Farming for Nature
Farming for Nature
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Farming for Nature Ambassadors Diana Pickersgill and Pen Saugnier
Farming for Nature is delighted to have the Pickersgill family in our ambassador network.
Pen Saugnier and her mother Diana Pickersgill runs a mixed organic farm with the help of other family members, near Mullingar Co. Westmeath. There is 40 acres of multispecies sward and about 8ha of mixed broadleaf woodland on the farm which is operated under a continuous cover forestry system. They have 28 acres of tillage with cover crops and tillage crops. As advocates for the importance of maintaining diversity on farms, they keep a variety of stock on the land but maintain low stocking numbers. They keep Dexter cattle, sheep, sows, donkeys and chickens. There is also a kitchen garden on the farm and oats are grown to supplement winter feedback and provide straw for bedding. Habitats on the farm include woodlands, hedgerows, wetland areas with 2 ponds, and orchard, meadows and wildflower areas.
Thanks to NPWS and DAFM for supporting the making of this video.
Переглядів: 371

Відео

Farming for Nature Ambassador Tom Tierney
Переглядів 54621 годину тому
Farming for Nature is delighted to have Tom Tierney from Co. Kildare in our ambassador network. Tom Tierney runs a 200-acre regenerative farm in county Kildare. The primary aspect of the farm is tillage production, operating under the principles of conservation agriculture - cover cropping, increasing soil organic matter, crop rotations and direct drilling. Barley, oats, wheat, beans and oilsee...
Ask the farmer Q&A with Farming for Nature Ambassador Tom Tierney
Переглядів 25921 день тому
'No till & conservation agriculture' Tom Tierney runs a 200-acre regenerative tillage farm in county Kildare. He has been running a direct drilling system since 2015 and has observed tremendous benefits of this lower soil disturbance method for life both above and below the soil surface. He has reduced the amount of synthetic inputs required on the farm and there has been no insecticide used on...
Farming for Nature: How Nature and Farmers can Help Each Other
Переглядів 39621 день тому
'Farming for Nature: How Nature and Farmers can Help Each Other' is a short animation that is visual, factual, positive and fun on how farmers can help support nature on their farm to benefit their food production, the quality & fertility of their land, the wildlife it holds and the wider community. It is created for younger children to understand how farming and the nature are intertwined and ...
Ask the farmer Q&A with Farming for Nature Ambassador Lisa Gifford
Переглядів 193Місяць тому
Farming for Nature is delighted to welcome Lisa Gifford, Leitrim Hill Creamery to their ambassador network. The network, founded in 2018, seeks to acknowledge and support farmers who farm, or wish to farm, in a way that will improve the natural health of the countryside. Lisa grew up in the US. Her Irish roots brought her back to Ireland and in 2016 she purchased a small farm in Drumcong. Lisa ...
Farming for Nature Ambassador Lisa Gifford
Переглядів 521Місяць тому
Farming for Nature is delighted to have Lisa Gifford, Leitrim Hill Creamery in our ambassador network. Lisa grew up in the US. Her Irish roots brought her back to Ireland and in 2016 she purchased a small farm in Drumcong. Lisa said “When I came to Ireland many years ago, the beauty of the place touched a sympathetic cord in my heart and I said to myself maybe someday I will come back. And here...
43: Making money from field to fork: farmers Liam and Justina Gavin, Roscommon
Переглядів 1732 місяці тому
Liam and Justina Gavin own Drumanilra Organic Farm (honestlykitchen.ie/organic-farm/) on the shores of Lough Key, Co. Roscommon. When they took over the farm in 2012, they had two ambitions: to feed their family with home grown food, and to generate a sustainable and independent income from the farm by supplying food directly to the public. They tell Brigid (www.farmingfornature.ie) how they've...
Ask the Farmer Q&A with Mariann Klay, Equine Farmer
Переглядів 1582 місяці тому
'How biodiversity has improved our stud farm's performance'. Our Project Manager Brigid Barry talks to Farming for Nature Ambassador Mariann Klay about her approach to farming with nature on her stud farm in Swordlestown Little County Kildare. A nature lover her entire life, Mariann places biodiversity and wildlife at the centre of every decision relating to the land. Thick and mature hedgerows...
Farming for Nature Ambassador Mariann Klay
Переглядів 5653 місяці тому
