The GrazeMate paddock Controller exhibited by Neilus Murphy from Coolagown, Fermoy, Co Cork was the overall winner of the National Ploughing Innovation Arena Prize at this year’s National Ploughing Championships.
The overall winner received a price of €1,500 towards the cost of attending the British Lamma Show in January 2014.
The GrazeMate Drover is a new and easy to use labour-saving device with a built-in GSM that allows a mobile phone to activate an electrified barrier to the entrance of a paddock. This product reduces the number of daily visits to the paddock by at least 50 per cent.
The GrazeDate Drover is user-friendly as a simple phone call or text sent to a battery-powered unit opens and closes the barrier on-demand.
The unit has a built-in GSM SIM card that allows a mobile phone to activate an electrified barrier at the entrance to a paddock. This portable device is user-friendly as a simple text messages sent to a battery-powered unit opens and closes the barrier on-demand.
The new product on www.grazemate.com or by calling 0872788040, can also be operated using a time clock that can be synchronized with the milking times of the herd. Orders placed at the Ploughing can avail of a special introductory price of €595 plus Vat.
There were a number of special commendation awards announced at the event. Theses were to recognise the very significant design and development work that was associated with these innovations. These were as follows:
Field Machine Commendation
Bale buggy:
Seamus Kelly from Mooretown House, Kildare developed an easy to pull trailer unit that is attached to the rear of the round baler. It runs on caster-type wheels and allows the placing of two bales side-by-side in the field for more efficient bale collection.
The bales from the bailer fall into the track of the Bale Buggy. When the second bale is produced, they are arranged side-by-side and automatically unloaded to the field surface by means of a hydraulic system. Seamus can be contacted at 087 2569066.
Grass Wind-rowing Machine:
Kerry contractor Tony McCarthy received a commendation for his new approach to wind-rowing grass by developing a time and labour-saving machine system to be fitted in front of the baler.
Tony has modified an Elho wind-rowing machine and fitted to a unit to the rear of his tractor and in front of  his baler. The device takes one more operation out of baled silage process and allows grass to stay on the ground and maximise the wilting effect up unit the bailing is ready to begin. Tony can be contacted at 087 2833451.
Engineering Commendation:
Longford designer and farmer Liam McNamee from Moyne received an commendation for his eco-drainer machine designed to provide a system of fast removal of water from field surfaces during periods of heavy rain. The Eco-Drainer machine uses discs to cut 7-inch silt in the soil to a depth of up to 15-inches. This slit is then filled to the field surface with drainage gravel backfill. Liam can be contacted at 086 8244143.
Pictured Neilus Murphy from Coolagown, Fermoy, Co Cork was the overall winner of the National Ploughing Innovation Arena Prize at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, with organisers and sponsors.
