Kylie Magner

NOMINATION DESCRIPTION
Kylie Magner is passionate about soil conservation, regenerative agriculture and high animal welfare.
Kylie is a full time farmer who grew up on a mixed farming enterprise in the Central West of New South Wales. After studying for a Bachelor of Business in Agricultural Commerce at Sydney University, Kylie undertook work in various marketing and equestrian roles from Sydney to Japan before landing in Fethard where she met her future husband Billy.

The Magners are now pursuing a life long dream of returning to farming to grow ethical and innovative produce.
Since returning to Moyglass to farm full time at the end of 2017, she has created a business from a hobby of 10 hens to 800 hens producing eggs which are all gathered, graded, packed and sold by hand under the “Magners Farm” label.
With no background in poultry farming, Kylie’s knowledge was mostly gleaned from the internet following in the footsteps of US farmer Joel Salatin.
The hens are kept in small flocks, allowed to forage during daylight hours and are moved on to fresh pasture every few days.
They sleep in barns at night time bedded down with the hay harvested the previous year from the farm.
Kylie is 18 months in to Organic conversion and will be certified in January 2021.
The hens add incredible nutrients to the soil which is further enhanced by the high organic content of the hen’s diet. They consume a greater ratio of grass compared to other more intensively farmed hens. Because the hens are constantly moving, they rarely poach grass.
Hedgerows on the farm provide great shelter for wildlife and foraging materials for the hens.
At the end of their commercial egg life, many of the hens are adopted out to local backyard chicken enthusiasts.
Kylie is working on a design and construction of a portable hen shed which should be in operation in the Summer of 2020.
Kylie has installed solar panels to the hen’s sheds - all power needs are solar generated. Rain is harvested and used for supplying water to the shed
Kylie has engaged broadly with both local and national press about her pasture range egg operations having been featured in the Irish Farmers Journal, Irish Country Living, Sunday Times, Irish Independent & Women’s Way. She has also appeared on RTÉ Ear to the Ground and Nationwide. She has also been asked to speak to Sustainable Farming students at Ballymaloe School and Slow Food West Cork.
Find out more here: https://www.magnersfarm.com/
Nominator: Ailbhe Gerrard, Farming For Nature Ambassador