The Farming for Nature (FFN) project is delighted to welcome Galway farmer, Blátnaid Gallagher to their growing Ambassador network.
“As an Farming For Nature Ambassador, it is an opportunity for me to share with other farmers and non-farming nature enthusiasts, my joy of growing food, whilst treasuring our natural environment and its bounty. As a custodian of our beautiful Irish countryside being a FFN ambassador, affords me a platform to showcase how we can produce food and bio-fibre whilst encouraging and caring for our natural flora and fauna. ” Blátnaid Gallagher on being awarded the role of an Ambassador.
Blátnaid Gallagher and her husband Niall manage a diverse farm with a range of different habitats such as woodland, permanent pasture, bogland and rewilded land. Blátnaid runs a small flock of pedigree Galway ewes, producing organic lamb and Galway wool. The farm is very extensively managed, with no chemicals used and external inputs are extremely low. Geese, ponies and donkeys are also kept on the farm. Much of the land is left for biodiversity and wildlife, including 6ha of bogland which is now a dedicated butterfly sanctuary, providing a habitat for the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly as well as numerous other insects and birds. Mature hedgerows, woodland and nature corridors throughout the land provide habitat for the healthy populations of birds on the farm, as well as badgers, hares, pine marten and foxes.
If you want to hear more from Blatnaid join us at her live Ask the Farmer Q&A Tuesday 13th February evening on Zoom. Just register here
Farming For Nature was set up with an aim to source, share and celebrate the stories of farmers across Ireland who manage their land in a way that sustains nature, while providing a livelihood for their family. Blátnaid is part of 2023’s ten ambassadors that come from across Ireland and include beef, sheep, goats, horses, dairy, horticulture and tillage farmers who manage a wide range of very valuable habitats including species-rich grasslands and heaths, wetlands, woodlands and hedgerows. The Farming For Nature ambassador network is now 91 people strong and made up of family farms, couples, and both male and female farmers.
FFN is featuring their newly awarded Ambassadors on a monthly basis until next Autumn. Keep an eye on FFN’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms to learn more about these wonderful farmers and the valuable work they are doing for nature on their land. FFN will work with these inspiring ambassadors to produce farm videos, podcasts, ‘Ask the Farmer’ sessions, farm walks and more. Go to www.farmingfornature.ie to learn about this incredible network of Ambassador farmers and to access further information, resources and tips.
The Farming for Nature Awards 2023 were sponsored by Bord Bia and supported by a wide range of farming and conservation interests including the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the National Rural Network.
