The Live Animal Crib is fast becoming one of the biggest public attractions in Dublin throughout the Christmas season.
Hats off to all of the organisations involved in making this a reality: Dublin City Council; the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA); and the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA).
The crib is a perfect example of what can be done in linking those living in an urban setting with rural Ireland, and it remains a small gesture in the fast-widening gap between the two communities.
It used to be said that everyone living in an Irish town or city was one, or possibly two generations removed from their farming roots.
As a result, vast numbers of people regularly went back to visit parents, or grandparents, who still tilled the land.
Modern Ireland is a thriving country, with the vast majority of the population knowing only the concrete and tarmac of our city streets and roads. For these people, the very thought of milking cows, growing crops and grazing cattle is a totally alien concept.
A combination of the indigenous birth rate, and people arriving here from across Europe and beyond, means that the island of Ireland’s population could potentially reach nine million before 2040, and almost certainly by 2050.
Under these circumstances, the home market becomes very important to Irish farmers and processers.
So, all the more reason for the Irish farming industry to start communicating more effectively with those living in our towns and cities.
Farm education
One way of doing this, is to ramp up the focus on production agriculture and land use within the national school curriculum.
In tandem much more must be done to educate school children regarding the role that Irish beef, lamb, dairy, pork cereals, vegetables and poultry products play within the principle of a healthy diet.
The place to start educating people about Irish farming in food is in the schools. The young people of today are the consumers of tomorrow.
I often hear our farming and food leaders say that they want the brightest and best talents to work within their sectors – this means attracting people from beyond our rural areas
If farming and food wants to attract the very best of young people coming forward, then both industries will have to fundamentally re-imagine the pitch they make.