Latest news with #NationalDairyCouncil
Agriland
3 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Bord Bia's Bloom attracts 100,000 visitors over five day festival
Bord Bia's annual Bloom festival, held annually over the June Bank Holiday weekend, attracted 100,000 visitors this year according to figures released on its concluding day (Monday, June 2). The gardening and food festival which takes place each year in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, was originally launched to promote plants, garden design, horticulture and gardening. However over nearly two decades Bord Bia has developed the festival to also create a food and drink experience and promote learning experiences in gardening, growing fruit and vegetables, cooking and culture. Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia's chief executive, believes the festival now has an 'enduring popularity'. He added: 'Bloom 2025 has been a fantastic success — we welcomed wonderful crowds over the five days, enjoyed mostly favourable weather, and the atmosphere throughout the show has been incredibly positive. 'As we wrap up this year's event, excitement is already building for a very special milestone: Bord Bia Bloom's 20th anniversary in 2026.' Bloom Two of the key themes of each Bord Bia Bloom festival are sustainability and waste reduction and many elements of the 2025 show and feature gardens will be relocated follwing the event. The Grass Advantage garden – designed by Robert Moore and sponsored by the National Dairy Council Source Bord Bia Every element of the Grass Advantage garden, designed by Robert Moore and sponsored by the National Dairy Council 'will be reused, replanted, or repurposed' after the festival. According to Bord Bia the alder, hazel and field maple trees will be rehomed in a woodland setting in Wicklow while the weathered corrugated steel will return to dairy shed in Stamullen, County Meath. The milk churn structure will be reused as a focal point in a community garden, and the stone walls and stone-pave paving will be reused in a community allotment. Meanwhile the Estate's Essence garden, designed by Patrik Weisser and sponsored by Abbeyleix House and Farm, will be brought back to Abbeyleix House and Farm in County Laois where they will be used to build on the gardens at the estate. Awards As part of the celebrations to mark the final day of the festival two awards were also unveiled today including the People's Choice Award, voted for by visitors who chose their favourite show garden. This year it was awarded to Tulsa's 'Fostering is for You' garden designed by Pip Probert. Meanwhile Bloom garden designers also get a chance to vote on their favourite garden and this year the Designer's Choice Award was presented to Louise Checa who designed the gold medal winning Citroen Downsizers' Garden. Bord Bia has also confirmed today that Bloom 2026 will take place from Thursday, May 28 to Monday, June 1.
Vogue
26-05-2025
- Health
- Vogue
Supercharge Your Day With the Best Whey Protein Powder
If you're already working on upping your protein intake, you've likely spent some time searching for the best whey protein powder. That's because whey protein is one of the highest quality forms of protein available, says vice president of nutrition research for the National Dairy Council Matthew Pikosky, PhD, RDN. 'It has significant health benefits and is a great tool for anyone looking to add higher levels of protein in their diets,' he adds. Vogue's Favorite Whey Protein Powders: Some of those benefits include supporting weight loss, building muscle mass, improving bone health, and enhancing overall metabolic functions. 'According to a 2019 review, whey protein may have beneficial effects on metabolic measures like waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar,' says Pikosky. 'It can help regulate your appetite, reduce cravings, and boost energy levels.' The benefits of whey protein powder are many—we asked the experts to lay out everything you need to know about whey protein powder to help narrow down our list to the seven best whey protein powders on the market. In This Article: Best Overall: Puori Whey Protein Powder Puori Whey Protein Powder $69 AMAZON Why We Love It: Ingredient transparency is of the utmost importance for Puori, and the reason why it's earned the top spot for the best whey protein powders. The Clean Label Project published a report on heavy metals in protein powders and found that when it comes to protein powder, vanilla, unflavored, whey, or egg-based protein powders generally test lower for heavy metals than the average plant-based protein powders. (For reference, the study found that 28% of whey protein powders tested above California's Prop 65 safety limits for lead). Puori's Whey Protein Powder not only has the Clean Label Project Certified stamp of approval, it's also pesticide-free, hormone free, antibiotics free, and non-GMO (and as an added bonus, vanilla flavored). Plus, they publish their test results on their website so consumers can see it in full detail.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
How farming works – New ‘open experience' coming to Galway showcasing life on the farm
Agri Aware's Open Farm event is kicking off this June in two counties, Kildare and a brand-new Open Farm experience in Galway. Open Farm is the flagship event in Agri Aware's mission of 'enhancing agricultural literacy', hoping to give the public and schoolchildren a unique opportunity to experience a working Irish farm first hand and understand the journey of food from farm to fork. Making its debut this year, the Galway Open Farm will be hosted by Aonghusa Fahy on his beef farm in Ardrahan. The schools day will take place on Thursday, June 12, followed by the public open farm day on Sunday, June 15. Students and the general public will have the opportunity to engage directly with the Fahy's, see modern beef farming in action, and understand the vital role Irish beef farms play in producing high-quality food sustainably. Speaking at the launch of Open Farm 2025, Agri Aware Chairman Shay Galvin said: 'We are delighted to announce the return of Open Farm after the success last year. Bridging the gap between producers and consumers remains a key challenge, but it's one we are committed to addressing. Open Farm gives us a unique opportunity to connect people directly with the farms that produce their food. We're especially looking forward to welcoming schools on Thursday, followed by the public open days in Galway and Kildare over the weekend. Our sincere thanks go to the Doran and Fahy families for generously opening their farms. Thanks to them, visitors will get to see first-hand how Irish food is produced sustainably, with care and dedication.' Galway host farmer Aonghusa Fahy said: 'As generations pass, the connection between food and its origins is increasingly being lost, even in rural communities. We take immense pride in what we do, from the care we give our animals to the quality of food we produce. Through Open Farm, we want to share our story and show the public how we're farming sustainably for the future.' Open Farm is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Dairy Council, the Irish Farmers' Association, Tirlán, Our Food Connects, ABP, Teagasc, Kildare Milk Producers Group and the Fresh Milk Producers Group. Agri Aware has teamed up with Agriland Media as the official media partner for Open Farm for 2025.
