Alex and Carina Coyningham have been running Rock Farm in Slane for 12 years now. Many will know the area on the Slane Castle Estate as a concert / glamping / wedding venue, but there is much more to the farm’s organic credentials.
Rock Farm is a mixed farm whose primary focus is organic produce to consume on site.
According to Alex, they got full organic status in 2013. It is 90ac in size, using permaculture principles with rare breed cattle, pigs and poultry as well as a thriving vegetable section.
They operate an agro-forestry system combining trees and livestock in the same area and currently have 50 head of organic Dexter cattle.
“We chose that breed because they never come inside. They outwinter and calve outside. They are hardy and the meat is delicious. Rare breeds are definitely what we favour,” Alex said.
“The first animals we had were pigs. We had two Tamworth pigs in the back garden. Their meat can be quite fatty so now we crossbreed the Tamworths with Long White, Gloucester Old Spot, Duroc and Saddleback,” Carina added.
Cuckoo Marans were the chicken of the choice when Alex and Carina first started in poultry. Supply issues mean that they now rear hybrid brown hens who graze in a mobile tunnel.
“We took a plot which is in amongst the trees, so they are able to root about there and they also keep the grass down,” Alex added.
Chickens aren’t the only poultry reared at Rock Farm. Organic Bronze turkeys are sold for the Christmas market.
Vegetable growing in Slane
Vegetable growing in Ireland has declined in recent years, but Rock Farm grows a large variety.
“We did Jim Cronin’s course in east Clare to get familiar with growing vegetables. For extra pairs of hands, we have had WWOOFER volunteers, but what works well for us now is working with agricultural students. They gain valuable experience literally on the ground,” Carina continued.
They grow everything from brassicas to roots and mixed salads to tomatoes and carrots.
“This year we are growing potatoes on a field scale,” Alex explained.
Barley for whiskey
Tillage is another aspect of farming at Rock Farm. Their barley ends up going into various whiskeys including the local Slane Whiskey.
“We work in partnership with Peter Timmons, Meath Farm Machinery, which is the local John Deere dealership,” Alex said.
“We grow two varieties of spring barley – Planet and Splendour which is malted and then sent to Slane Distillery. Obviously, this means fewer food miles and it is local produce.
“Our winter barley is 100% home-grown. It is the Costello variety at the moment. We monitor how each variety performs and explore new ones,” Alex added.
“We are not organic certified for the barley but we do have a lower eco footprint. There are wild bird covers to increase biodiversity and we practice crop rotation.”
According to Alex, rye and turnip are good catch crops for increasing organic matters in the soil and they have reduced the ploughing depths too, to lower their fossil fuel consumption.
Woodland in Slane
350ac of the farm in Slane are devoted to woodland.
“We are working with the Department [of Agriculture, Food and the Marine] to remove invasive species and we have planted native oaks to increase biodiversity,” Alex continued.
It is a designated Natural Heritage Area (HNA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) brimming with wildlife including kingfishers, herons, cormorants, egrets and otters as well as a thriving population of Irish hares.
A natural pool and integrated constructed wetland complete the picture. Weed management isn’t slash and spray. Instead, the rabbits and hares take care of the natural vegetation.
“Currently we have 19ha in a National Parks and Wildlife Service [NPWS] Wilding plan,” Carina explained.
“We are lowering the stocking density of livestock (pigs and cows) and creating a Wilding area near the river, running alongside the glamping to create a habitat for ground nesting birds and other species.
“Our plan is to have glamping in the middle of the wilding so visitors can have a totally immersive experience of nature, less than an hour from the city centre.”
Diversification
So, what is the secret of making a living off the land? Alex said “any farm now needs to be looking at direct selling and diversification”.
“We also do the agri-tourism farm tours, glamping and festivals, which are now in their third year. They’re another stream of income, which doesn’t compromise our eco-principles.”
Carina added: “It was the perfect template to start a sustainable farm system. We learned farming through organics so we’ve only ever worked in a natural system which has been to our advantage, with nothing to unlearn from conventional farming.”