Mariann Klay runs a stud farm in Swordlestown Little County Kildare where she breeds thoroughbred horses for the horse-racing industry. The farming system is extensive, and no chemicals are used on the land. Mariann ensures the stocking density is never too high and the land is aerated every year to minimise soil compaction. A nature lover her entire life, Mariann places biodiversity and wildli...
42: On fungi and farming, with Thomas O'Connor
Переглядів 402 місяці тому
Thomas O’Connor farms 25 acres in the Gleann na nGealt valley near Camp, Co. Kerry, and sells his fresh organic produce in a farm shop, Manna Organic Store, in nearby Tralee. He talks about how fungi is the basis of everything he produces on his land.
Ask the Farmer Q&A with Justina and Liam Gavin
Переглядів 2283 місяці тому
‘Running a field to fork business‘ Liam and Justina Gavin run Drumanilra Organic Farm on the shores of Lough Key, Co. Roscommon. They manage a 300-acre mixed livestock and horticulture farm. They farm a herd of pedigree Irish Dexter cattle, a flock of Jacob sheep and a flock of laying hens. The organic animal produce is processed locally and sold direct to their customers via their farm shops/r...
41: Bruce Thompson, dairy farmer & dung beetle expert
Переглядів 372 місяці тому
Bruce Thompson is an intensive dairy farmer from Laois. He has a particular interest in reducing animal remedies through prevention, and is a strong advocate for the urgent need to protect our dung beetle populations.
Ask the Farmer Q&A with David Kerr
Переглядів 7484 місяці тому
‘Running an intensive dairy farm with space for nature‘ David Kerr is a commercial dairy farmer from Ballyfin Co Laois. The 70-ha farm is comprised of mixed land ranging from good grassland to wet heavy land to cutaway bog. David milks 150 cross-bred cows, “following the old farming mantra of one cow to the acre”. He also keeps a small flock of Dorset Horn sheep on the farm. 20% of the land has...
Whitethorn Hedges - how and why should you plant them?
Переглядів 1,2 тис.5 місяців тому
This educational video outlines how to plant a whitethorn hedge and why it is beneficial to your farm. It includes how to assess your site, the importance of soil fertility, planting and pruning, how do you manage weeds etc The video shows Clare-based Farming for Nature Ambassador Jim Cronin teaching a whitethorn hedging course on his farm and his top tips on the above. Thank you to our funders...
Ask the Farmer Q&A with Blatnaid Gallagher
Переглядів 5325 місяців тому
‘Growing Biofibre: Farming with Ireland’s Native Sheep Breed’ Blátnaid Gallagher and her husband Niall inherited the family farm in 2016. The land, which is located in Killoran Co. Galway, has been farmed extensively and traditionally for generations. Some of the land is rented and the remaining 17ha contains a mix of forestry, permanent pasture and areas of rewilded land. Blátnaid runs a small...
40: How to make Biochar, with Kildare farmer Kim McCall
Переглядів 372 місяці тому
40: How to make Biochar, with Kildare farmer Kim McCall
Ten steps you can take to support nature on your land
Переглядів 6446 місяців тому
Ten steps you can take to support nature on your land
Ask the Farmer Q&A with Bruce Thompson
Переглядів 3126 місяців тому
Ask the Farmer Q&A with Bruce Thompson
Ask the Farmer Q&A with James Gilmartin
Переглядів 2857 місяців тому
Ask the Farmer Q&A with James Gilmartin
James Gilmartin Farming For Nature Ambassador 2023
Переглядів 9867 місяців тому
James Gilmartin Farming For Nature Ambassador 2023
39: James Gilmartin, Mixed Stock Farmer, Leitrim: My land's natural carrying capacity
Переглядів 1412 місяці тому
39: James Gilmartin, Mixed Stock Farmer, Leitrim: My land's natural carrying capacity
Managing healthy grasslands on your farm
Переглядів 6988 місяців тому
Managing healthy grasslands on your farm
38: Maurice Deasy, brewer, sheep & arable farmer: Why conservation agriculture is worth the risk
Переглядів 172 місяці тому
38: Maurice Deasy, brewer, sheep & arable farmer: Why conservation agriculture is worth the risk
Managing riparian zones on your farm
Переглядів 1,2 тис.10 місяців тому
Managing riparian zones on your farm
37: Aonghus Ó'Coistealbha, Connemara, Galway: How I make a living from 1 acre
Переглядів 262 місяці тому
37: Aonghus Ó'Coistealbha, Connemara, Galway: How I make a living from 1 acre
Soil: don't treat me like dirt (Workshop for Schools)
Переглядів 17311 місяців тому
Soil: don't treat me like dirt (Workshop for Schools)
Why Soil Matters
Переглядів 1,2 тис.Рік тому
Why Soil Matters
35: Composting with Jim Cronin, mixed farmer, Co. Clare
Переглядів 262 місяці тому
35: Composting with Jim Cronin, mixed farmer, Co. Clare
Virtual Fencing
Переглядів 1 тис.Рік тому
Virtual Fencing
34: Rehabilitating an intensive farm with Colm Flynn, a Kildare tillage farmer
Переглядів 132 місяці тому
34: Rehabilitating an intensive farm with Colm Flynn, a Kildare tillage farmer

