A series of regional farm walks focussed on organic farming, organised by the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA), will kick off this week.
Three events will take place this week, beginning a run of farm walks that will culminate in the ACA’s national organic event later in the year.
The first farm walk will take place this evening (Monday, August 21) at the farm of John and Pearl Massey – known as Airlee Farm – in Croneyhom Lower, Carnew, Co. Wicklow (Eircode: Y14 TW63).
This farm walk – and all farm walks this week – will take place from 6:00p.m to 9:00p.m.
The other farm walks this week will take place on the farms of Thomas Kavanagh, Ballymoreeragh, Dingle, Co. Kerry (Eircode: V92 TV08); and of Tony Murphy, Coolduff, Lissarda, Co. Cork (Eircode: P14 V294).
The events are described as “open events for farmers and their families to see first-hand the experience of other farmers in organic farming enterprises”.
Speakers at these events will include the host farmer(s); the ACA’s organic specialists; and representatives from the National Organic Training Skillnet (NOTS).
The ACA’s two organic specialists are Mary Lynch and Julian Pawlowski.
Speaking to Agriland, Pawlowski said: “These [farm walks] will happen over the next seven to eight weeks, and they’ll be countrywide. They’ll be regional events as we want to kind of pull in as much of the country as we can into them.”
He added: “The events are going to be targeted at potential new applicants to the Organic Farming Scheme [OFS], and also at people who maybe have just gone in and want to gather a little bit more advice on organics and maybe ask a few questions on their own system.”
Pawlowski explained that each farm walk will be specific to the farm it’s hosted on, going through the enterprises on each site and how they differ from the same enterprise on conventional farms.
“The particular farms might suit some people, or they might suit others, but, I suppose, the farms have been selected to have as much going on as possible on them to run through as much as we can.”
As well as going through the different farm enterprise on each farm, the events will go into the “rules and regulations of what you can do and what you can’t do in organics and how to stay between the lines essentially”, Pawlowski said.
The nationwide organic event, which is likely to take place in October, will be a central event, with the aim being to pull in as many people as possible, and to “provide a really strong informational day”.
“It’ll likely be a farm walk but with speakers and various different bits and pieces at it. We’ll invite all the stakeholders to it, so there will be a voice from pretty much everywhere in relation to organics, should anyone have any questions, so we can kind of get into the depth of it,” the ACA organic specialist explained.
ACA farm walks
In terms of the events taking place this week, Pawlowski is expecting a strong turnout.
“We should be busy. The regional [events] should be very busy because they are opened up to all of the ACA network. So if you’re an ACA advisor, you could let any of your clients in that area know that these events are on, and get them there,” he said.
The farm walks are also set to have representation from Ireland’s two organic certification bodies, the Organic Trust and the Irish Organic Association (IOA).
Advisors as well as farmers are invited to attend.
“The key is to get as many potential new entrants into it, because we want to keep the drive behind organics going,” Pawlowski said.
“The last few weeks have suggested a push, and the momentum that’s in organics at the minute, we have to keep that going while we have it.”
Pawlowski added: “Farm walks are a really valuable resource, and if you’re in organics and your new to it and you’re unsure of anything, make an effort to go to them, because you have all the experts in one place to really help you and try to encourage you as much as they can.”