Free Range Blessings, A Journey from Family Farm to Successful Egg Business, which lays out Margaret Farrelly’s trajectory from small beginnings with 150 hens on a 33ac farm to becoming the largest independent free-range supplier in Ireland, will be launched by Minister Heather Humphreys in Dublin on Thursday (December 8).
The Cavan woman’s story of how she built up the brand ‘Margaret’s’ into a multi-million euro enterprise, directly employing over 35 people, is interspersed with vignettes about growing up; meeting her husband, Leo; family tragedies and challenges; bringing up their four children; the impact of her faith on business and family decisions; and her experience as a ‘secret millionaire’.
There are also lots of insights into the wonder of eggs, including how lots of detail on how they are laid, graded and packed, as well as on the innovation process.
Feedback from one of Clonarn Clover’s clients, celebrity chef Neven Maguire of MacNean House & Restaurant, is included, with Neven hailing the quality as “second to none”.
Humble beginnings
Margaret who accumulated a slew of awards over the years, set out to write the book to show how it is possible for “ordinary people” to achieve success in life and how their “humble, simple” background, their unrelenting needs as young parents, their determination, trust and most of all their naivety, contributed to what is their fascinating story.
Having entrepreneurial parents and her appointment as assistant manager in one of Dublin’s main banks at the age of 27, it was little wonder that Margaret would go on to make a huge success of their lives as egg producers on the farm.
Meanwhile, Leo focused on growing the dairy herd, which was still a strong feature in the early years that they had hens.
The hard work involved in what was initially a labour intensive business, is recalled in the book.
Margaret’s love for what she describes as “these amazing little creatures that I believe are taken far too much for granted and are grossly under-rated in the food chain” shines through.
She observes that they were fortunate that their entry into the world of commerce was at a time when people were willing to spend more of their disposable income on what they perceived to be a higher-quality product.
Relatively quickly, they realised that the market was growing more than their “girls” could cater for, and they decided to buy free-range eggs from local farms.
Established company
Their ten-year anniversary became a defining year for the company.
“We had already taken the practical decision for our family in the mid-90s to concentrate our future plans on the poultry and started reducing the sheep flock and dairy herd,” Margaret said.
In 1998 they bought the Brownstead Free Range Eggs brand which marked the transition from Farrellys Eggs to Clonarn Clover Ltd.
The construction of a new facility followed in 2000 and Margaret and Leo’s children became more involved in the business. This all coincided with increased consumer demand for ethically produced food.
Developments such as introducing seaweed as part of the hens’ feed and white-shelled eggs, and pasteurisation of surplus eggs which involved a huge investment, are recalled as are the enterprise’s charity partnerships and positive involvement with the Fusion graduate programme.
“Not in our wildest dreams could we have imagined where the journey that began with 150 hens would lead,” Margaret said.
While plotting and praying about their next move, Margaret and Leo got an expression of interest from a competitor who acknowledged the hard work they had put into building up the business, in establishing a brand with personality, and who respected their ethos, and they decided to sell.
Clonarn Clover and Margaret’s now have new owners, but Margaret and Leo will continue to keep hens and produce free-range eggs.
Staff, and Margaret’s right-hand man Roberto, who started out on the Fusion programme, have transitioned with the company to the new owners.
“Every ending is the beginning of something new and it is with the greatest of joy that we look to the future and fingers crossed, watch our treasured baby grow and mature in the hands of someone else, while Leo and I return to the beginning and concentrate on producing eggs and looking after our dearly loved hens,” Margaret said.
The self-published book is available from Candlelight Books in Co. Cavan.