What:
The ‘Ask the Farmer’ series runs from winter through to the summer where a number of our amazing Ambassadors will be on-line to tell us a little more about their farm and farming system and to answer your questions about farming for nature on a monthly basis.
These ‘live’ evening sessions will be on the second Tuesday of the month and include a short interview with the featured farmer and then an open Q&A session where you can ‘ask the farmer’ about whatever you would like to know, with a focus on practical management advice. It is a great opportunity to learn from our Ambassadors who work with nature every day on their farms, and also to share your own ideas and experience of ‘Farming for Nature’.
When:
This will be all done online through Zoom which you can access on your smart phone or computer. These sessions will take place monthly Tuesday evenings between December and September at 8pm and will last up to one hour. All you have to do is register for free on the relevant link below.
Upcoming Q&A sessions
14th January 2024 8pm ”Working with heritage breeds on the farm’‘ with Limerick farmer Tom Keane. More information on his farm here. View here
Previous Q&A sessions
10th December 2024 8pm ”Incorporating creativity with farming’‘ with Kerry farmers Lisa Fingleton and Rena Blake. View here
12th November 2024 8pm ”Making Dairy Low Cost and Sustainable’‘ with Waterford farmers Shane Fitzgerald and Kate Curran. More information on their farm here. View here
8th October 2024 8pm ”Habitat restoration in the uplands’‘ with Wicklow farmer Michael Keegan. More information on his farm here. View here.
13th August 2024 8pm ”A productive mixed stock farm working with nature’‘ with Westmeath farmer Pen Saugnier. More information on her farm here. View here.
9th July 2024 8pm ”No Till and Conservation Agriculture’‘ with Kildare farmer Tom Tierney. More information on his farm here.
11th June 2024 8pm ”Cheese & ice-cream; setting up a goat creamery business in a few years’‘ with Leitrim farmer Lisa Gifford. More information on her farm here.
7th May 2024 8pm ”Biodiversity is a key part of a successful stud farm’‘ with Kildare farmer Mariann Klay. More information on her farm here.
9th April 2024 8pm ‘Running a field to fork farm‘ with Roscommon farmers Justina and Liam Gavin. More information on their’s farm here.
12th March 2024 8pm ‘Running an intensive dairy farm with space for nature‘ with Laois farmer David Kerr. More information on David’s farm here.
13th February 2024 8pm ‘Growing Biofibre: Farming with Ireland’s Native Sheep Breed’ with Galway farmer Blatnaid Gallagher. More information on Blatnaid’s farm here.
9th January 2024 8pm Dung beetles and other actions for biodiversity on a dairy farm with Laois farmer Bruce Thompson. More information on Bruce’s farm here.
12th December 2023 8pm Farming progressively whilst working within the land’s natural capacity with Leitrim farmer James Gilmartin. More information on James’s farm here.
18th April 2023 8pm Virtual fencing with Dr Barry O’Donoghue from NPWS, and farmers Eileen Condon and James Gilmartin.
21st March 2023 8pm Running an organic dairy herd and milk business with Tipperary farmer Pat Mulrooney. More information on Pat’s farm here.
7th March 2023 8pm Agroforestry for Biodiversity with Cork farmer Paul McCormick. More information on Paul’s farm here.
21st February 2023 8pm Converting to Conservation Agriculture and Heritage grains for malting and brewing with Tipperary farmer Maurice Deasy. More information on Maurice’s farm here.
7th February 2023 8pm Developing a drinks business from a farm with Waterford farmer David Dennison.
More information on David’s Farm here.
24th January 2023 8pm Building up ecotourism and direct beef business from a farm with Clare farmer Cathal O’Rourke.
More information on Cathal’s Farm here.
10th January 2023 8pm How to rehabilitate an intensive farm but remain productive with Kildare farmer Colm Flynn.
More information on Colm’s Farm here.
6th December 2022 8pm Making a living on a 1-acre farm with Galway farmer Aonghus Ó Coistealbha.
