A long table banquet in Wicklow will be the spectacular setting for the premiere screening of a documentary featuring a group of regenerative farmers, who undertook an epic cross-country cycling challenge earlier this year.
The Longest Malin to Mizen documentary was filmed last August when a group of 14 farmers, all using regenerative practices, took to their saddles to cycle from the most northerly point in Ireland, to the southern tip of the country, with a few deviations along the way.
The gala event at Killruddery House, Co Wicklow, on Saturday night will showcase the film that charts an eight-day adventure, which brought the farmers on a criss-cross journey of Ireland visiting regenerative farms and taking in counties that have never featured in a Malin to Mizen challenge before. Guests will also enjoy a four-course meal supplied by regenerative farming produce.
Organised by Brendan Guinan of Fiorbhia Farm in Co Laois and Colman Power, Organic Fitness; the cycle covered 1,240km, almost double the direct route from Malin to Mizen.
The objective
Mairead Guinan, Jill Wright, Brendan Guinan, Colman Power, Alan Hurley, Oskar Lipinski and John Cremin celebrate at the finish line of their longest Malin to Mizen cycle challenge.
The aim of the exercise was to showcase the work being done by farmers who are taking an alternative approach to making a living from the land.
Speaking to Irish Country Living, Brendan said the cycle brought farmers and communities together and he hoped the gala banquet would forge new connections among those who see the value and benefits of an alternative way to farm.
“I’ve been farming 26ac of agri-forest for the past five years and have been doing it full time for the past two years; where I’m rearing pigs and cattle on land that has been reclaimed from a forest floor,” he says.
“I’m selling my produce directly to the customer and I have 400 households who order from me every month, as well as supplying high-end restaurants and hotels, including Ashford Castle and Ballymaloe House.
Most of them were directly selling themselves and I think they were suspicious of me; who’s this lad coming in here telling us what to do
“I’ve been watching the potential of what I’m doing grow and I wanted to see how other people who are doing this are getting on. I went to loads of organic and regenerative farmers and I asked if they were interested in doing something with me to promote our produce and make us more efficient.
"Most of them were directly selling themselves and I think they were suspicious of me; who’s this lad coming in here telling us what to do.
“I got a bit disheartened by the response. Anyone who was doing it well was direct-marketing and doing alright. Anyone who wasn’t felt frustrated, as they were working hard and not getting anywhere. There was a lot of despair out there, even among those who are doing well.”
Not to be dissuaded, Brendan decided the only way to convince farmers of his authenticity was to go out and meet as many of them as possible.
“I decided I was going to cycle from Malin to Mizen, on my own originally, and call into regenerative farms along the way, to prove that regenerative farming is national and not niche, and that it’s commercially viable. I also wanted to break down the barriers between these farmers and me,” he says.
“When I’d tell people of my mad cycling idea, I thought they’d laugh at me, but different people offered to join me. The oldest cyclist was Jim (75), a part-time farmer from Tipperary who cycled from Mad Yolk Farm in Craughwell, Co Galway, to Brookfield Farm in Nenagh and from there to in Forbhia Farm, which was 147km in one day. It wasn’t a bother to him. His wife drove behind us in a van with a double bed in the back, converted into a camper, and they slept in that each night.”
Strength in numbers
Jim Kennedy, 75, was the oldest cyclist to take part in the challenge.
“People were happy to give their time, blood sweat and tears to do this cycle. Five of us did the entire route, but we had a group of 14 others who did 80% of it.
"One guy flew over from London, he’s originally from Kilcullen, and asked us to collect his bike and he met us in Malin Head. We also had a Department of Agriculture guy based in Brussels, who came over and cycled from Laois to Mizen Head. We were a motley crew, but all had the same goal and same heart. Gill, a 62-year-old woman, did the full trek, she was the only one with endurance experience before and she was like a mammy to us all.
“Over the eight days, we only ate our own food, we had no gels or energy drinks driving us along because we wanted to prove the nutrient density of the food, that what we are producing can actually power you across the country.”
The cycle wasn’t all about endurance. At each farm stop, a ticketed event was held to showcase the produce on offer.
“The local community came in and sampled the food, and there was music and entertainment at each farm we stopped at. It was the chance for these farmers to showcase what they’re doing, explain the reasons why they’re doing it and to sell themselves,” adds Brendan.
