December 10 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Rena Blake and Lisa Fingleton run the Barna Way, an 8-hectare eco-social farm near Ballybunion, Co. Kerry. Lisa and Rena say that the traditional way of farming isn’t necessarily working for all small Irish farms. They’ve had every kind of farm enterprise over the last twenty years including organic horticulture. One day after earning just €5 at the market, they decided to change something. Now, instead of going out to the community, they’re inviting the community to them.
The farm has always had a focus on encouraging biodiversity, and they now host nature-based events, and a Creative Climate Action project called Brilliant Ballybunion. They work with the local community to grow food, protect nature and be creative all at the same time. Meditating in their traditional hay meadow has proven to be one of their most popular activities, while the Social Farming program visits every Friday to learn about growing and experience a much-needed nature boost.
Lisa, an artist, and Rena a photographer, work to integrate creativity into how they think about farming and the land. They want to encourage people to use their imagination and connection with the land to create the future we want. She says, ‘sometimes I say we are farming and growing ideas as much as anything else these days’.
Their Brilliant Ballybunion project will engage the local community to creatively explore the future for Ballybunion in terms of protecting biodiversity and local food systems. The project works with Ballybunion Community Forum and diverse community collaborators to grow food, protect habitats and create a vision for the future in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Their efforts for biodiversity include planting native woodland and maintaining traditional hay meadows. Their farm hosts barn owls, the elusive cuckoo and many other not so common wild creatures. Rena added “No matter how small you are, you can still actively work to create change and make things better. We share this planet with other creatures and we need to learn how to cohabit together.’
