Greenmount Autumn Farm Walk returns with visit to award-winning Kilvergan Holsteins

Aaron Haffey (Kilvergan Holsteins) along with Greenmount Association’s Lisa Burrows, Robert Edwards and Patrick Fee invite you to join a Farm Walk in September.

A long-running agricultural event is returning next month, giving farmers, former students and friends of Greenmount the opportunity to see inside one of Northern Ireland’s high-performing dairy herds.

The Greenmount Association will revive its Annual Autumn Farm Walk on Wednesday 16 September, with this year’s visit hosted by the Haffey family at Kilvergan Holsteins near Portadown.

The event begins at 11am and is open to everyone, with those planning to attend asked to register in advance to help organisers confirm catering numbers.

Inside a 350-cow robotic dairy operation

The farm walk will give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the management and performance of the Haffey family’s 350-cow Kilvergan herd.

The operation has used an indoor robotic milking system since 2013 and currently milks around 340 cows through six robots.

According to information supplied for the event, the herd produces an average yield of more than 13,000 litres, with butterfat at 4.26% and protein at 3.45%.

The visit will offer those attending a practical look at the operation of a large-scale robotic dairy system and the herd behind a number of recent competition successes.

Award-winning Kilvergan herd

In 2025, the Kilvergan prefix won Best Large Herd, Best Junior Cow and Cow Family in the senior section of Holstein NI’s Annual Herd Inspection Competition.

The herd has also achieved recognition in the show ring, including Reserve Champion at the Irish National Holstein Show and an Honourable Mention at the Royal Ulster Winter Fair.

More recently, Kilvergan animals have secured a number of Champion and Reserve Champion titles at the Dungannon Dairy Sale.

How to register for the farm walk

The Autumn Farm Walk was previously a regular fixture in the Greenmount Association calendar and its return will bring together members, past students and others interested in Northern Ireland agriculture.

Anyone wishing to attend should register with the Greenmount Association in advance by emailing greenmountassociation1@gmail.com or contacting the Association through its Facebook page.

Registration will help organisers establish catering numbers ahead of the event.

The walk takes place at Kilvergan Holsteins, Portadown, on Wednesday 16 September at 11am, offering visitors the chance to see the herd and robotic milking operation first-hand while meeting others from across the Greenmount and wider agricultural community.