety and reducing labour and Land use op- tions including organic production, tourism and other enterprises will all play a prominent part at Farmfest ’08 which promises to comprehensively cover all aspects of Teagasc’s activi- lene