Book Reviews
What our reviewers say (so far!):
UACHTARÁN NA HÉIREANN PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
Quote from President Michael D. Higgins
Mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, it is my great pleasure to pen a few words for this Farming for Nature Handbook, a timely and essential contribution to the ongoing discourse on how we, as a society, must respond to some of the most pressing challenges of our time — the perilous consequences of climate change and biodiversity loss, and the future of our rural landscapes. Comhghairdeas libh.
This handbook is a deeply informed guide, an invitation to reflect on how we might reimagine our relationship with the land itself, one that empowers farmers with the tools and wisdom necessary to engage in practices that can help restore a connection between humans and the natural world in an ecologically responsible way, in a manner that will improve the natural health of our precious countryside.
Projects such as this are powerful and tangible exemplars of what can be done from the bottom up, in creating an environmental consciousness that can deliver far-reaching and lasting results.
At this critical juncture, I encourage all who read this book to act with determination and creativity, to take action on crucial issues, and to embrace the vision set out in these pages. Each step taken in concert with nature represents a real form of active citizenship, of contributing to social betterment, as we strive towards a sustainable and resilient future grounded in ecological harmony and social justice.
May I thank the authors and contributors of this remarkable handbook for their work and commitment, and may I express my deepest gratitude to the farmers whose efforts are indispensable in shaping a more just and sustainable future for us all. May your actions be a source of hope and renewal for generations to come. Beir beannacht.
Michael D. Higgins Uachtarán na hÉireann President of Ireland
This handbook is a gift to farmers and their families struggling to make sense of their world.
Today we think and talk about circularity; about impacts and consequences. Nowhere is this more important that when it comes to how our land is managed and our food produced.
But in the past, the focus was more singular – on production only. We know that this focus has resulted in environmental problems. But we also know that we can tackle these problems and even enhance the environmental delivery on farms and keep in mind the need to provide an income.
The Farming for Nature Handbook is a great guide to those on the journey towards a more sustainable farming system and to those who are looking to get there but don’t know where to start.
Seeing is believing and reading about how farmers are adopting practices that help the natural world is the best way to spread the word.
Farmers talking to farmers works. Seeing inside the gate of the neighbour’s farm can be inspiring, which is exactly what I hope and believe this Handbook will do – inspire others to join in the transformation.
Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union
An invaluable resource for the rapidly growing community who are discovering that farming with nature is the only way forward.
Darina Allen, food journalist & advocate, Ballymaloe Cookery School & Organic Farm
“Farming For Nature’s work is transforming growers and consumers attitudes to living healthily for all things. This guide is essential reading for all those interested not only in food and farming but for the health of the economy. This is about farming yes, but it’s about stewardship and farming as if we had a long term plan as a species. This book will charm and excite you and will make traditional farmers think again about the meaning of legacy”
Sir Tim Smit, Founder of The Eden Project
This is a great manual with so much useful information for farmers to help change their farming business and their farmed landscape to be more nature friendly. I hope all farmers have a copy of this on their kitchen table soon and get inspiration from its contents. Also all policy makers read through the manual carefully to understand how farming can be more productive, profitable, and beneficial to nature.
Martin Lines, Farmer and CEO of Nature Friendly Farming UK
This book is the ultimate go-to guide for anyone who wants to attract life to their land. It’s the definitive work for farmers who want to play their part in nature restoration.
Full of practical suggestions workable within farm systems of any size, intensive or not, it offers in detail how farmers and land managers can overcome the challenges of making space for nature.
If species could communicate what they need in this world to thrive, this is the book they’d write!
Ella McSweeney, Irish Times journalist and RTE presenter
Imagine if there was one single book that could address the incredibly complex issue of converting our current agricultural enterprises towards a more nature-sympathetic way? This is it. Genuinely. It’s a handbook like no other. A revolutionary reimagining of farming in Ireland; an exploration of how farmers can take back sovereignty of the land and control of their own fate, by reestablishing a more harmonious, equitable, fruitful and stable relationship with nature. These pages can help set land owners on a path towards a sustainable future for themselves and their descendants
The Farming for Nature Handbook is an optimistic, clarion call, offering practical, detailed steps on how to pivot our current debilitating farming practises towards regeneration and sustainable futures. Covering all aspects of farming, from mental health, to crop yields, from laying hedges to digging lakes. This is an invaluable resource for those wishing to integrate new techniques/modalities with traditional practises, to diversify farm enterprises, and ultimately to leave a farm for their descendants that will be more fertile, viable and resilient than it is now.
