By Alissa MacMillan
Q: Do you have any suggestions for seeking out fellow farmers who want to prioritise biodiversity and the health of the environment?
A: There are some great resources and organisations out there and one idea for you is to connect with Farming for Nature, a non-profit conservation charity devoted to farmers who work with nature. Top of mind for them is supporting biodiversity, soil health, and good water management, along with sharing knowledge from the field.
They are also having their first ever Farming for Nature Festival this June, a chance to meet fellow eco-minded farmers in person.
An initiative set up in 2018 by the Burrenbeo Trust, Farming for Nature connects farmers in Ireland who want to manage their land and farms well and identifies farmers “doing great things for nature in their farming practices and improving farming biodiversity,” explains Lydia Lishman, the Programmes and Development Officer. These farmers become “ambassadors,” sharing their stories and experiences with those in the Farming for Nature network.
There are over 100 ambassadors from across the country, across all farming systems, from dairy to organic, mixed farmers, upland, tillage, and some growers, and on any sized farm. “They’re openly sharing what they are doing on their farm, what’s working for them, and what they’ve learned along the way,” she says. “They are exemplar farmers in farming for nature.”
FESTICAL GATHERING
Every year, the network holds walks on farms around the country and hosts an online forum for questions. About a year and a half ago, they published a practical handbook, collecting their gathered lessons from farmers in the network. What grew from this was the idea to have a bigger annual event, pulling together as much wisdom and experience as possible. The inaugural Farming for Nature Festival is happening this coming June (22nd-23rd) at the Ballykilcavan Brewery, a farm near Stradbally, County Laois.
As with the handbook, the festival is meant to be a practical event, with over 50 speakers lined up and loads of demonstrations, conversations, and even food and music.
“For us it’s about creating a space where farmers can come and learn and meet other farmers and understand the challenges and the opportunities in farming for nature,” Lishman says.
Talks and panels will include topics like regenerative agriculture, building resilience through regenerative practices, sharing practical ideas around building soil health, reducing input costs, managing water, nutrition and food density, and biodiversity
“We’ll be bringing together people from across the country to have discussions, demonstrations, and peer-to-peer learning,” Lishman adds. “A big part of it is the community element as well; it’s about the connections and conversations,” sharing knowledge both formally and informally.
The festival is an all-island event, including the north of Ireland, as is the Farming for Nature initiative. It’s also come at a time of change, a moment where consciousness of the climate and practical concerns are coming to a head.
“Farming is under a lot of pressure economically and environmentally. People are definitely looking for ways to do something different and make that small change on the farm,” Lishman says. “That’s really what motivated us to put the event on, to have the space for farmers to come together and have honest conversations with other farmers, to learn what they’ve done what’s worked and hasn’t worked.”
They’ve found that it’s all about having those points of connection, sharing information, and learning from one another, be it through the farm walks or online forums. Those who are already part of the network love coming together throughout the year, the ambassadors showing fellow farmers for nature their approach to caring for the land and problem-solving.
The festival itself is also born from collaboration, with partners including BASE Ireland (which stands for biodiversity, agriculture, soil, and the environment), an organisation seeking to advance nature-based and regenerative farming, and NOTS, the National Organic Training Skillnet, based in Leitrim.
Festival speakers include farmers, researchers, advocates, policy-makers, organic winemakers and more. Patrick Holden from the Sustainable Food Trust in the UK will be talking; Darina Allen, co-founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School, will host a food-focused event on Monday evening; and, David Walsh-Kemmis, whose brewery and tillage farm is where the event is based, will also be speaking. There will be music and beer straight from his farm, so it’s also steeped in culture – the event was planned for as close to the solstice as they could manage.
Instead of making it an international affair, from the research done in their network, “people really just wanted to hear speakers that they can relate to in their farming system,” Lishman explains. “We wanted real stories from real farmers here in Ireland to share their experiences and we’re delighted to have so many.”
For festival information and the program and registration, check out the festival website at farmingfornaturefestival.ie – the program will be finalised in the next few weeks. Tickets are €50 for the full day (June 23) and €75 for the entire event, which includes the evening of June 22nd.
For more information on Farming for Nature, check out farmingfornature.ie, where you might find a community of like-minded lovers (and carers and tillers) of the earth.
