Bruce Thompson

From an education in engineering I returned to be the 8th generation milking cows on our family farm, steeped in a diverse landscape at the foot of the Slieve Blooms in Co. Laois. 20 years later and with the abolition of milk quotas, we have extended our herd from 54 milking cows to 250. It has been fun! After acquiring a strange obsession with dung beetles, I was fortunate enough to receive a Nuffield scholarship to investigate their merits to agriculture and the wider environment. As my stock numbers have increased so too has the impact my farm practices have on the environment. With 2 small children and the fact that I am very proud of my ancestry, I want to ensure that my children will be proud of the impact I made on the environment, so it has to be positive and not just about profit. I often think about the future generations and how they will perceive our current practices in our industry. I don’t want to mess it up for them.