A concise, comprehensive and inspiring handbook to a sustainable future on this island. Full of practical protocols and concise, impactful insights, covering everything from holistic grazing, native breeds, composting, meadows, natural pastures, hedge laying, beetle banks, etc.
An inspiring and wide-ranging insight into how farming can be a major pillar in tackling climate change.
Manchán Magan, writer, TV presenter & homesteader
Wow – what a wonderful manual this is! It comprehensively covers a whole variety of nature friendly ideas for farms – whatever the enterprise – big or small, upland or lowland. The illustrations are really lovely.
The importance of working with and for nature has never been more important, and farming has a unique opportunity to deliver on that more than any other sector.
Mechanisation, while an essential part of modern agriculture, has in a way moved us away from nature. Whether we are whizzing around in our quad bikes, or high above the ground in our tractors, we probably see less than ever before. That why this book is so important, it gets us thinking, reconnects with our landscapes, and the ecology within. From soils and hedgerows to trees and waterways…so much is covered; and with fascinating insights from farmers who work with nature everyday, and see the economic benefits too. A beautiful, uplifting and inspiring read for any farmer or landowner.
Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity
This book is essential reading for both farmers and non-farmers who want to do their part to stop biodiversity decline. I wish that I had a copy when I started my farming career, it’s a must have for any nature lover’s library.
Hannah Quinn Mulligan, journalist, RTE broadcaster & farmer
The Farming for Nature handbook is packed with examples of farmer’s experiences of working with nature to make the farm richer in every way. It offers helpful tips on everything from improving soil function and fertility; enhancing grassland biodiversity; protecting the cultural and natural value of hedgerows; improving tree cover; and allowing life in wetlands and waterways to bounce back. Practical actions are outlined with real-life experiences of farmers who have carried out these actions already. Whether you are a seasoned nature friendly farmer or at the beginning of a journey to welcoming nature back in to your land, this beautifully laid out and illustrated handbook is essential reading for everyone.
Anja Murray, ecologist, broadcaster & author
The Farming for Nature handbook is a beautifully illustrated guide to farming for nature that can be applied across diverse agricultural settings. It covers everything from grassland to arable systems to smaller scale gardens. It contains advice on the management of an extensive range of nature positive features on farms from hedgerows to wetlands to native woodland and agroforestry. The book is inspired by and collates the experiences of farming for nature ambassadors supported by extensive research. What sets this manual apart is that it is peppered throughout with advice and insights written by farmers for farmers. These farming for nature ambassadors demonstrate the art of what is possible. The book highlights the benefits of farming for nature not just for the environment on which we depend, but also associated benefits related to enhancing resilience to climate change and improving farm profitability. I would highly recommend it for all farmers and members of the wider community interested in how we can enhance nature on our farms.
Dr James Moran, senior lecturer at ATU and policy advisor of agri-ecology at EU level
The Farming For Nature initiative, supported by my Department, provides various information resources for those looking to manage land with nature in mind. The website has a myriad of examples, guides, videos and so on. When my officials in National Parks & Wildlife Service devised this concept of a physical, tangible book, I knew this was something very worthwhile and we were happy to provide further support. It is likely to be on the kitchen dresser or in the office or in the jeep for years to come; something that can be dipped into at various times of the year and for various interests.
Malcolm Noonan, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is proud to support the Farming For Nature initiative by way of funding and advice. I am very happy to see this [book] come to fruition and as core funders of the project, NPWS are proud to have enabled this. The authors and all contributors are to be commended and this book should have a positive and lasting legacy.
Dr Barry O’ Donoghue, Assistant Principal at the National Parks & Wildlife Service
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have been a supporter of the FFN initiative since its beginning and are delighted to see the cumulation of their positive work brought together in this handbook. It will be an invaluable resource for the farming community but also for anyone with an interest in farmland biodiversity. Farmers are the custodians of nature in our landscape and this handbook is a record and reminder of the vital role they play. It is sure to become a familiar reference point in many households for years to come.
Niall Ryan, Agricultural Inspector, Nature and Land Use Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
