From dairy farmers building ponds to suckler farms planting hedges, sheep enterprises helping to revive the corncrake and more, 12 new Farming for Nature ambassadors have been announced for 2025.

At an awards ceremony on Saturday, hosted by Ear to the Ground presenter Ella McSweeney, as part of the Farming for Nature annual gathering, the 2025 ambassadors were recognised.

Farming for Nature, a not-for-profit organisation, said these farmers demonstrate that caring for nature is happening on farms across the country and that it goes hand in hand with food production.

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Sarah Coonan of Farming for Nature commended the 2025 ambassador farmers.

“Wanting to leave the land in a better place for the next generation was a common theme among this year’s nominees.

“It reminds us that preparations for climate change need to start today, to ensure Irish farming continues for generations to come,” she added.

Ambassadors

The 12 new ambassadors are:

  • Seánie O'Baoill, Donegal: cultivating corncrake habitat while weaving strong community ties in the Gaeltacht.
  • Seán Butler, Roscommon: a regenerative grassland farmer who shifted the whole farm system and transformed his land.
  • Rachel and James Creighton, Kildare: dairy farming that balances productivity with restoring habitats and protecting water.
  • Gareth Culligan, Louth: tillage innovator making full use of on-farm nutrients by working with soil biology and plant diversity.
  • Martin Crowe, Limerick: creating and managing wetlands within an dairy operation to boost nature value.
  • Brian Dilleen, Galway: regenerative poultry and repositioning the farm at the centre of the community.
  • Margaret Edgill, Offaly: blending organic beef production with agri tourism and local food innovation.
  • Tony Grogan, Tipperary: maximising marginal land for nature and for farming.
  • John Liston, Limerick: boosting water systems and soil biology on a beef farm.
  • Willie Mulhall, Kildare: restoring pollinators and bringing the buzz back to farming.
  • Alan and Cheryl Poole, Wexford: dairy farming hand in hand with rich habitats, clean water and climate action.
  • Janet Power and Jenny Watkins, Wexford: making a living and space for nature on a 1ha market garden.

    • Process

    In total, 18 nominees were put forward by a panel of agri-environmental organisations, Government bodies and the wider ambassador network for their commitment to biodiversity, community and producing good food.

    Each farmer was interviewed and their farm visited by members of the executive committee of Farming for Nature before being chosen for the ambassador award.

    These new ambassadors join a growing network, now comprising 115 farmers, representing every county and farming system in Ireland.

    This network is committed to learning from each other, sharing knowledge and showing that farming for nature is a source of pride and purpose, Farming for Nature said.

    The Farming for Nature ambassador awards are funded by the Department of Agriculture and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

    The Farming for Nature annual gathering is held in conjunction with the Burren Winterage weekend, which takes place across the October bank holiday weekend.