Autumn in the Irish countryside is always defined by the leaves changing colour on our trees, hedgerows, and shrubs.

But this year something equally impressive is happening at ground level.

Many fields, woodland ground cover areas, and the borders of country paths are all festooned with the fruiting bodies of mushrooms, toadstools and other fungi.

It is an amazingly impressive sight. One might think that the countryside is trying to tell us something extremely positive.

 No doubt the weather has something to do with all of this.

The ample sunshine that characterised the summer of 2025 and the mild spring that preceded have all combined to give us an autumn to remember.

Ground conditions

Meanwhile at farm level, the benefits of dry ground conditions continue to deliver so much for production agriculture.

The grazing season continues with cattle and sheep securing ample access to high quality grass at this late stage in the year.

And all of this is happening while, at the same time, tillage farmers have been allowed the opportunity to drill winter crops in almost perfect conditions.

We can all remember so many years when the polar opposite was the case.

Adding to this feel-good scenario for farming has been the very acceptable farm gate returns that have been available over recent months.

Apart from tillage, all sectors of agriculture have enjoyed a much needed period of sustainable returns.

Let’s hope that the government can step in, making a real and positive difference for those farmers whose livelihoods are dependent on crop production over the coming months.

Yes, milk prices have taken a downward turn of sorts over recent weeks. But helping to counteract this are the ample quantities of good quality silage that have been accrued on most farms since the beginning of spring 2025.

There is every possibility that 2025 will go down in the history books as being a year of tremendous opportunity for farming in Ireland.

But none of this came about by chance.

The countryside that looks so well at the present time has, to a very large degree, been created by Irish farmers over many generations.

And this is a key message that must be communicated to the rest of society in a very clear and unambiguous manner.

In addition, so much of the high-quality food and drink that we all enjoy has been produced on local farms.

And again this is a message that must continue to resonate with consumers, not just here but around the world.

So, yes, farming in Ireland has so much to celebrate as we enter the winter of 2025/2026.

The challenge is to maintain this set of circumstances into the future.