Miriam Mullins meets a dairy farmer in new series exploring Ireland’s yogurt boom

The Irish influencer rolled up her sleeves and got the chance to meet the delightful cows that call West Cork home.

We spoon it into our protein shakes and serve it with fruit for a quick dessert, but have you ever considered the origin story behind your favourite Irish yogurt? Irish influencer Miriam Mullins is on a mission to do exactly that.

Farm to Fridge is a video series charting Miriam's exploration of Irish yogurt, and it's part of the European Milk Forum Initiative.

In the first episode, Miriam starts at the very beginning and ventures out to Ardea, Balinacarriga in West Cork to meet Kieran Daly on his family farm.

Kieran is a first-generation dairy farmer, who made the switch from beef. Now, he runs his dairy farm with his sister Katie and with support from his dad, his brothers, and, of course, his ever-helpful pup Beau.

In the episode, Kieran gives Miriam an insight into what life looks like on an Irish dairy farm, and that starts with a morning milking at 7am. After that, the pair move the cows to fresh fields of grass, and then there are plenty of jobs that need doing before an evening milking. It's hard work, but Kieran is happy to do whatever it takes to keep his herd happy and healthy.

A key ingredient in the recipe to cow happiness? Grass. Thanks to Ireland's mild climate, Kieran's cows graze on lush green grass for most of the year. As he puts it himself, "There are three things that matter most – grass, grass and more grass."

In addition to animal welfare and keeping a happy herd, Kieran also works to implement sustainability practices on his farm. He tells Miriam how he uses clover in reseeding to reduce chemical fertilisers, maintains hedgerows to support biodiversity and recycles water to cut down on waste.

As the episode highlights, Kieran is proud of his farming operations. His milk is sent to a local co-op supporting Irish businesses and ultimately ends up in the yogurts we buy on the shelves.

Keep your eyes peeled for episode two of Farm to Fridge, which will see Miriam pop by Glenilen Farm to explore how local milk is transformed into delicious natural yogurt.