Computing lecturer on WIT’s Agriculture and Agricultural Science programmes, Anne Dunphy has a keen interest in farming and all things rural
Anne Dunphy, lecturer in the Department of Computing and Maths
Lectures on Bsc Agriculture, Bsc (Hons) Agricultural Science , Land Management (Agriculture)
Modules taught Computer applications on BSc Agriculture, Agriculture ICT on BSc (Hons) Agricultural Science, Project supervision on Land Management (Agriculture)
Home is Kill, Co. Waterford.
Land Science credentials I was brought up on a dairy farm and I am currently running my own 60 unit suckler farm. I went to college to be a vet and came out with a computer science degree. I followed the money. It was the 80s after all the .com era. After college, I worked for 12 years in various computer industries before joining WIT in 1996. I was very lucky to have worked for various different projects in companies in three countries.
Career ladder
Undergraduate degree BSc (Hons) Computer Science, BSc in Mathematics.
Links with industry As a working farmer I am very aware of the challenges facing young farmers today. I calf my 60 sucklers each year and bring some to weanlings and other I fatten at 18 months.
Thus, I can be found at marts, animal feedlots, factories or pushing a wheelbarrow at home.
Thoughts on…
Career trends for Land Sciences graduates Farming is no longer a job you can just inherit. To be successful or even to just survive, you need to keep up to date on all aspects of agriculture.
The main challenge facing the agriculture industry in Ireland is
- Lack of finance.
- Variability in the market.
- All the big player seems to be able to call all the shots.
A little known fact about farming is Not all farmers are small and most of them do not make a fortune but we love it.
How times have changed Farming has become a lot more technical and measured.
Dairy farmers – when I was growing up you opened the gate and left the cows off to the field. Now it is a different paddock every two days. Grass is measured. Milk is paid more on fat and protein rather than volume. Calves are seen as a by-product unless they are female and are star rated.
Beef farmers are constantly weighing and checking body condition scores on their cattle. Factories no longer want the good big fat animal. It is all good grading and low fat scores now. We know Bord Bia and Department inspectors better than we know our neighbours. Now we have to put signs on our gates to tell passers-by this is a farm. Long ago, they just knew because they came to collect milk and eggs every evening.
Tillage farmers are using GPS to drive the tractor and combines, drones and satellites to access, spray and monitor crop yields.
Related Courses
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Land Management in Agriculture
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Land Management in Forestry
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Land Management in Horticulture
- Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Agricultural Science
- Bachelor of Science in Forestry
- Bachelor of Science in Horticulture (Kildalton College)
- Bachelor of Science in Horticulture (National Botanic Gardens)
- Bachelor of Science in Food Science & Innovation
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