Agriland
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Agriland
NDC to showcase ‘grass advantage' at Bord Bia Bloom
The National Dairy Council (NDC) is set to return to this year's Bord Bia Bloom, which takes place in Dublin's Phoenix Park over the June Bank Holiday weekend. The farmer-funded marketing agency will celebrate Irish dairy farming with a host of interactive events, educational talks, and dairy tastings over the five-day event. This is NDC's fourth time at Bord Bia Bloom, with the agency saying the event 'provides an excellent opportunity to promote sustainable dairy production and educate visitors on dairy nutrition'. Bloom This year, NDC will have two areas – the first being a large concept garden, 'The Grass Advantage' designed by Robert Moore. The garden highlights the beauty of Ireland's natural pasture, with its white clover grass mix forming a naturally enriching multi-species sward. At its centre, a five-metre-high milk churn sculpture symbolises the cultural heritage and global reputation of Irish dairy. The garden is inspired by the many initiatives farmers are undertaking to improve biodiversity through sustainable farm management. It is designed with a strong emphasis on sustainability and constructed with minimum impact on the environment. The planting is representative of Irish dairy pastures and all materials are recycled, and boundary fences and the sculpture are supported by environmentally sensitive, reusable ground screws. NDC In the second area, NDC will host a dedicated schools hub within the main concourse, promoting the Moo Crew Schools programme and dairy nutrition education. The area is designed to look like an actual classroom, with imagery and diagrams promoting 3-5 servings of dairy a day. Visitors to the NDC area will be able to taste premium Irish yogurt, cheese, and milk, while listening to talks on the future of food, bone health, and the benefits of dairy. Dee Laffan, editor of Scoop Food Magazine will be chatting to some of Ireland's best loved chefs. In addition, the All Ireland Jiving champions Niamh Doyle and Conor O'Donnell will take a spin in the NDC garden on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Some of Ireland's top athletes will also be present, including former Irish rugby international Fiona Coghlan, GAA player Vikki Wall, and rower Ross Corrigan to discuss the importance of good nutrition with Dr. Sharon Madigan from Sport Ireland. Farming Children across Ireland were invited to share their visions of the future of farming, and the winning children will be chatting about their dreams for the future at the NDC stand. NDC's farmer ambassadors will also be on hand to chat to the public about sustainable dairy production Some of Ireland's top agri influencers will discuss succession and the future generation of farmers. MEP Nina Carberry will also visit the NDC stand, while three women will share their experiences of marrying dairy farmers and life on the land. Bord Bia Bloom will run from Thursday, May 29 to Monday, June 2 on a 70ac site in Phoenix Park and is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors.
Irish Independent
06-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Agri-food body set up to help sector communicate ‘more effectively'
With a core aim to 'educate and inform public using evidence-based facts, share compelling stories, and foster deeper engagement,' the body is currently recruiting an executive director. 'The overarching goal is to maintain Irish agriculture's licence to operate by building greater public understanding, trust, and support for the sector,' Bord Bia said when asked a series of questions from the Farming Independent about the new body. It said food, and the people who produce it, play an irreplaceable role in our health, wellbeing, identity and culture. 'Yet knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Irish farming and food production is in decline. To address this, Ireland's agri-food industry has come together to help reconnect Irish society with Irish agriculture. We want to dispel misinformation and misunderstanding; and be clear, honest and open, owning our challenges, and the actions we are taking to address them 'We want to dispel misinformation and misunderstanding; and be clear, honest and open, owning our challenges, and the actions we are taking to address them.' However, Bord Bia did not respond to queries of what the body's budget would be, or what the executive director will be paid. It said: 'A business entity has been formed, though the long-term financial structure is still being finalised.' The target audience for the initiative is outside of the agriculture community. Bord Bia said a small team, with strong project management, public relations and communications expertise, will manage the initiative, leveraging appropriate agencies and service providers to deliver an annual programme of work. Activity will span three pillars: communications, advocacy development and education. Current industry partners in the initiative include the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), the National Dairy Council (NDC), Meat Industry Ireland members, Dairy Industry Ireland members, Bord Bia, and Agri Aware. The body's interim board members are: Tom Moran, Chair; Damian McDonald, IFA; John Enright, ICMSA; Emma Walls, National Dairy Council; Karina Pierce, UCD; Pat Sheehan, Dairy Industry Ireland & North Cork Creameries; Niall Browne, Dawn Meats; Kevin Cahill, ABP and Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia. There are ongoing discussions to include horticulture, cereals, and secondary processors also, and wider sector engagement will be explored. The interim board is tasked with setting strategic objectives, shaping the work programme, and establishing key performance indicators and will be replaced by a formal board in 2026. Its former iteration, Meat and Dairy Facts, was set up in 2019, last posting news on its website in February 2022.
