Along with his partner, Fergal farms intensive horticulture crops as part of community-supported agriculture (CSA), meaning all his produce goes to the local community.
Fergal’s season lasts for 30 weeks of the year from June to December.
“We grow vegetables and fruit. We have everything from lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, kale, apples, etc.”
As part of CSA, Fergal has shareholders – customers who buy in for a season and receive a fruit and vegetable box every week.
“It’s about getting that commitment from people. Shareholders can pay in full or monthly, whatever suits them, and they can leave at any time, they just have to give a month’s notice.”
“We get to sell to our local market and we get comfort from that.”
Guaranteeing some income
Fergal started farming five years ago and uses only six acres. Last year was the first selling to shareholders as he previously sold solely to restaurants.
“We were lucky we had access to my parent’s land because so we were able to start working; access to land is a huge problem for young farmers.”
“We started small and have been successful, and we are guaranteed some income. ”
Fergal doesn’t receive any farm payments. “Farmers need them, but at the same time some farmers are getting huge subsidies and are being paid above the moral amount,” he says.
The Irish government administers around €1.2bn to farmers. More than 200 farmers receive more than €100,000 but the average payment is around €9,000.
Fergal is also part of Food Sovereignty Ireland (FSI), a group made up farmers, food providers and citizens who believe there needs to be change in the approach to agriculture.
Selling to the local market is what agriculture should be about, says Fergal.
Policies for the future of agriculture
FSI policy recommends providing farmers with tax incentives for employment, and county councils giving some of their land to young people who want to get into farming. To avoid local produce becoming unreachable, the group suggests providing a €20 social welfare payment that can only be spent on local produce.
Price can be a determining factor as local produce tends to be more expensive than supermarket prices, something Fergal believe is damaging to the agricultural industry for many reasons.
“The low-cost selling in supermarkets has to stop. Although supermarkets claim they make up the difference, selling food below the cost of production devalues that product psychologically. It leads to a perception that food has no real value, but behind food is real people and real work.”
But the government’s emphasis on high production and exporting to the global market makes it “hard to get a word in if you’re not on their message.”
Government narrative
When Fergal first started farming, the advice from Teagasc was to “grow grass. But that’s not necessarily in the best interest of Irish farmers, people or the countryside.
“When I go to meetings the message is produce as much as you can. I wanted something alternative and the message should be about maximising the space you have.”
Fergal says that while the narrative from farm organisations and the government is increasing production and global exports, farmers are struggling to make a living.
“Producing as much as you can but having nothing do to with the price is such a disempowering way to make a living,” he said.
“There is a mystical Irish success story in the global market but what we are doing to the global economy isn’t good.
“We need to have solidarity in the global markets and not just think about ourselves; we have to ask ourselves is this morally the right thing in the long term?
“Quality Irish premium produce is being sold off to McDonalds – that is nothing to be proud of.”
There are similar CSA models in the US and Fergal believes there is a real interest in food production, traceability and supporting the local economy.
“What we really want is to better connect people with food and give them a better understanding of the people and stories behind it.”