Organic Matters

Organic dairy farmer John McHugh discusses the reasons why he has switching from Holistic to Short Grass grazing on his farm, including his ability to now out winter a large proportion of his herd. He also discusses why he switching from conventional to organic farming and the changes that he has seen.

This week, Organic Matters, speaks to Donegal organic farmer Andrew McShea. Andrew runs Tully House Organic Farm and sells his lamb directly to consumers for up to €11/kg. Alongside the farm business, he also operates a company selling seeweed to both organic and non organic customers.

This week, Organic Matters, travels to the foothills of Slieve Bernagh in Co Clare to meet Gert and Elizabeth Stam, who retired from running a garden with over 25,000 visitors every year in the Netherlands to a small farm in Ireland. They specialise in rare plants, and have a passionate interest in organic farming and ensuring plants are grown slowly and are suitable to the Irish climate. They are...

This week, Organic Matters meets Margaret Edgill from Mount Briscoe organic farm in Offaly. Margaret discusses returning home to take over the farm a number of years ago and adding an agri-tourism and accommodation element to the family suckler farm.

This week, Organic Matters, meets dairy farmer Tom Phelan in Co Laois. Tom and his son Alan took the plunge from conventional suckler and sheep farming to organic dairy farming a number of years ago. Tom says he 'would never go back' to sucklers and explains the farm set-up, including supplying winter milk to Glenisk.

This week, Organic Matters speaks to John Geraghty about the new Organic and Biological Masters launched in WIT. John speaks about what type of modules will be on the course and how it will be taught.

This week, Organic Matters visits Beechlawn organic horticulture farm to meet couple Pádraig and Una Fahy. The pair have grown their business from a relatively small vegetable business into a thriving hub, with veg box deliveries and a farm shop. They discuss how they built their business and give advice for anyone else thinking of getting into horticulture.

This week, Organic Matters, speaks to organic farm advisor Mary Lynch about what the new ACRES scheme means for organic farmers and hears what grassland farmers should be prioritising in terms of managing their farms over summer months.

This week, Organic Matters, travels to farm walk hosted by the Tipperary and Limerick organic farmers discussion group on the farm of Pat O'Connor in Tipperary. Pat runs stockless tillage farm and his neighbour, conventional dairy farmer Tomás O'Keefe, speaks about how the two work in symbiosis, trading FYM for grazing and clover. Soils specialist John Geraghty also speaks about the need to suppor...

This week, Organic Matters interviews Claire O'Connor about her shop Manna in Tralee, which sells local fresh organic vegetables and all types of organic food from your regular corner shop classics like milk and eggs to high-end luxury chocolate. Claire also runs a farm in Kerry with her husband Thomas and feels passionately that there is an appetite there for more local organic food produced by f...

This week, Organic Matters meets husband and wife team Esther and Ollie who run Cúlbhac Farm outside Nenagh in Tipperary. The pair sell organic hen eggs and run a calf to beef system, selling the beef via beef boxes.

With just less than 2% of land in Ireland farmed organically, host Hannah Quinn-Mulligan asks the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski how he views the organic sector and where he'd like to see the organic sector in Ireland heading on a visit to an organic farm outside Dublin. Minister of State for Agriculture Pippa Hackett and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue als...

A special edition of the the Irish Organic Association podcast where we speak to the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. With just less than 2% of land in Ireland farmed organically, host Hannah Quinn-Mulligan asks the Commissioner how he views the organic sector and where he'd like to see the organic sector in Ireland heading. The Commissioner was visiting the farm of Eddi...

This week, Organic Matters, meets a farmer who is not afraid to change his system. Oliver Dixon is farming in Mayo and speaks to presenter Hannah Quinn-Mulligan about switching from a suckler system and sowing more red clover for silage to finish weanlings.

Orla and Sean Clancy run Clanwood Farm and the Organic Café in Lough Boora and Fallon's Bar in Co Offaly. Sean speaks to Organic Matters about coming home to the family farm and the pair's journey into food production. He also explains how the pandemic meant they had to adapt and what that has meant for the business.

Irish wool was once a valuable product from our national flock but over time this has radically changed with shearing costing more than the value of the fleece. However, Blaitnaid Gallagher and the Galway Wool Co-op are keen to change that. She speaks to Organic Matters about her passion for wool and how it can work in a modern society. Aiden Walsh also discusses demand for wool.

This week, Organic Matters meets organic horticulture and beef farmer Patrick Frankel on his farm in Doneraile, Co Cork. Patrick discusses the intense workload and rewards that come from growing four acres of organic vegetables and salad crops for restaurant and market outlets. He also compares the income from the four acres of vegetables versus 90 acres of beef farming that he also runs and looks...

As farmers are accepted onto the red clover and MSS scheme this month, Organic Matters speaks to Kevin O' Hanlon who manages an organic dairy farm in Wexford. Kevin has put a lot of work into establishing clover on the farm and he shares his tricks of the trade for sowing, grazing and ensiling the crop.

This week on Organic Matters, Kilkenny farmer Reuben Cope shares his story of converting to organic farming in 2018, including opening an on-farm café and growing tillage crops for the first time. He also discusses his plans for the future, including expanding his organic fruit and vegetable area.

This week, Organic Matters, meets the CEO of Nova Q, Julian Beatty to discuss slurry treatments for organic and conventional farmers. Julian highlights how they can help farmers to meet emission target reductions for the sector of up to 30% by 2030 and help add nutrients to the soil.

This week, Organic Matters visits organic dairy farmer Sean Condon. Sean is milking 50 cows in Co Limerick and direct selling raw organic milk to customers through the Urban Co-op. Sean chats to presenter Hannah Quinn-Mulligan about the process of milking, bottling and selling his milk and how he feels his once-a-day milking system works for him.

This week, Organic Matters visits the Urban Co-op in Limerick and finds out about demand for organic food and why customers enjoy coming to the co-op. The podcast looks at the produce for sale including from Larkins Farm, Esther's Eggs and a number of other Irish Organic Association producers.

This week Organic Matters visits organic sheep and tillage farmer Graham Harris in Kildare as he hosts a farm walk. Graham made the switch in 2019 and farms 70 hectares and keeps 130 sheep alongside the tillage enterprise. Presenter Hannah Quinn-Mulligan speaks to a number of farmers about their own tillage operations and debusts some myths about organic tillage and weed control.

This week, Organic Matters travels to the farm of beef and tillage farmer Tom Dunne in Co Laois. Tom was the first organic farmer to win Zurich Farmer of the Year and is passionate about the use of combi-crops in finishing cattle in an organic system. Presenter Hannah Quinn-Mulligan also discusses the reopening of the Organic Farming Scheme with Jack Nolan, the head of the Organic Division in the...

This week, Organic Matters travels to Monaghan to meet farmer Mark Gillanders who is one half of the farmer partnership running the Irish Organic Mill, one of the few mills in Ireland growing and milling Irish organic flour. Mark speaks to presenter Hannah Quinn-Mulligan about taking a chance on organic flour. Grace Maher, development officer with the Irish Organic Association also debunks any cla...