Organic Matters

In the first episode of Season 4, we meet Mitch Corbett and Harry Badrick at the Hometree charity near Ennistymon in Co. Clare. The pair are part of a team that organically grows native Irish trees from seedlings and works with farmers and landowners to create native Irish forests. They discuss the many benefits that trees can provide to farmland and biodiversity

This week on Organic Matters, we meet brothers Charlie and Dan Hogan, and Dan's partner Una Wycherley who all run Larkin's Hill Farm together on the outskirts of Nenagh in Co Tipperary. They sell salad and vegetables to local retailers, and in addition to managing a suckler herd, they have more recently started growing and selling combi crops as animal feed to meet growing demand from organic live...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet Andrea and Markus Miley who have developed an organic oil and spices business based in Portarlington, Co. Laois called ÍON Oil and Spices. Originally the pair were involved in the timber business but over time have changed tack and today run a shop, and online business as well as taking their products to farmers' markets and shops. This year the company won Ta...

In the final episode of Season 3 of the Organic Matters Podcast, we meet Dolores and Joe Gorman from Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms in Co. Offaly. The pair were in the mushroom business for almost 30 years exporting to the UK but had to close when Brexit hit due to the fluctuation in sterling. After a two-year break, they were back in business having diversified into organic exotic mushrooms. Th...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Charles Harold Barry and his wife Catherine who produce organic beef and lamb. They farm in north Cork and keep Angus cattle using a mob system. They also have sheep and use EasyCare rams to breed lambs that do not need shearing, with the stock seen as an important part of the farm’s grassland management. They have stopped making silage and focus on keepin...

This week on Organic Matters, we speak to Marian Clarke from Doon Social Farm part of Ballyhoura Rural Services based in County Limerick. As well as catering to the local community and several groups who may be vulnerable or have special needs, the farm runs a shop, café and a thriving organic egg and veg business. Everything produced on the farm is sold into the local community and neighbouring a...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet suckler and tillage farmer Jim Stafford. Jim breeds Aubrac cattle, which originally hail from France, alongside his suckler herd. He breeds them both for pedigree breeding purposes and for organic beef and achieves excellent carcase weights. He also grows combi-crops of cereal and pulses for animal feed as well as oats for Flavahans. Jim talks about the import...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet Steve Collins who farms in West Cork. Having returned from overseas after working on development projects for several years, Steve and his wife Claire purchased a farm in a scenic, but rocky area of the county. Passionate about producing high-quality, nutritious food, Steve and his family now focus a lot on growing both blueberries and aronia berries, includin...

This week on Organic Matters, we meet Tony Murphy. Situated in the centre of Cork county, he farms Angus cattle and Beltex sheep as well as tillage. When we meet, Tony is harvesting arable silage. He breaks down exactly how he makes arable silage, which is usually sowed from the 1st of June and mowed in just 14 to 16 weeks later, touching on seed mixtures, ploughing depth, and fertilisation. Tony...

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...