Mimi and Owen Crawford
Mimi and Owen Crawford operate Crawford’s Farm. Theirs is a small traditional Irish working farm, comprising of twenty-eight acres in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary. It is certified organic where they milk about 10-12 cows, keep 15-16 pigs a year, roughly 1000 broilers and 30-40 ducks. It is a very holistic approach of mixed stock and they believe in diversity in income streams, markets and retailers. The husband and wife duo focus largely on their micro-dairy, with pedigree Irish Shorthorn cows dominating the pastures producing raw cream, raw butter and raw buttermilk, with all processes completed on-farm. Aside from the dairy aspect, they also engage in beef production with the weanlings with 100% grass-raised beef. They raise organic broiler chickens that follow behind the cows in the grazing rotation, have organic ducks for slug control, organic pigs to assist them to consume excess skim milk. Their traditional working farm incorporates a modern-day approach that works in harmony with nature. They believe farming should be diverse as nature. It is an ecosystem as well that is mutually beneficial and the products speak for themselves. They feel their consumer like to buying into the whole process, the story of the farm and they are completely transparent in delivering this. “We believe Ireland has the opportunity to produce good clean food and we want to be part of that and help others realise that opportunity as well”.
NOMINATION DESCRIPTION
Mimi Crawford operates Crawford's Farm with her husband Owen. Theirs is a small traditional Irish working farm, comprising of twenty-eight acres in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary. Here, the husband and wife duo farm cattle, poultry and pigs. The idea for their farm business stemmed from the combination of local demand and a desire to produce as much of their own food as possible.
The Crawford's philosophy to run create an economically viable, holistic farm that can provide the best organic, unprocessed foods integrating environmental stewardship with humane animal husbandry to produce healthy soil and pastures is reflected in their food production efforts and Agricultural practices on their Organic Trust certified farm.
The heart of the farm focuses on the micro-dairy, with pedigree Irish Shorthorn cows dominating the pastures, mainly because they are traditional, hardy and docile, as explained by the Crawfords. In 2015, they started milking four pedigree Irish Shorthorn cows and in the space of two years, this figure doubled to eight.
The quality milk produces a varied product range including raw cream, raw butter and raw buttermilk, with all processes completed on-farm. Aside from the dairy aspect, the Cloughjordan-based farm also engages in beef production, with a number of the surplus dairy offspring selected for slaughtering annually. The vision here is to strive for 100% grass-raised beef and the aim is to slaughter the animals when they are approximately twenty-four months or older.
While the Crawfords have a powerful dairy range, this only accounts for a fraction of the entire enterprise that they built over the past number of years. The Crawford’s are moving towards being completely self-sufficient as they also raise organic broiler chickens that follow behind the cows in the grazing rotation, have organic ducks for slug control, organic pigs to assist them to consume excess skim milk and grow organic vegetables and produce eggs for their own household consumption.
What makes this business a cut of above the rest, aside from their unique farming practices, is their strong commitment to nature and the environment. Their traditional working farm incorporates a modern-day approach that works in harmony with nature.
Nominator: Siobhan McNulty,Course Coordinator, National Organic Training Skillset
