To mark the retirement of Seamus O’Donohoe from ICOS and to thank him for his support of FRS throughout the years FRS made a unique and very apt presentation to Seamus at the co-ops AGM.
Through the donation process operated by the charity, Bóthar, FRS presented the gift of a crossbred cow in Seamus’s name to the programme.
Bóthar engages in crossbreeding Irish bulls with local cows, producing an animal that gives approximately 25% of an Irish cow’s milk yield, still four times more productive than the local animal. Not only do the family get the benefits of nutritious milk that improves their diet but they can also sell the surplus milk to earn an income.
Each recipient family must also agree to ‘Pass on’ the first female off spring born to their animal to a neighbouring family, who have also completed the training and prepared the facilities to receive her. The families can then keep all subsequent stock and in time build up a small herd. In this way the benefit is multiplied each year and soon a whole community becomes self-reliant for food and income.
On receiving the presentation Seamus said “Thank you to all at FRS for this which I will be hanging up proudly.”