Michael and Sandra O’Dowd

Michael and Sandra O' Dowd operate a mixed farming system near Castlemaine, Co. Kerry. They are the fifth generation managing their 75 acres, being able to trace their ancestors there to the 1800s.

They are passionate about being good custodians of the land with Michael saying 'we're trying to leave it in a better way than we got it'. Historically, there was a cider orchard on the farm as well as a thriving spot for fishing. Inspired by the history of the place, they planted 800 apple trees 17 years ago. They now juice the apples and sell to supermarkets and restaurants. They also milk 45 cows, rear 500 chickens for the table and 400 turkeys for Christmas.

They get great satisfaction from producing good quality food and so produce a lot of their own vegetables as well as keeping bees.

They have long noticed the benefits nature has in their system. To protect the vegetable garden, they sowed nectar-rich flowers to attract in the bees whose noise deterred the rabbits. This created a food source for pollinators and was a method of pest control in one fell swoop. They minimally manage their hedgerows and maintain habitats for migratory birds such as housemartins.

Nomination: Lisa Fingleton, Farming for Nature Ambassador

Michael and Sandra O’Dowd were collaborators on the recent Creative Climate Action Project with The Dingle Hub called a A Creative Imagining. They are both passionate about farming and leaving the planet in a better place for the next generation including their own 5 children. The whole family are actively involved in running the mixed 75-acre farm at Ballycrispin, near Castlemaine. They have a dairy herd of 40 milking cows and rear 40 weanlings each year. They have an orchard of 800 apple trees and sell their own apples and Ring of Kerry Apple Juice locally. To improve pollination for the orchard, the farm has approximately 30 beehives, which also produce honey for sale. The family rears turkeys for sale at Christmas and chickens for Easter. Much of their vegetables are provided by a kitchen garden, hens provide eggs and goats provide milk. Michael and Sandra are involved in the GLAS Scheme.