I farm: “60 organic sheep, grain and vegetables on 76ac. We sell all our produce off farm through our online shop, Tully House Organic Farm. My three-year-old son Lorcan and my mother Anne help where they can.”

Sheep: “I run 60 Texel cross ewes back to New Zealand Suffolk rams. I find they’re a great cross, very easy to finish and hardy lambs. Lambing starts 1 March and runs for four weeks. The ewes have been in for three weeks and are moved on to once-a-day feeding now.”

System: “The sheep are getting a mix of organic barley, wheat and oats, which are all grown on farm. They lamb indoors and go to grass at a day old. The flock is rotated through grazing paddocks all summer and we aim to finish off grass for that freezer ready lamb.”

Market: “All of our organic lamb is sold direct to the customer. They’re slaughtered and butchered locally and we plan to add beef in the years to come as our customers would like a bit of choice and variety.”

Seaweed: “We also sell seaweed fertiliser in three varieties. You have the straight seaweed, seaweed with 20% organic fish and for the conventional farmer, seaweed with 15% nitrogen. It all sells as liquid, is sprayer friendly and can be applied at the same time farmers are spraying crops for weeds. It’s Donegal seaweed and you’re getting the added benefit of all its trace elements. Some of the organic grain growers use the fish to increase protein by as much as 3-5% for a stronger, healthier crop and stronger straw.”

Forgotten farmers: “I’ve been advocating as part of the ‘forgotten farmers’ group for years. We include over 3,500 farmers who missed out on installation grants, young farmer top-ups and other schemes in the last CAP. The €5,000 payment and grant access promised by the minister will have some happy and some who won’t be. I welcome with open arms anything we get.”

Quotable quote: “Irish organic and conventional farming is in a brilliant position to produce its own feed and we have to start doing it more.”