Limerick-based Kevin Wallace may not have come from a farming background, but his energy and enthusiasm for a natural approach to growing food saw him establish the award-winning New Leaf Urban Farmers in 2016.
After years of globetrotting and studying, the time he spent observing suckler and beef farmers as well as vegetable growers, while growing up in Broadford, Co. Clare, inspired him to rent a 1ac plot in Ballyneety and start a market garden, New Leaf Urban Farmers.
With a motto that the food on your plate is only as good as the earth beneath your feet, he has worked to regenerate the soil and restore balance within the soil microbiology, going from low-till to no-dig practices.
Mixing old farming techniques with new and more efficient hand tools which he contends enhance soil fertility and biology with minimum soil disturbance, he regards the concept of local farming as more important than ever before.
Cheap imported food, often selling below the cost of producing it, has put huge pressure on farmers throughout the EU, he said.
In recent years he implemented Korean Natural Farming methods on the land, after hearing about them from a friend. He believes that a rich diverse microbial ecosystem underpins plant health and soil vitality.
This is achieved by culturing a varied range of indigenous soil microbes and adding them to the soil.
Probiotic and prebiotic solutions are made from locally sourced natural materials such as seaweed, are used to fertilise the soil to create nutritionally dense vegetable produce.
“You are capturing the microbes that are there for a long time in a pristine environment. You make everything yourself. It is a closed loop system and is very efficient,” he said.
Machines are not used, just hand tools and there is no need for rotation, he contended.
“It’s a natural approach that has been lost. It’s back to the old ways but in a modern context,” Wallace added.
Over the last year, Wallace who is primarily a salad producer, supplying the hospitality sector in Munster, has moved the enterprise to a 2ac walled garden in Bruff.
With 5,000m2 of tunnels, the focus is on indoor production for wholesale. He also runs a vegetable box scheme for 50 customers and gives courses.
“It’s about inputs and if you can make all your own inputs, you’re onto a winner,” he added.