Moorepark is located on the main Cork to Dublin road (M8) and is approximately 5km from Fermoy on the Mitchelstown side. Exits off the M8 Motorway are Exit 13 from the north and Exit 14 from the south: GPS Co-ordinates: 52.164167-8.263037, Eircode: P61 C996.

Here is some of what you’ll need to know if you’re attending:

What is the theme of this year’s open day? The theme of Moorepark 2025 is Innovating for the Future.

What time are gates open for Moorepark 2025? Gates open at 8.30am and the event will conclude at 5pm.

What are the topics of the main four boards?

1. Taking Stock – where to from here

The first board deals with where the industry has come from over the past 10-15 years and it uses this process to look forward to the next 10 years. The blueprint system will be discussed and the technical performance benefits still possible at farm level.

2. The Business of Farming

The second board will spell out costs of production at farm level and how they have changed over the past four years. It will chart out the focus areas in order to gain back the efficiencies required at farm level. It will discuss the people in dairy challenge and what is required to increase work life balance.

3. Accelerating genetic gain

The EBI is close to 25 years old. It has evolved over that period and is evolving again with updates in the economic values and base changes discussed. The changes in terms of sexed semen use and the role for reproductive technologies will be discussed in detail.

4. Growing 15 tonnes per hectare

The pasture board will discuss the most recent trends in pasture production. It will discuss where the targets are being missed in order to grow more grass and it will chart out a pathway for growing more grass on farm through the incorporation of better soil fertility, precision nitrogen and clover.

Where do I go to get answers to my questions? There are demonstrations and eight technical villages all staffed by Teagasc researchers, advisers and education staff who will be available to answer your technical questions.

What are the main technical villages? There are a number of villages at the open day. The main technical villages are the Business of Farming, Grassland, Infrastructure, Breeding and Reproduction, DairyBeef, One Health and One Welfare, Working effectively and the Environmental village.

There will also be Health and Safety demonstrations and information throughout the route including a simulated Medical Evacuation involving a helicopter.

Are there any live displays, demonstrations and workshops? Demonstrations on grazing management, reseeding, low emission slurry spreading, fertiliser type, white and red clover swards, calibration of fertiliser spreaders, manure storage, Solar technology, TAMS, milk quality, calf rearing, high DBI genetics, and health and safety will take place throughout the day.

There will be workshops from Ornua/NDC with Milk Quality Award winners discussing their farming experience, Market updates, generational renewal pathways and Rachael Blackmore (former trailblazing jockey) will be present to talk about being a winner.

What is new at this open day? There are a number of new initiatives at the open day. We have the Business of Farming Arena where there will be discussions on costs control at farm level as well as factors used to assess farm business and growth opportunities.

This arena will look ahead to what farming systems might look like in 2035 and how farmers might need to adapt to some of the challenges and opportunities that might arise in the future.

This arena will include farmers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and New Zealand and research representatives from France and Ireland.

Another forum will take place in the dairy calf to beef village where beef carcase characteristics will be discussed from a meat factory perspective.

What will be discussed at the forum? A Forum at the end of the open day route will focus on the next 10 years in the dairy industry while firstly looking back over the past 10 years since milk quotas were relaxed.

It will begin at 3pm and will start with an address from Minister Heydon.

The panel will include Professor Frank O Mara (Director of Teagasc), Laura Burke (Director of the EPA), Kevin Twomey (Dairy farmer Ballyhooly) and Conor Galvin (CEO Ornua). They will each bring their own perspective to the past 10 years and the challenges and opportunities for the next 10 years. The panel will be moderated by Helen Carroll.

How accessible is the site? Provisions have been made to make the open day route as accessible as possible.