Ear To The Ground (Series 23, Programme 14) Tuesday 9th February 2016 RTÉ One 8.30pm
Reading Cow Signals
The recent expansion in the dairy sector has raised the barrier for farmers to achieve business goals while also maintaining a healthy herd. Ella McSweeney spent a day in Wicklow with young vet Tommy Heffernan, who has developed a programme that teaches farmers to look out for signs that their animals may not be as healthy as they seem. Tommy also promotes a more holistic approach to farming, expressing the importance of connecting both the health of the herd and the health of the farmer.
Kingscourt – Reigning Women
Cavan-based firm, Keenan Auctioneers & Valuers, has been serving the Midlands and West Coast for over three generations. Managing director Mary took over the company following the death of her husband James in 2005, but it is their daughter Lisa who fronts the Mart sector of the company. Helen Carroll joined Lisa on her busiest day of the week to see what life is like at the mart for one of Ireland’s few female auctioneers.
From Famine to Surplus – The transformation of Ethiopia
Dramatic images of starvation in Ethiopia in 1984 prompted the phenomenal Band Aid and a sustained campaign around the world to reduce poverty and suffering in Africa. Irish charity VITA has played a big part in reviving the livelihood of over 40,000 people in the past ten years by teaching local farmers to grow more improved varieties of potatoes and more drought resistant crops. With a staggering population of over 90 million, Darragh McCullough visited Ethiopia in December to see for himself how agriculture in the country has developed since those heart-breaking pictures first reached us.
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TVPR
Ann Coughlan 00 353 87 6778045