More information on Aonghus’s Farm here.
22nd November 2022 8pm Running mixed stock organic farm with Roscommon farmer Andrew Chilton.
More information on Andrew’s Farm here.
8th November 2022 8pm Farming and restoring an Irish Atlantic Rainforest with Cork farmer Eoghan Daltun.
More information on Eoghan’s Farm here.
19th July 2022 8pm Achieving self sustainability on a mixed stock farm with Clare farmer Mona Muller.
More information on Mona’s Farm here.
5th July 2022 8pm Soil regeneration on a tillage and sheep farm with Kildare farmer Graham Harris.
More information on Graham’s Farm here.
20th June 2022 8pm Developing my farm as a nature reserve with Wexford farmer Nicholas Redmond.
More information on Nicholas’s Farm here.
14th June 2022 8pm Low input and low impact on a beef farm with Monaghan farmer Pat McKenna.
More information on Pat’s Farm here.
31st May 2022 8pm Running a productive 7.5 acre farm alongside nature with Mayo farmer Aoife O’Reilly.
More information on Aoife’s Farm here.
17th May 2022 8pm Sheep farming in the uplands with biodiversity in mind with Mayo farmer Colm Gavin.
More information on Colm’s Farm here.
3rd May 2022 8pm Growing orchards and saving heritage seeds with Clare farm group Irish Seed Savers.
More information on ISSA’s Farm here.
19th April 2022 8pm Booleying and a sweat lodge – Growing an agritourism business with Leitrim farmer Michael McManus.
More information on Michael’s Farm here.
5th April 2022 8pm Growing open pollinated seeds, beef and trees on a mixed organic farm with Cork farmer Madeline McKeever.
More information on Madeline’s Farm here.
22nd March 2022 8pm Building an organic beef and cereal business alongside nature with Westmeath farmer Pat Lalor.
More information on Pat’s farm here.
8th March 2022 8pm Fruit growing and diversification in business with Kilkenny farmer Rod Calder-Potts.
More information on Rod’s Farm here.
22nd February 2022 8pm Grazing the uplands sustainably with Donegal farmer Henry O Donnell.
More information on Henry’s Farm here.
8th February 2022 8pm Korean Natural Farming on a Dairy Farm with Limerick farmer Thomas Stack.
More information on Thomas’s Farm here.
25th January 2022 8pm Moving from intensive tillage to profitable biological farming with Meath farmer Louis McAuley.
More information on Louis’s Farm here.
11th January 2022 8pm Lowing inputs whilst maintaining production on a dairy farm with Limerick farmer Gearoid Maher.
More information on Gearoid’s Farm here.
14th December 2021 8pm Building short supply chains – direct selling veg in east Galway with Galway farmer Fergal Anderson.
More information on Fergal’s Farm here.
30th November 2021 8pm Grazing high nature value uplands sustainably with Galway farmer Nia O’Malley.
More information on Nia’s Farm here. Due to technical difficulties this session was not recorded – a great pity as it was a superb session. However we hope to record a session with Nia through our podcasts in the near future to share her knowledge and expertise.
16th November 2021 8pm Improving soil biology on a tillage farm with Kildare farmer Norman Dunne.
More information on Norman’s Farm here.
1st March 2021 Dairy, poultry and pigs – running a mixed stock farm with Tipperary farmer Mimi Crawford.
More information on Mimi’s Farm here.
22nd February 2021 Crop diversity and min till with Cork farmer Thomas Fouhy.
More information on Thomas’s Farm here.
15th February 2021 Running a suckler herd alongside nature with Kildare farmer Stephen Morrison.
More information on Stephen’s Farm here.
8th February 2021 Organic & biodynamic beef, lamb & veg with Kildare farmer Trevor Harris.
More information on Trevor’s Farm here.
1st February 2021 Tillage & soil fertility with Kildare farmer Andrew Bergin.
