Farming for Nature (FFN) has welcomed Limerick dairy farmer, Thomas Stack, as new a ambassador to their network.
Taking over the family farm in 2012, the dairy farmer from Co. Limerick transitioned to organic farming in 2018 and adopted a new method known as Korean Natural Farming.
In this farming method, indigenous microorganisms are used to improve soil quality so that a high output can be maintained without the use of herbicides or pesticides.
Taking on the new role, Stack said:
“I am delighted to be able to let people know the world of Korean Natural Farming. Long live the natural farmer.”
Milking entirely grass-fed dairy cows on virtually no external inputs, he creates his own nutritional supplements for his animals exclusively using natural inputs and processes.
“I use the land and nature to produce all my inputs on the farm and to enhance the soil biology,” Stack explained.
The dairy farmer has also planted over 1,000 native trees to support biodiversity and to encourage more wildlife on his farm.
Korean Natural Farming
This regenerative approach uses indigenous microorganisms (IMO) to create fertile soils that produce a high output without the use of synthetic fertiliser, herbicides or pesticides.
Creating IMO solutions highly rich in nutrients and enzymes, Stack sprays these solutions on the land, working in tune with the nutrient cycle of the plants.
According to the dairy farmer, these microbes are hardly visible:
“The only way you can see them is under the microscope and they’re the most powerful thing in the world…to see how they have transformed my farm in a year and a half – it’s mind-blowing.”
The new FFN ambassador regularly hosts farm visits for others interested in this farming system.
FFN ambassador network
FFN was set up to share and celebrate the stories of farmers across Ireland who manage their land in a way that sustains nature.
The Co. Limerick-based dairy farmer is one of this year’s 23 ambassadors who come from across Ireland and include beef, sheep, forestry, dairy, horticulture and tillage farmers who manage a wide range of very valuable habitats including species-rich grasslands and heaths, wetlands, woodlands and hedgerows.