This year I was due to meet up with some of the tweeting farmers at the annual National Ploughing Championships in County Laois. I arrived early about 8 am finding the parking area was shrouded in a thick mist.

Misty Morning Corn Field Parking

Misty Morning Corn Field Parking

Tree Climbing Racers Would be Racing into Clouds

Tree Climbing Racers Would be Racing into Clouds

I stopped by a large picnic area which was quite empty at that early hour of the festival for a coffee.

First a Coffee & the Mornings Reading

First a Coffee & the Mornings Reading

Every year I try to win a shed and this year this was the shed I tried to win. The donation goes to a good cause so feel ok when I loose every year.

 The Shed I Didn't Win

The Shed I Didn’t Win

Next stop was the livestock area to see what new breeds are shown and what the best livestock from different breeds looks like.

Best Low Maintenance Cattle Breed I've Seen in Years

Best Low Maintenance Cattle Breed I’ve Seen in Years

Some Nice Looking Beef Calves

Some Nice Looking Beef Calves

A Sleeping Angus Calf

A Sleeping Angus Calf

A Very Impressive Aubrac Bull

A Very Impressive Aubrac Bull

I also stopped by the Zwartbles Stand in the sheep tunnel which had been kindly put up by Judy Maxwell with all of her Zwartbles Posters, which looked fantastic.

Zwartbles Lamb Decorations

Zwartbles Lamb Decorations

2 Zwartbles Ewes

2 Zwartbles Ewes

There was a great pen of Zwartbles Cross breeds 3 sisters born in April grass reared out of a Cheviot Border Leicester cross ewe by a Zwartbles ram. None of the sheep farmers coming through could believe the size and quality of the cross bred ewe lambs.

April Born Grass Fed Triplet Sister's out of a Cheviot Border Leicester cross Ewe By a Zwartbles Ram

April Born Grass Fed Triplet Sister’s out of a Cheviot Border Leicester cross Ewe By a Zwartbles Ram

A Young Farmer Testing Condition of Zwartbles Cross Ewe Lambs

A Young Farmer Testing Condition of Zwartbles Cross Ewe Lambs

A Montbelliarde Peering Through a Hole in Her Tent

A Montbelliarde Peering Through a Hole in Her Tent

Some Blond Babies

Some Blond Babies

The biggest crowd of people was around the computer robotic milking. The people were crowded around the huge tent on all 4 sides up to 10 people deep.

Crowds 5 to 10 Deep Around Auto Milking Demo

Crowds 5 to 10 Deep Around Auto Milking Demo

The Dairy Ladies Didn't Seem to Mind Continuing to Sleep, Eat & Get Milked When The Feeling Mooooved Them

The Dairy Ladies Didn’t Seem to Mind Continuing to Sleep, Eat & Get Milked When The Feeling Mooooved Them

Cameras every where you didn’t quite know which programs or where they were from.

Filming at Ploughing

Filming at Ploughing

There where cooking Demonstrations

Nevin Maguire

Nevin Maguire

Famous People from the GAA

John 3:7

John 3:7

If you needed a nice cup of tea and a bale of hay to sit on here was the best place.

Irish Farmers Association Tent

Irish Farmers Association Tent

Huge areas of farm machinery all opened for anyone to look under their hood to see how they ticked over.

The Workings of Farm Equipment

The Workings of Farm Equipment

I stood on top of a grass collector to take a photo of the crowds.

Huge Crowds

Huge Crowds

Crowds Part Only When Mounted Garda Síochána Rode By

Crowds Part Only When Mounted Garda Síochána Rode By

The sun did make an appearance

Chainsaw Carving Art

Chainsaw Carving Art

When it was time to meet up with the tweeting farmers I of course got lost and thought I was in the right place but was not. We had 14 farmers who are on twitter turn up there could have been quite a few more but the WiFi at the National Ploughing Championships was so bad that we didn’t get their lost tweets asking where we were until we had left the sight. I only regret I couldn’t have chatted longer to everyone but hope there will be another time we can all meet up again.

10 of the 14 Tweeting Farmers

10 of the 14 Tweeting Farmers

Starting from the left: @loveirishfarms  @adhddoyle  @newfarmerette @laudleslyn  @TheFarmerT  @CiaranLynch  @RandiGandi   @foodborn  @a_pisces_fish (who also tweets as @TrebleRMacra@dod66_harris

@adhddoyle & Myself Talking about his Experiences Farming in China. Photo Taken by @foodborn

@adhddoyle & Myself Talking about his Experiences Farming in China. Photo Taken by @foodborn

Tweeting Shepherds @bnicholson32  @TheFarmerT  @newfarmerette

Tweeting Shepherds @bnicholson32 @TheFarmerT @newfarmerette

All in all I had a fantastic day out, there was a great atmosphere all over the place. Only 3 things I hope they improve for next year. First I think the sight map and signs could be improved as I looked for the horse ploughing for over an hour even asking directions and couldn’t find it. They might think of hiring an urban planner for next year as the festival sight now has to be so huge. Second that the WiFi be improved they could put up temporary towers to improve the broadband capacity. Third they should think about having good food in more locations not just burger bars all over the place. Irish farmers produce some of the best raw materials for food production and the over all standard of food at the Ploughing Championships left something to be desired, especially when there where large delegations from country’s like China viewing what Irish farming had to offer. I hope this has given you a flavor of the the day.

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