Many calves have been safely born, with a few more to go (please God). My turkeys were pardoned for Thanksgiving, but will be ready for the Christmas market. Yep, it’s busy around here.

My latest issue of Modern Farmer arrived from the States last week, with a headshot of a beautiful (too beautiful, perhaps?) Friesian heifer on the cover. Modern Farmer is a farming, food and lifestyle magazine from the USA, that is one part serious farm and one part hipster farmer. I flip through the issue quickly, snigger at some of the overly trendy articles, and just as I am about to set it down and head to the farmyard, a piece about a farmer/surfer fella in Co Clare catches my eye.

I am intrigued. I put on the kettle, sit down and read. Fergal Smith is a 26-year-old professional surfer who grew up on an organic farm in Co Mayo. Apparently, after traveling around the world as a big name on the pro surfing circuit for eight years, he decided he needed to give back to the planet and grow his own food.

Smith invested in a half-acre in Co Clare, got himself a pig, and started growing broccoli and 25 types of potatoes. He has built a greenhouse and a communal kitchen. Nearby hotel owners have let him farm some of their land. He is a welcome provider to the community.

I finish the article along with my cup of tea and make a note to do further research on Mr Smith, and his choice to trade in his international sporting career to live off the land. I’m curious, but also a bit skeptical, as it seems everywhere I turn I see a new generation of young farmers calling themselves eco-warriors, many of which have a holier-than-thou approach to the farming life. Still, Smith’s story seemed different. Possibly because he’s Irish, but also because he grew up on a farm himself.

I Google the farmer’s name and up comes his personal website, complete with a video series called Growing, that combines surfing and farming.

I slip down the rabbit hole of fascination.

After the turkeys are put back in their house, and Geoffrey is nestled into bed for the night, I start viewing from the beginning of the series. Each short piece is so lush and cinematic, I feel inspired to make more food and farming films myself. Heck, I might even take a surfing lesson next summer as I harvest lettuces.

A laid-back Fergal takes us back to Mayo to meet his mother and father, who have an incredible organic vegetable farm outside of Westport. His father was an avid surfer who ferried his children to Achill Island beaches as frequently as possible. Fergal grew up splitting his time between a surfboard and a greenhouse, so it makes perfect sense that he would return to this style of life.

In the series, we follow Smith’s farming progress. We meet Holly, his darling saddleback pig, who will not be eaten, but will be his “rotivator” for life. Land is prepared and polytunnels go up. Growing kale and cauliflower is combined with breathtaking footage of surfing through barrel swells in the rural seaside of Clare and Mayo. Gnarly, and worth a watch.

Visit Fergal's website here