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Beef（https://teagasc.ie/animals/）
Demonstration Farms
Future Beef Programme
Future Beef Programme
Demonstration Farms
Meet the Future Beef Farmers（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/farmers/）
Regular Farm Updates from Future Beef Farms（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/monthly-farm-updates/）
Monthly Newsletters（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/）
Factsheets for Suckler Farmers（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/factsheets-for-suckler-farmers/）
Labour Saving Series（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/labour-saving-series/）
View details of Future Beef Events（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/events/）
Future Beef Newsletter
A Future Beef Newsletter will be issued on a regular basis throughout the year. The newsletter will have relevant time critical information and advice. If you would like to receive the newsletter register your interest at the link below.
Current newsletters
January 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/january-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
February 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/february-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
March 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/march-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
April 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/april-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
May 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/may-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
June 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/june-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
July 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/july-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
August 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/august-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
September 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/september-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
October 2026 Newsletter（https://teagasc.ie/october-2026-future-beef-newsletter/）
View previous years newsletters（https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/newsletters/previous-newsletters/）
Aim
The aim of Future Beef is to demonstrate to beef farmers how they can produce a quality product as efficiently as possible to make beef farming more profitable while also making it more environmentally and socially sustainable.
Future Beef farmers are participants in the Signpost Programme（https://teagasc.ie/environment/climate-change--air-quality/signpost-programme/）
Key objectives
Create more sustainable and profitable farms
Reduce green house gas (GHG) & ammonia emissions
Improve water quality
Improve biodiversity
We will achieve this by focusing on reducing inputs and the costs of production while increasing the performance of every animal on the farm.
Meet the Team
To achieve the objectives the main focus areas are:
Breeding
Grassland management
Health
Breeding
Every cow on every farm should produce a calf every year. If she is not, she should be replaced. For many this will involve a refocus on: nutrition, health and housing
Each calf must be of good genetic merit, targeting a 200-day weight of 250 Kg as a heifer and 300 Kg as a bull. To bring that into focus, that is an average daily gain of at least 1.15 Kg per day.
All replacement heifers should be calving at two years of age. This is key to reducing costs on farm while also reducing the overall carbon footprint of beef production.
Key focus areas are:
Growing the replacement heifer
Body condition scoring cows & heifers
Nutrition
Picking appropriate bulls
Health
Housing
Grassland management:
Good quality grass is the cheapest feed available to any beef farmer. The intake of top quality grass must be maximised to achieve high average daily gains. This will reduce the amount of silage and concentrates fed while also decreasing the length of time an animal stays on farm. This equates to fewer inputs, lower costs, and increased profitability while also reducing GHG and ammonia emissions.
Key focus areas are: