A Co. Cork farmer who focuses on the productivity of biodiversity and nature on his farm has been welcomed to the Farming for Nature (FFN) ambassador network.
Eoghan Daltun runs a high nature value (HNV) farm and rewilding project on the Beara peninsula, across 21.5ac of private land which is mainly species-rich native atlantic temperate rainforest.
The former sheep farmer recently replaced his flock with a small herd of Dexter cattle since he considers them – as non-selective grazers – better suited to his HNV farming practice and to the regeneration of the land.
Biodiversity
Old sessile oaks and a range of other wild, native tree species; native woodland; species-rich grassland; and commonage are part of the farm and project land.
Daltun’s farm is home to different kinds of wildlife, including some rare species like the lesser horseshoe bat, the marsh fritillary butterfly and the Kerry slug.
Native woodland is incredibly species rich and recognised by biologists as a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ in terms of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts), Daltun said.
Equally rich in species is the understory which consists of a vast array of wildflowers, ferns, mosses, lichen and fungi, he added.
Daltun plans to graze his cattle on the commonage during the summer months and on the lower lands during winter – “emulating the very old practice of ‘booleying’ which involved moving animals to the uplands during the summer season”, according to FFN.
Farming for Nature
Eoghan Daltun is part of this year’s 23 ambassadors across sectors including beef, sheep, forestry, dairy, horticulture and tillage.
Taking on the new ambassador role, Eoghan Daltun said:
“FFN encourages the farming community to farm in ways that are more sensitive to nature, and highlights examples demonstrating how that can and is already being done by some.
“To call this vital would be an understatement, given that we are living in a time of catastrophic nature loss across the board. For these reasons, I was delighted to participate.”
FFN operates in its fourth year highlighting farmers across the country who manage their land in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.