- Seán Gilligan and Rob Kennedy use regenerative principles such as no-dig and mob-grazing on their farm near Strandhill, Co. Sligo
- The friends produce 18 vegetable crops, pastured eggs and beef and sell direct at their busy farm shop
- They prioritise sustainability in every aspect of their thriving business, already drawing down two good salaries after just four years of setting up
Rob Kennedy and Seán Gilligan accepting their award at this years Farming for Nature Ambassador Awards
Seán Gilligan and Rob Kennedy farm a mixed system beneath Knocknarea Mountain, near Strandhill, Co. Sligo. Previously farmed by Seán’s father, the 20-hectare farm could not support a full-time income as a suckler enterprise. Since taking it over five years ago, the college friends have turned things around. The farm now provides them with two good incomes, aswell as supporting another employee. They sell directly to local customers at their farmgate shop.
They finish around ten Belted Galloway cattle for beef, keep 300 laying hens on pasture and tend to an acre of a chemical-free market garden.
Seán and Rob with their ‘belties’. The cattle are managed using the mob-grazing style of grassland management
Last year, they managed to close their fertility loop and produce all of their own compost. The chickens are overwintered in a polytunnel. Their manure is then composted and used to rejuvenate the vegetable beds each year, as part of their ‘no-dig’ system. The cattle are managed using mob-grazing techniques. The hen’s egg-mobile accommodation is moved behind the cattle to ensure the cattle dung is well distributed from their scratching, as well as allowing them access to an additional protein source.
The farm runs on the back of the natural processes of regeneration, aswell as clever insights into biological processes. They only do a half days’ worth of weeding per year across the entire market garden! This is because no-dig methods mean fewer weed seeds reach the surface.
It is this kind of knowledge that Seán and Rob are passionate about sharing, inviting the community to their farm every year. The importance of short food chains and knowing where your food comes from is central in the ethos of the farm.
Seán and Rob will be taking part in an online ‘Ask the Farmer’ Q&A on Tuesday the 11th February at 8pm where they will be sharing their top tips for running a successful business like theirs. Register here to receive the link
