Farm Smart: Cork Farmer Utilises Herdwatch’s Free Buy & Sell Feature to Cut Costs and Reduce Stress

Innovative Cork farmer Tom Ahern, has transformed the way he buys and sells animals on his farm by leveraging the latest livestock trading service, Buy & Sell by Herdwatch. This brand new livestock trading platform allows Tom to showcase his animals to a trusted network of farmers absolutely free. 

“There’s no better piece of mind than knowing you’re dealing with genuine farmers”.

Tom is a full-time farmer who farms 200-acres alongside his father-in-law Robert in Kildorrery and Mitchelstown, County Cork. They run a highly efficient grass-based system, featuring two robots and a herd of 130 cows, surplus stock is sold multiple times throughout the year under the Olcastletown prefix. However, the traditional method of trading at the mart proved to be time-consuming and inefficient.

One evening, as Tom sat at the kitchen table, he received an email from Herdwatch about their brand new Buy & Sell feature. This new service promised to simplify the trading process and provide a more convenient platform for farmers to connect and do business. Intrigued, Tom decided to give it a try and has never looked back since. “I was already using Herdwatch, which I use in conjunction with the robot management system for my record keeping, it just happened that we were in a situation ourselves where we needed to sell surplus stock so we said we will give it a go”.

Tom found the process of advertising his livestock on the Buy & Sell platform to be refreshingly simple. With just a few clicks on, he selected the animals he wished to list for sale, and all their relevant details automatically populated into the advert. After uploading a few compelling photos and videos and crafting a brief description, Tom’s animals were ready to be showcased to potential buyers. The user-friendly interface of the platform made the entire process hassle-free and allowed Tom to focus on other aspects of his farm.

“I just selected my animals from Herdwatch uploaded a few images, videos and a quick description and up it went.”

Tom’s animals were only up for sale for less than 24 hours when he received a call from a fellow Herdwatch member who expressed interest in purchasing them. The potential buyer wasted no time and came to the farm the very next day to inspect the livestock. Tom was pleased to learn that the buyer was keen on purchasing all the animals in one fell swoop, streamlining the transaction and saving valuable time for both parties. Thanks to the seamless connectivity offered by the Buy & Sell platform, Tom was able to secure a fast and profitable sale with ease.

Tom was delighted with his experience using the Buy & Sell by Herdwatch feature and encourages other farmers to give it a try. He highlights the convenience of having all the animal information readily accessible on the buyer’s phone, without the need for extensive paperwork or lengthy explanations. Tom appreciates the added peace of mind that comes with knowing that all the information is verified by Herdwatch, ensuring a smooth and trustworthy transaction.

Moreover, Tom emphasizes how the service reduces stress on the animals by eliminating the need for transportation to the mart. By listing his animals on the platform, he was able to keep them comfortable and secure on the farm until the sale was completed, saving both time and money. Overall, Tom was thrilled with the experience and encourages other farmers to embrace this innovative technology to streamline their operations and boost profitability.

“We would highly recommend that any farmer should use the Buy & Sell by Herdwatch from start to finish it was straightforward & very easy & best of all it was completely free!”

The service is available by visiting www.herdwatch.com/buyandsell or by downloading Herdwatch. Buy & Sell by Herdwatch allows farmers to advertise & find animals for sale simply, through a trusted network of over 18,000 Herdwatch members in Ireland & the UK.