Organic Matters

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to suckler, sheep and tillage farmer Angus Woods. Angus began the conversion of his farm in January 2024 having experimented with some organic practices in recent years to help futureproof the business. He talks about the different reasons why he decided to convert to organic and the measures he's taking in his first year of organic conversion to meet organic...

This week on Organic Matters, we visit the farm of John and Marcella Mallick near Tinahely in Co. Wicklow. They have been organic farming since 2011 and as well as running a suckler and sheep enterprise with Galloway cattle, and Scotch sheep cross with Texels, they also grow organic barley for Waterford Distillery to brew into whiskey. They talk about their experience farming organically over the...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet Brian McCarthy from Cork Rooftop Farm. With a background in the wholesale flower business, Brian started experimenting with vegetable growing during the pandemic on a small rooftop space and has now taken on a long-term lease on a former 60-acre dairy farm growing vegetables organically just outside Cork city. Now in his first year of organic conversion, he ta...

This week on Organic Matters we speak to David Sexton of Kildare Farm Foods. David and his wife Susan have been building their farm business near Kildare town since 1996. In recent years they have started to convert to organic farming and now sell a wide range of their own organic farm produce in their farm shop. The business also offers a range of recreational activities alongside the farm shop a...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to husband and wife team, Dominic Leonard and Alison Duck, who farm 250ac near Durrow in Co Laois. They run a mixed enterprise including tillage and livestock. Dominic explains the farming system and why he thinks sheep are an important part of the arsenal organic farmers have when it comes to managing land. They speak about getting LEADER funding to open a f...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Kate Milligan the Commercial Director at Airfield Estate. The farm is 38 acres and sits next to Ireland's largest shopping centre, Dundrum, in the capital city Dublin. With its 2-acre food garden certified organic, it is currently converting its farm to organic production, which includes a mix of enterprises including a milking jersey herd and laying hens....

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to beef farmer Rebecca Harris. Rebecca is based in county Wicklow and runs a 230 herd of Angus cattle with her family across 800 acres. Animals are outside all year round and grass-fed only with a strong focus on animal health and welfare. Rebecca speaks about getting a premium for their organic beef by selling direct through Avoca under the Ballyhenry Organi...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet vegetable grower and farm shop and café owner Michael Foggarty. Michael originally hails from Scotland but has long harboured a love for growing vegetables. In 2022, he took on a 5-acre plot of land in Beechpark, Clonsilla, Co Dublin and since then has been working to maximise the output from his vegetables selling to restaurants as well as direct sales, along...

This week, we meet Sligo based suckler farmer Niall Higgins. Niall farms in partnership with his father. They keep a herd of 25 suckler cows and sell young animals at the weanling and yearling stage at their local organic mart. He talks about how straight forward the switch has been, stock and grassland management in organics and why preventative health management has saved them time and money.

This week, we catch up with tillage and beef farmer Derek Kelly. Derek is running a trial growing lupins - a potentially important protein crop for the Irish organic market. Ground conditions have delayed planting but Derek explains how he got them eventually into the ground. He speaks about varieties, ground preparation, seeding rates, and mitigating weed burden as well as touching on his experie...

This week, Organic Matters meets James and Zeta O'Keeffe on their organic tillage farm in Co Meath. Zeta recently completed a course that has lead the couple to try growing organic gluten free oats for the first time. They also grow miscanthus for animal bedding, a range of crops for organic animal feed and have installed a large solar panel system.

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Helen Hughes who farms in Co Meath with her husband and mother. Helen works off farm in the building sector but runs the family suckler farm and has recently switched to organics. She speaks about why she made the switch and what the conversion process has been like. She also discusses management decisions such as changing to a Hereford stock bull and her...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet Monaghan farmer Gordon McCoy. Gordon farms on the border and was originally a carpenter by trade but wanted to return full-time to the farm. He considered organic dairy but decided to pursue organic egg production and now manages over 10,000 organic laying hens. He talks about the use of organic feed, and spacious housing for the hens when they are not outside...