More information on Andrew’s Farm here.
25th January 2021 Horticulture, beef and soil fertility with Cork farmer Patrick Frankel.
More information on Patrick’s Farm here.
18th January 2021 Beef, sheep & agroforestry with Cavan farmer Jane Shackleton.
More information on Jane’s Farm here.
1th January 2021 Mixed regenerative farming – horticulture, poultry & grazing with Clare farmer Fergal Smith.
More information on Fergal’s Farm here.
14th December 2020 Sheep, bees and woodlands with Tipperary farmer Ailbhe Gerrard.
More information on Ailbhe’s Farm here.
7th December 2020 Organic dairy farming & building resilience with Laois farmer John McHugh.
More information on John’s Farm here.
30th November 2020 Micro dairying & conservation farming with Mayo farmer Sinead Moran.
More information on Sinead’s Farm here.
23rd November 2020 Market gardening & nature with Clare farmer Jim Cronin.
More information on Jim’s Farm here.
3rd August, 2020 Hillfarming & species richness with Sligo farmer Bridget Murphy.
More information on Bridget’s farm can be found here.
27th July, 2020 Farming for habitats & species with Cork farmer Feargal Ó Cuinneagáin.
More information on Feargal’s farm and a podcast can be found here.
20th July, 2020 Farming with sheep & agritourism with Kilkenny farmer Suzanna Crampton.
More information and a short film on Suzanna’s farm here.
13th July, 2020 Farming tillage, beef & nature with Mervyn Auchmuty.
More information and a short film on Mervyn’s farm here.
6th July 2020 Dairy, Horticulture and Food with Education with Darina Allen.
More information and a short podcast on Darina’s farm here.
The Wild Wednesday Webinars
The Wild Wednesday Webinars were a series webinars on the themes of farming, nature and heritage. Co-hosted by the Burrenbeo Trust and the Farming for Nature initiative, they took place every Wednesday between April-June 2020 in response to Covid lock-downs and the cancelation of farm walks. Each webinar gave an opportunity to virtually meet and listen to a guest speaker as they talk about their ideas, experiences and lessons they have learned in their area of work. If you missed any of them you can view them below. These are hosted on Burrenbeo’s YouTube channel.
Previous Webinars
3rd June 2020: Discussion with FFN Ambassadors Tommy Earley and Kim McCall, both Farming For Nature Ambassadors on what they do for nature on their farm. Facilitated by Brigid Barry (FFN Project Coordinator) and Dr Brendan Dunford (Burren Programme). If you this missed this session you can still watch it below or click here https://youtu.be/8Y_S8ULTn5E
3rd June: Ireland in Bloom, a vision for people and nature with Prof Jane Stout from TCD. If you missed Jane’s webinar you can still watch it below or click here https://youtu.be/YsOTDIfj10w
20th MAY 2020: Making Nature a Priority in our Farm Business with Kate Egan, Farming For Nature Ambassador. If you missed Kate’s webinar you can still watch it below or click here https://youtu.be/RvwK2rNhzKc
6th MAY 2020: Managing healthy habitats for livestock with Clive Bright, Farming For Nature Ambassador.
If you missed Clive’s webinar you can still watch it below or click here https://youtu.be/VWYbtw-DRGA
29th APRIL 2020: Biodiversity in our backyards with Juanita Browne from the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
If you missed Juanita’s webinar you can still watch it below or click here https://youtu.be/oOWXdoWcrlc
22nd APRIL 2020: ‘Improving biodiversity on farmland – where there’s a will there’s a way!’ with Donal Sheehan from The Bride Project.
If you missed Donal’s webinar you can still watch it below or click here https://youtu.be/wTE_i3dxM-Q:
15th APRIL 2020: ‘Farming & biodiversity in the Burren – lessons I have learned’ with Dr. Brendan Dunford from the Burren Programme
If you missed Brendan’s webinar you can still watch it below or click here: https://youtu.be/281ydfgey8w
