Third-generation dairy farmer William Dennehy tends to his livestock and land with a deep sense of responsibility—to his community, his environment, and the generations that will follow. His 96-cow dairy in County Kerry, Ireland, has a salmon fishing river going through it, a continual reminder that his work impacts more than just his own livelihood.
“My obligation in that farm is to the community and the environment,” says Dennehy. “Protecting the soil is investing in food security as far as I’m concerned.”
Dennehy began farming full-time in 1995, when many dairy farmers struggled to make ends meet due to volatile and low milk prices: “We were restricted with [European Union milk] quotas; we couldn’t expand, and it was a struggle to make a living.”
When milk quotas were lifted and the industry restructured, Dennehy and 16 other young farmers decided to form a discussion group to face those challenges together, covering everything from animal welfare and soil management to finance and labor. The group, which still meets the first Tuesday of every month nearly 30 years later, became a lifeline.
“The business of farming can be lonely, isolated,” Dennehy says. “It was more than a talking shop. The meetings are the backbone of everything we do on the farm…The biggest single support I got in my farming career was that group of farmers, and 30 years on, we’re still together.”
Dennehy says these farmers’ meetings often discuss the issue of succession, as many older farmers lack an heir to take over their farm. However, he feels optimistic as he sees younger people—many as young as 12 years old—coming to his farm to learn about the lifestyle, routine, and responsibility of farming. “They get a bit of passion for it,” he says, and some “go on and make farming a livelihood.”
Dennehy passes his knowledge of stewardship and sustainability on through this work. He recently planted a willow bed on the riverbank, which acts as a natural waste filtration system to protect water quality and the important salmon habitat. Under the European Innovation Partnership’s Farming for Water project, he planted 1,000 trees along the riverbank to further improve water quality and enhance soil health.
“The water is tested regularly, and I’m proud to say those nature-based solutions have resulted in cleaner water,” says Dennehy.
Dennehy also tests his soil annually for pH, nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, the most important ingredients for the farm to grow grass and maintain healthy soil. He has incorporated white clover into his pastures, which he says increases the grass yield and boosts milk production, allowing him to reduce his use of chemical nitrogen by 30 percent over the last three years.
For Dennehy, sustainability is a continuation of a long Irish tradition of care for land and community. This brings him hope for the future of Irish dairy.
“Since 1995, the dairy industry in Ireland has gone through a remarkable transformation,” he says. “And if we’re willing to adapt and learn, I see no reason why we cannot continue to grow…The world population is growing. And at the end of the day, the world needs farmers.”
This article is part of Food Tank’s ongoing Farmer Friday series, produced in partnership with Niman Ranch, a champion for independent U.S. family farmers. The series highlights the stories of farmers working toward a more sustainable, equitable food system. Niman Ranch partners with over 500 small-scale U.S. family farmers and is committed to preserving rural agricultural communities and their way of life. Food Tank was proud to collaborate with Niman Ranch in lifting up family farmer stories, including Servais’, at Climate Week NYC: A Night of Storytelling Honoring Our Farmers. Watch her story and others on Food Tank’s YouTube channel.