This week on Organic Matters, we hear from Monaghan farmer Turlough Keenan. Turlough was previously a beef farmer but transitioned to organic tillage. Since then, he has been on a journey to create his own on-farm mill to produce flour from a range of heritage wheat varieties for artisan bakeries. He speaks to Hannah Quinn-Mulligan about the story so far including his experience of organic tillage...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to organic farmer Gerry Deegan from Co. Westmeath. Previously an organic dairy farmer, Gerry changed his system to forestry and beef some years ago. During the transition, he became obsessed with manure and even had a custom-built machine made to turn farmyard manure into compost. He speaks about the importance of high-quality manure on a farm.

Kicking off the first episode of Season 3 of our Organic Matters podcast, we speak to organic tillage and beef farmer Derek Kelly. Derek discusses growing several different crops, including rye and, wheat and peas in combination, as well as finishing organic cattle. He also shares his plans to try growing lupins as an organic protein crop to feed his cattle. Listen to a follow-up interview with De...

In the final instalment of Organic Matters for this season, we speak to Cork organic farmer Conor Sheahan. Conor talks about the tough decision to stop dairy farming in 2018 and focus on maximising profit from the beef side of his business. This involved switching to organic and putting more emphasis on direct selling of Wagyu beef. The Wagyu is a breed that originally hails from Japan but Conor h...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Emer Fahy and Niall Moynihan from Duhallow Organics who sell all their organic meat directly nationwide. Dexter calves are born on the farm, with Emer and Niall working closely with neighbouring organic farms to rear and finish their animals off grass. As well as the organic Dexters, the couple are currently trying to relaunch their organic poultry busines...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Dublin based Bread 41 co-owner Eoin Cluskey. Eoin started life as a carpenter but gradually returned to his true love of baking. After spending some time at Ballymaloe Cookery School, he developed a strong sense of the value of good food produced locally. He took these ideas and moulded them into the successful Bread 41 business today where they utilise or...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to sheep farmer Selena McKenzie. Selena farms with her husband Alex in Co. Wicklow where they lamb up to 300 ewes every year, which are sold organically at a premium. Selena speaks about the ins and outs of raising sheep from breed selection and herd health to nutrient management and fattening lambs. The farm also has two Shepherd's Huts which the McKenzies r...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to the Bord Bia's Organic Sector Manager, Emmet Doyle. Emmet speaks about its plans for promoting Irish organic products both at home and abroad. He explains how Bord Bia are seeking to position the range of Irish organic produce, from beef and lamb to dairy and aquaculture, as premium products to international trade buyers. With November marking the launch o...

This week on Organic Matters, we have Part 2 of a special two-part episode for farmers interested in converting to organic farming. The episode looks further at what is involved in becoming organically certified, with Matthew McInerney from the Irish Organic Association’s certification team. Matthew discusses animal housing rules under organics and how farmers can adapt or update additional housin...

This week on Organic Matters, we have Part 1 of a special two-part episode for farmers interested in converting to organics. The episode takes a step-by-step approach on how to become organically certified, with Shauna Ryan from the Irish Organic Association’s certification team. Shauna discusses some of the frequently asked questions farmers may have about what kind of paperwork to expect and the...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Padraig Brennan, chairperson of the Organic Strategy Forum – Ireland’s National Organic Strategy Group. He speaks about the Organic Trading Hub recently launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to facilitate the buying and selling of organic livestock, feedstuff and farm supplies amongst organic farmers nationwide. Padraig also talks...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Michael Boyle Managing Director and Geraldine Ward Business Manager of the Donegal Seaweed. The company is based in Dungloe, on the east coast of Donegal and harvests and processes seaweed into organic fertiliser which is sold to customers in Ireland, Europe and further afield. They tell the story of how the family business was established and why they cho...