Members of the public, and in particular the farming community, are being asked to vote for one of six shortlisted farmers as their top choice for the 2018 National Farming for Nature Award. The prestigious award is part of a wider independent initiative (www.farmingfornature.ie) which hopes to source, share and celebrate the stories of those farmers across Ireland who are doing great things for nature on their land and in their community. The purpose of the award, organisers say, is to shine a light on some of the many positive stories of how farmers interact with nature and perhaps inspire other farmers to follow suit by taking on simple measures to help nature on their farm.

From an initial long list of farmers, nominated by over 150 environmental professionals, a shortlist of six farmers has been compiled by a panel of judges. A five-minute film has been made about each shortlisted farmer and now the public are being asked to view the films and vote for their favourite one, with the winner to be announced at a special event on Saturday 27 October in Kinvara, Co Galway.

This week, we are profiling three of these farmers with a further three to follow next week.

Donal Sheehan

Donal, along with his wife Ita and two children farm a 70-cow dairy herd on Blossom Farm near Castlelyons, in the Bride valley, Co Cork. While Donal runs what would at first be considered a ‘typical’ intensive farm, he has a keen interest in farming in a more nature-friendly way. As he puts it: “We try to push the boat out all the time trying to make farming around here more sustainable.” He dedicates a proportion of his farm to biodiversity including ponds, pollinator strips and wild bird cover for overwintering birds. He keeps bees and farms with these in mind minimising herbicide use. He doesn’t cut hedges and has energy-saving devices on his milking machines. Donal believes farmers can make a huge difference in improving biodiversity, lowering their carbon footprint and improving the quality of our water. Such is his conviction and vision, that he is one of the main drivers of an innovative new pilot project called The BRIDE (Biodiversity Regeneration In a Dairying Environment) Project which rewards farmers for delivering measurable improvements in biodiversity over a five year period. Donal is a very eloquent advocate for, and exponent of, farming for nature.

Martin Calvey

Martin lives in Keel, Co Mayo with his wife Angela. They have eight daughters and two sons and have farmed on Achill Island for seven generations. Martin farms a herd of 150 blackfaced mountain sheep on his shareholding of an extensive (20,000ac) commonage, as well as on an area of machair (a rare seaside habitat). These Mayo blackfaced ewes have been kept on this farm for many generations and are perfectly adapted to grazing the mosaic of protected habitats, from mountain to seashore, where they play a key role in maintaining local biodiversity. Martin is also a master butcher and he and his family have since 1962 run the only abattoir on Achill Island.

The Calveys sell their trademarked ‘Achill Mountain Lamb’ from their local shop as a high-quality food product, one which has won numerous awards and is the choice of many top chefs through the west of Ireland, including Ashford Castle. Martin is a champion of good environmental management, a member of the local ‘custodians of the commonage’ group who helps ensure the land is properly cared for, as well as a great advocate for the link between habitat management, local food production and the added ecosystem and financial value that can result. As his daughter Martina says: “We respect nature, we work with it and it rewards us very well.”

Padraig Corcoran

Padraig and his wife Bernadette, along with their four children, have a cattle and sheep enterprise on their holding in Mount Plunkett, near Lough Ree, Co Roscommon. Padraig manages a 54-acre section of an old estate, which he and his family run as a nature reserve, composed of diverse range of tillage, grassland, woodland and wetland. He has restored woodland, planted new hedgerows, dug ponds, installed bat and bird boxes and restored wetland areas for breeding waders of conservation importance by clearing encroaching scrub.

He has established plots for wild birds and used seed mixes that are optimum for biodiversity. Padraig is very knowledgeable and keen to advocate for getting the best for biodiversity from his landscape. A modest man, he claims: “We don’t do anything special, just care for what’s there. Farming is about being sensitive and compassionate to the environment that we are working in.”

Padraig is very passionate about sharing his story with others: he has hosted numerous guided walks, courses and other events and has featured on RTÉ’s Eco Eye and Ear to the Ground.

About the awards

The national Farming for Nature Award is an independent initiative which is sponsored by An Bord Bia and supported by a wide range of farming and conservation interests including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Rural Network, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Irish Farmers Association, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Teagasc, the Irish Farmer’s Journal and the Heritage Council. The deadline for votes is midnight Thursday 25 October 2018. Go to www.farmingfornature.ie to watch the videos of these inspiring farmers or contact info@farmingfornature.ie for more information.