The sleepy town of Shanagarry is a hive of activity this weekend as chefs, producers, farmers and food writers gather for a weekend of discussions and debates on the future of food at Ballymaloe LitFest.

Where our food comes from and the future of farming was the focus for a packed talk today entitled ‘The Farmers Life’. Hosted by Joe McNamee, it was a very rounded discussion with speakers from Ireland, the United States and the UK.

Severine von Tscharner who was featured in this week’s Irish Country Living works with Greenhorns in the United States, an organisation that supports young farmers.

Unconventional but effective in its approach, it focuses on event organising to link farmers together and share information.

Also on the panel was Paddy Frankel from Ballybrack Farm in Doneraile in North Cork, whose father was one of the first people to farm organically in Ireland.

Dagenham Farm

Alice Holden who grew up on a farm in west Wales also joined the panel and shared her very unique CV. After moving to London, she founded Dagenham Farm.

Dagenham wouldn’t be the most rural area. In fact, the 2ac farm is right in the middle of suburbia. Next week, we'll have a podcast, where she tells us about this unique farm, the produce she is supplying where demand far exceeds what she can grow, and the pros and cons of having a farm in the city.