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @oliviadreamcatcher
    @oliviadreamcatcher День тому

    Fabulous Pen congratulations xxx

  • @wgiblet
    @wgiblet 2 дні тому

    Fantastic video, lovely to see.

  • @charleswalters5284
    @charleswalters5284 3 дні тому

    This is just like what Gabe Brown does. He does quite well.

  • @user-qv5ve1sh4c
    @user-qv5ve1sh4c 9 днів тому

    What now are native species

  • @cook5381
    @cook5381 9 днів тому

    Top man. We need much more of this way of thinking. And the farmers get a new interest in their land watching wildlife return.

  • @eamonnbarry6530
    @eamonnbarry6530 9 днів тому

    I hope more tillage farmers follow what Tom is doing. The direct drilling system looks a winner for farmer and the environment.

  • @eamonnbarry6530
    @eamonnbarry6530 24 дні тому

    Very interesting talk with Tom. It sounds like less artificial inputs and working with nature can increase profits and increase biodiversity.

  • @ottoflouer1750
    @ottoflouer1750 24 дні тому

    Great to hear tillage being done away with at scale, Tom is ahead of the wave fair play to him

  • @Real_IT_Institute
    @Real_IT_Institute 27 днів тому

    I am your subscriber, I watch videos of this channel. Your video is very nice but I see some problems in this channel. Analyzing your channel, I found that your channel and video are not doing any kind of SEO. "Without SEO, the channel never grows. So first of all, 90_99% of your channel and video should be SEO. 100% guarantee that your channel will start growing after doing SEO.

  • @lucky4horse
    @lucky4horse Місяць тому

    "Get as small as possible" really like that concept.

  • @charleswalters5284
    @charleswalters5284 2 місяці тому

    Hmmm...

  • @lucky4horse
    @lucky4horse 2 місяці тому

    Love the goldfish in the drinkers, just don't tell the herons!

  • @michaeloconnor9809
    @michaeloconnor9809 3 місяці тому

    This is the way to go Natural farming Have your own food Retail as much as possible Most Irish farmers have NO food at home and have never had any meal from their own fields. Well done all at Drumanilra.

  • @AugustinTomasOBrienCaceres
    @AugustinTomasOBrienCaceres 4 місяці тому

    Is it possible to visit?

  • @dorasneddon774
    @dorasneddon774 5 місяців тому

    Thank you. Whitethorn is such a beautiful, useful plant and makes such a wonderful hedge.

  • @greatspottedwoodpeck
    @greatspottedwoodpeck 5 місяців тому

    Really brilliant interview with Blathnaid; she delivers the greatest ever promotion of Irish wool I have ever heard. Best of luck to Blathnaid, going forward.

  • @greatspottedwoodpeck
    @greatspottedwoodpeck 5 місяців тому

    I cannot really tell the taste of one piece of mutton from another; not sure why Blathnaid would get into this....

