The Organic Trust is organising two webinars for farmers to boost interest and engagement with the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).

The scheme is open for applications until April 30.

The Organic Trust said in a statement: “Taking the plunge into organic farming can be daunting for farmers. For many, it represents an entirely new set of challenges.

Changing a farming system often requires a shift in thinking and approach, which is not always easy.

The purpose of the webinars is the familiarise farmers with the paperwork and application process involved in the scheme.

Organic Trust members will also be on hand to answer questions on converting to an organic enterprise.

Kate Milligan, the CEO of Organic Trust, said: “To build confidence, meeting and speaking to other organic farmers who can extoll the benefits of their operation is often the best first step.

Historically, farmers converting to organic production would have had the opportunity to visit excellent organic farms on the Teagasc Organic Farm Walks series, but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, these walks and many other networking opportunities were cancelled.

Milligan said that Organic Trust members will be happy to “spare half-an-hour on the phone, to talk to those considering applying for the current OFS”.

The webinars will be held next Thursday (April 1), and the following Thursday (April 8). Registration will be required.

More information in available through the Organic Trust website.