An Irish dairy farmer who supplies cream for a festive favourite will be playing carols to his herd this Christmas as part of a sustainability drive to reduce his carbon footprint.
t other times, Joe Hayden soothes his herd of 180 ‘Baileys Ladies’ with Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and The Killers.
The Co Wicklow farmer has been supplying high-end cream to Baileys since the famous liqueur was first launched in 1974.
Following a tip handed down by his mother, he has been using music to relax his Holstein Friesians for years, but now he says he has the scientific proof it helps to produce better milk.
The calming technique is one of several eco-friendly practices that Mr Hayden (60) employs at his 360-acre farm in the Wicklow Mountains close to the village of Tinahely.
The strategy aligns with Baileys’ wider plans to make the brand the “most sustainable adult treat in the world” by 2030.
“We play music to the cows and that has been scientifically proven to help the cows to relax,” said Mr Hayden, who explains that the tunes release a hormone that lowers stress levels leading to better milk.
“Remember, they are a very, very sensitive creature, they are a beautiful creature. I’ve been working with the dairy herd here for over 40 years and the love relationship is as strong as ever. Like any ladies in our lives – what you give, you get back twice.”
Mr Hayden, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, says Sunday afternoon is the only time of the week when the music is turned off. He joked: “That’s when we’re listening to the football and hurling matches during the championship.”
Baileys, a Dublin-based company that has production facilities on both sides of the border, is seeking to encourage more sustainable farming practices as part of a 10-year project to reduce greenhouse emission in its supply chain by 50%.
Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk
