Season 4: First time tillage farmer successfully growing crops and selling direct
This week on Organic Matters, tillage and beef farmer Reuben Cope, based in County Kilkenny, speaks to Hannah Quinn-Mulligan about converting to organic farming and taking the plunge as a first-time tillage farmer. He talks about the crops he now grows, including red clover, a range of cover crops, intercrops of barley and peas for animal feed, wheat for flour, and milling oats, touching on yields, sowing dates and more.
Rueben also discusses selling wheat directly to produce flour, highlighting the value of heritage wheat varieties and the growing demand for high-quality organic wheat from artisan bakers. Much of the bread and pastries made with his flour can be purchased locally, as well as in his own seasonal farm shop, which also features his own beef and organic vegetables, many sourced from a local organic vegetable grower.
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Season 4: Sums adding up for organic tillage and sheep in Carlow
This week on the Organic Matters Podcast Joe Nolan, a relatively recent convert to organics, speaks to Hannah Quinn-Mulligan about downsizing from 1,000 sheep and reintroducing tillage on his family farm in Carlow.
He says the economics of the farm have never been better since switching to organics and upscaling the organic tillage side of his business. He grows a range of crops, including red clover, milling oats, oat seed and intercrops of cereals and pulses for animal feed.
Joe has also introduced Easycare sheep into his mixed-breed flock, a self-shedding breed that does not require shearing, and speaks about the benefits of the breed and his experience so far.
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Season 4: Direct selling your own suckler beef
This week, Organic Matters meets third-generation suckler farmer Padraic O'Donnell, based in South Galway.
After returning home from the UK to take over his family farm, he converted to organics in 2021. Padraic has focused on improving the genetics of his herd by learning how to do his own artificial insemination (AI), experimenting with introducing new breeds into his existing stock of mainly Limousins and Simmentals.
He speaks about the different kinds of grassland on his farm, including pastures for grazing and silage, callows (seasonally flooded, semi-natural grassland), which he sees as great for summer grazing, and rocky areas that help to extend the grazing season. Padraic has also started selling his own meat directly to customers, processing the meat locally, and shares why he thinks it's important to keep small abattoirs alive.
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Season 4: Championing native Irish sheep and wool
This week, Organic Matters meets Blátnaid Gallagher, an organic sheep farmer in East Galway who has been championing the native Galway sheep breed for meat and wool. She's spearheaded the creation of the Galway Wool Co-op in an era when the number of sheep farmers is dwindling. She talks about building a renaissance in Irish wool by focusing on the need for better processing and putting farmers back at the heart of the story of Irish wool. This includes a recent collaboration between the Galway Wool Co-op and Avoca to develop different kinds of products.
Blátnaid also speaks about how she and her husband took on the farm and converted to organics, the importance of hay meadow conservation for nature and animal feed, as well as her passion for social farming, working with people with intellectual disabilities.
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Season 4: Buying 20ac to address short supply chain issues in organics
In this episode of Organic Matters, host Hannah Quinn-Mulligan interviews Pat O'Sullivan, the CEO of gourmet catering company Master Chefs in Limerick. Pat discusses buying 20 acres of land to establish Ellan farm and grow organic vegetables for his catering business, and talks about his plans for the future, creating his own on-site processing facilities on the farm and connecting his chefs with food production. He also speaks about a bio district that is currently being established in the Mid West. Pat considers that this initiative is not only of value to his business, in order to buy more local organic produce, but also for the wider community of organic producers, as well as the tourism and hospitality sector in the area.
Organic Matters Podcast is brought to you every Saturday by the Irish Organic Association. Our host Hannah Quinn-Mulligan will expertly guide you through each episode as we meet organic farmers and food producers from all over Ireland. We have been certifying organic farms and businesses for 40 years and we bring you a flavour of why organic matters now more than ever. Meet some of our fantastic members discussing how organic is central to their business. Tune in every Saturday at 12 noon.
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