The Farming for Nature (FFN) project, which is now in its fourth year, welcomes 23 new farmers to their ambassador network.
Nominations are sought every year from a broad panel of environmental experts and through a rigorous system of interviews, farm visits and assessments by a panel of judges.
This year’s ambassadors come from across Ireland and include beef, sheep, forestry, dairy, horticulture and tillage farmers who manage a wide range of very valuable habitats including species-rich grasslands and heaths, wetlands, woodlands and hedgerows.
The FFN ambassador network is made up of family farms, couples and both male and female farmers.
Engaging and inspirational
Brendan Dunford of the Burren Programme, founder and committed volunteer with FFN said: “This year’s farming for nature ambassadors are, like their predecessors, just so engaging and inspirational.
“They provide a powerful and timely testimony as to how farming and nature can, and must, work in harmony and that simple actions can make a big difference.
“These farmers deserve our respect, gratitude and support: they embody all that’s great about rural Ireland and they offer great hope at a time of climate and biodiversity crises.”
Seven of these Ambassadors featured in the recent FFN Public Vote Awards in September and October of this year, where Kildare father-and-son duo Michael and Norman Dunne were crowned the Public Vote Award Winners.
FFN will now feature the remaining 16 Ambassadors on a bi-monthly basis over the next 10 months.
The 2021 FFN ambassadors
This year’s ambassadors are:
Thomas Stack (Summerhill Dairy Farm, Co Limerick).Fergal Anderson and Emanuela Russo (Loughrea, Co Galway).Madeline McKeever and Holly Cairns (Brown Envelope Seeds, Co Cork).Pat McKenna (Co Monaghan).Colm Gavin (Co Mayo).Gearoid Maher (Co Limerick).James Breslin (Inishowen, Co Donegal).Henry O’Donnell (Inishowen, Co Donegal).Rod and Julie Calder-Potts (Highbank Organic Orchard, Co Kilkenny).Michael McManus (Spa Cottage Farm, Co Leitrim).Nicholas Redmond (Ballygarrett, Co Wexford).Muller Family (Glendree Organic Farm, Co Clare).Louis McAuley (Co Meath).Graham Harris (Co Kildare).Joe and Aoife Reilly (Glasraí Organic Farm, Co Mayo). Eoghan Daltun (Beara, Co Cork). Cathal Mooney (Heather Hill Farm, Co Donegal). Gerard Deegan (Co Westmeath). Paul Moore (Middleton, Co Cork). Nia O’Malley (Co Galway). Michael and Norman Dunne (Co Kildare).Anthony Mooney (Co Kildare). Noel Kiernan (Co Longford).Community
“It is great to be able to meet all these people who think the same way as we do,” FFN ambassador Kim McCall said.
“Very often, as a farmer, you work in isolation, especially if you do something a bit different from the ‘norm’. It gives a great boost to know there are a lot more farmers who do the same thing in their own corner and to feel supported in your ideas.”
The FFN Awards are sponsored by Bord Bia and supported by a wide range of farming and conservation interests including the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the National Rural Network.
The Farming for Nature (FFN) project, which is now in its fourth year, welcomes 23 new farmers to their ambassador network.
Nominations are sought every year from a broad panel of environmental experts and through a rigorous system of interviews, farm visits and assessments by a panel of judges.
This year’s ambassadors come from across Ireland and include beef, sheep, forestry, dairy, horticulture and tillage farmers who manage a wide range of very valuable habitats including species-rich grasslands and heaths, wetlands, woodlands and hedgerows.
The FFN ambassador network is made up of family farms, couples and both male and female farmers.
Engaging and inspirational
Brendan Dunford of the Burren Programme, founder and committed volunteer with FFN said: “This year’s farming for nature ambassadors are, like their predecessors, just so engaging and inspirational.
“They provide a powerful and timely testimony as to how farming and nature can, and must, work in harmony and that simple actions can make a big difference.
“These farmers deserve our respect, gratitude and support: they embody all that’s great about rural Ireland and they offer great hope at a time of climate and biodiversity crises.”
Seven of these Ambassadors featured in the recent FFN Public Vote Awards in September and October of this year, where Kildare father-and-son duo Michael and Norman Dunne were crowned the Public Vote Award Winners.
FFN will now feature the remaining 16 Ambassadors on a bi-monthly basis over the next 10 months.
The 2021 FFN ambassadors
This year’s ambassadors are:
Thomas Stack (Summerhill Dairy Farm, Co Limerick).Fergal Anderson and Emanuela Russo (Loughrea, Co Galway).Madeline McKeever and Holly Cairns (Brown Envelope Seeds, Co Cork).Pat McKenna (Co Monaghan).Colm Gavin (Co Mayo).Gearoid Maher (Co Limerick).James Breslin (Inishowen, Co Donegal).Henry O’Donnell (Inishowen, Co Donegal).Rod and Julie Calder-Potts (Highbank Organic Orchard, Co Kilkenny).Michael McManus (Spa Cottage Farm, Co Leitrim).Nicholas Redmond (Ballygarrett, Co Wexford).Muller Family (Glendree Organic Farm, Co Clare).Louis McAuley (Co Meath).Graham Harris (Co Kildare).Joe and Aoife Reilly (Glasraí Organic Farm, Co Mayo). Eoghan Daltun (Beara, Co Cork). Cathal Mooney (Heather Hill Farm, Co Donegal). Gerard Deegan (Co Westmeath). Paul Moore (Middleton, Co Cork). Nia O’Malley (Co Galway). Michael and Norman Dunne (Co Kildare).Anthony Mooney (Co Kildare). Noel Kiernan (Co Longford).Community
“It is great to be able to meet all these people who think the same way as we do,” FFN ambassador Kim McCall said.
“Very often, as a farmer, you work in isolation, especially if you do something a bit different from the ‘norm’. It gives a great boost to know there are a lot more farmers who do the same thing in their own corner and to feel supported in your ideas.”
The FFN Awards are sponsored by Bord Bia and supported by a wide range of farming and conservation interests including the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the National Rural Network.
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