  • @greatspottedwoodpeck
    @greatspottedwoodpeck 5 місяців тому

    I find it hard to believe that the Bawneen wool, or Báinín wool, to spell it correctly, came exclusively from the Galway Sheep....

  • @greatspottedwoodpeck
    @greatspottedwoodpeck 5 місяців тому

    Wow, Blathnaid is so lucky to have been left a farm. Things can only get better.

  • @maryjmurray8198
    @maryjmurray8198 5 місяців тому

    Fantastic talk - great to hear from Blatnaid 😊 . Agree absolutely that we need clear origin info on so called Irish wool products ( we are having the wool pulled over our eyes - excuse the pun!!). Also have the same feeling about “big farmer/machine” syndrome! Looking forward to buying real Irish wool in the future 😊

  • @michaeloconnor9809
    @michaeloconnor9809 6 місяців тому

    Very useful info from.a farmer . To hear that the anthelmic is still being excreted 56 days after treatment day is astounding. Then you have to ask what is happening to the soil habitat and ground water due to it's inevitable presence. That the beetles and worms by pass dung containing the medication is a huge bell being tolled for us all including consumers.

  • @dcht88
    @dcht88 7 місяців тому

    Amazing, well done

  • @paulakelly563
    @paulakelly563 7 місяців тому

    This is very interesting , observation of our surroundings We can learn so much and be amazed. Nature is a true teacher !!

  • @Craig-MItchell
    @Craig-MItchell 8 місяців тому

    Great that you are trying these collars, definitely the way forward. Good luck 🍀

    • @MrPHIGGS2
      @MrPHIGGS2 8 місяців тому

      Is there any studies done looking at the effect on the animals health?

    • @Craig-MItchell
      @Craig-MItchell 8 місяців тому

      Guess you'd need to research it, though I've heard quite a bit about them recently, used in other parts of the world. Even on small farms here in Ireland, it would negate the need for fencing.

  • @philippeclero8742
    @philippeclero8742 8 місяців тому

    Congrats !!!

  • @user-vy9kc1oq1z
    @user-vy9kc1oq1z 8 місяців тому

    Concise, informative and positive - great presentation

  • @rockrider81
    @rockrider81 8 місяців тому

    Impressive! Do you deworm the cattle? Or does the rotation and herbs do the trick?

  • @galwaywool2406
    @galwaywool2406 8 місяців тому

    Brillant Kim, well done, very interesting.

  • @markmacleod6054
    @markmacleod6054 9 місяців тому

    Good man

  • @starhooker8747
    @starhooker8747 10 місяців тому

    Inspiration ❤

  • @ottoflouer1750
    @ottoflouer1750 10 місяців тому

    Doing great work getting vids like this out there, there's a bright future ahead for farming in Ireland. Anyone interest in alternatives to conventional agriculture should search for 'Chris trump knf' and 'Geoff Lawton permaculture'. Two of the best resources out there in my opinion.

  • @paulreynolds9003
    @paulreynolds9003 10 місяців тому

    These planted flower strips are far better than grass margins. This is what the subsidies should be paid for.

  • @robertrogers8440
    @robertrogers8440 10 місяців тому

    Top farmer ! This is the video vegans need to see to understand the importance of grazing livestock to feed the soil.

  • @MrBsmurfy
    @MrBsmurfy 11 місяців тому

    Fantastic talk and a rock of sense. Thanks!

  • @MrBsmurfy
    @MrBsmurfy 11 місяців тому

    He definitely walks to his own drumbeat! Great to listen to his experience of nature returning when given a chance.

  • @eirijones2248
    @eirijones2248 Рік тому

    Wonderful 👏 #SaveSoil 🎉 let us make it happen 💃

  • @HawkMillFarm
    @HawkMillFarm Рік тому

    Excellent.

  • @ecologicaenvironmental4938

    Excellent video Andrew Bergin. Very informative 😊👍

  • @davidbutler9787
    @davidbutler9787 Рік тому

    Good animation, excellent voiceover. But why such an ugly representation of the farmer? Does nothing to attract potential farmers to sign up.😢

  • @angelareimann6433
    @angelareimann6433 Рік тому

    Such a sensible way of farming.

  • @riverstun
    @riverstun Рік тому

    About 30 years ago I planted birch and a few other trees on a third of an acre in Wexford, in the context of an acre urban garden that had quite a few other trees. The area that I planted went from basically field to forest fairly rapidly, and last time I was there, I found self-seeded ferns, orchids of some sort (of the more plain variety), mosses, and some fungi. Also self-sown oaks and rowan. The rest of the garden had gone to jungle (bramble thickets and whatnot), and it took a load of hacking things back to open some air back in around the house. While this isnt exactly what you are doing, the principle is the same. Give things a chance, and they will form an ecosystem. I'm not a purist - I have a drift of snowdrops in the forest, split and resplit by me, and wild daffodils, And I scatter things like foxglove and mullein seed. I'm not hoping to rebuild exactly what was there after the last ice age, but to provide habitat for birds, hedgehogs, foxes etc. I put in some nestboxes, some water sources, some berry plants, climbers in the hedge, and when I see new species I want arriving, I make sure they arent overgrown by e.g. nettles or dock.

    • @riverstun
      @riverstun Рік тому

      For me, this is what urban gardeners can do best. Provide bird and butterfly, hoverfly, ladybug, bees (all sorts) etc. habitat. At the same time, it IS a garden, so you want it to look pleasant - like an ideal woodland with sunny glades. Plant things like cowslips, snakeshead fritillary, anemones, bluebells, solomon's seal, ferns.. and let them sink or swim. Let the grass grow long in spring before you cut it, to let things flower.Instead of a lawn, let it turn to meadow, but mow paths through it so you can walk through it. If you plant trees, keep stripping the lower limbs off to about head height, to let light and air through, and to have the trunk straight. It's not rewilding, as such, but it does radically help to maintain local biodiversity. You want a sort of woodland-edge effect. (high biodiversity area). Leave piles of stuff where insects can overwinter. bees like to overwinter in hollow stems, and you can put flowerpots in the soil with the hole pointing up for solitary bumblebees. Make sure that there is lots of leaf litter and suchlike on the surface for worms to dig in. This will also allow fungi to thrive. Dont dig the soil (except in veggie garden areas, and even then you can avoid it). Dont worry about pests, because your biodiversity will take care of it. In an acre garden, you can have about 30 large trees, with a meadow or two, and several broad boreens going through it, opening up vistas. Light and shade. Dappled sunlight, birdsong.

    • @riverstun
      @riverstun Рік тому

      And you can also plant gooseberries, raspberries, red and white currants, strawberries, cherries - let them go wild and let the birds and animals have their share. Even apples, pears. There is no reason you cant have free food from the garden also - try runner beans sprawling over a hedge. But just keep lots of wild places. Fern groundcovers. Ivy, holly, mistletoe, branchpiles. leaves mixed in. plenty of nesting and resting spots. All possible in a decent sized urban garden. And let it do the unexpected.

  • @riverstun
    @riverstun Рік тому

    Do you know the impact of Alpaca on vegetation? I know they dont hack up the ground, but what about their grazing habits?

  • @lyrebird9749
    @lyrebird9749 Рік тому

    Keen to know how they are generating income, if the farm is no longer used for cattle ?

  • @elisatheresabecker9335
    @elisatheresabecker9335 Рік тому

    @farmingfornature is there any chance to get the contact from eoghan? I am a student from Germany, studying nature conservation and landscape management and I would love to volunteer at his place to learn more about his high nature value farm and rewilding project. 😊

  • @davidokeeffe2474
    @davidokeeffe2474 Рік тому

    Hi guys is their anyone doing virtual fencing, besides Nofence prized em and are bit expensive to start up

  • @simonwhite5535
    @simonwhite5535 Рік тому

    Wish every farmer thought like this guy. Good on him! 😊😊😊

  • @chrisnolan7423
    @chrisnolan7423 Рік тому

    Selling carbon credits?

  • @Marylo007
    @Marylo007 Рік тому

    Wow , the difference to your aura inside and outside with nature is incredible

  • @deancarroll5272
    @deancarroll5272 Рік тому

    Well done

  • @deancarroll5272
    @deancarroll5272 Рік тому

    Fair play!