“The first farm we arrived at in Portnoo in Donegal, Barry, the farmer, was a little concerned about hosting the public so we kept the numbers to 30, but by the time we arrived at our last farm in Dunmanaway in Cork, we had 180 people on the farm sampling the produce and enjoying the event.
“There’s never been a Malin to Mizen that has come through Laois and we were in Tipperary twice, it was the same equivalent of doing the entire journey along the usual route, twice.”
Lights, camera, action
Jill Wright, Dermot Lawless and Brendan Guinan were among a group of regenerative farmers cycle 1240km on a criss-cross route of Ireland to showcase produce from farms all over the country.
Given the once-in-a-lifetime experience the cycle offered, Brendan enlisted the services of a production company to film the expedition, and each of the 10 farms visited are included in the final documentary, which will be premiered in Killruddery House at the gala event.
“We had an independent production company following us, which cost €30,000. Each farmer got a two-minute promotional video for their farm, incorporated into the documentary, worth €2,000. So the ticket sales at each farm event paid for that.
“We’re planning on bringing the documentary on the road to film festivals all over Ireland and Europe, to get the message out about what we are doing.”
Along with travelling Europe with his documentary, Brendan is also in the process of establishing a representative group for regenerative farmers, north and south.
“One of the effects of the cycle is I’ve set up a 32-county representative body for regenerative farmers. The group which is called Grounded in Soil will be launched at the gala banquet,” explains Brendan.
“The point of the cycle was to bring farmers together and then to use those connections in a way to benefit everyone.
“We want to show people there is an alternative out there, that there is hope and that the land has an infinite number of incomes available to it.
“We want to highlight the savage work that is being done by farmers all over the country.
“We are going to become a lobbying group to fight for regenerative and organic farmers at Government level, north and south.
“Most farmers see regenerative farming as some kind of hippy thing. Some traditional farmers don’t see it as a viable commercial alternative, but I have opened my books and shown people what I’m making off 26ac, farming full-time, supporting a family of five kids, two of whom are in college.
“When farmers open their eyes to what’s out there, the simple fact is there is no end to the potential of regenerative farming, which can benefit entire communities.”
Tickets are still available for the gala screening of the Longest Malin to Mizen, €120. See killruddery.com/products/the-longest-malin-to-mizen-documentary-an-exclusive-pre-launch-screening-gala
A long table banquet in Wicklow will be the spectacular setting for the premiere screening of a documentary featuring a group of regenerative farmers, who undertook an epic cross-country cycling challenge earlier this year.
The Longest Malin to Mizen documentary was filmed last August when a group of 14 farmers, all using regenerative practices, took to their saddles to cycle from the most northerly point in Ireland, to the southern tip of the country, with a few deviations along the way.
The gala event at Killruddery House, Co Wicklow, on Saturday night will showcase the film that charts an eight-day adventure, which brought the farmers on a criss-cross journey of Ireland visiting regenerative farms and taking in counties that have never featured in a Malin to Mizen challenge before. Guests will also enjoy a four-course meal supplied by regenerative farming produce.
Organised by Brendan Guinan of Fiorbhia Farm in Co Laois and Colman Power, Organic Fitness; the cycle covered 1,240km, almost double the direct route from Malin to Mizen.
The objective
Mairead Guinan, Jill Wright, Brendan Guinan, Colman Power, Alan Hurley, Oskar Lipinski and John Cremin celebrate at the finish line of their longest Malin to Mizen cycle challenge.
The aim of the exercise was to showcase the work being done by farmers who are taking an alternative approach to making a living from the land.
Speaking to Irish Country Living, Brendan said the cycle brought farmers and communities together and he hoped the gala banquet would forge new connections among those who see the value and benefits of an alternative way to farm.
“I’ve been farming 26ac of agri-forest for the past five years and have been doing it full time for the past two years; where I’m rearing pigs and cattle on land that has been reclaimed from a forest floor,” he says.
“I’m selling my produce directly to the customer and I have 400 households who order from me every month, as well as supplying high-end restaurants and hotels, including Ashford Castle and Ballymaloe House.
Most of them were directly selling themselves and I think they were suspicious of me; who’s this lad coming in here telling us what to do
“I’ve been watching the potential of what I’m doing grow and I wanted to see how other people who are doing this are getting on. I went to loads of organic and regenerative farmers and I asked if they were interested in doing something with me to promote our produce and make us more efficient.
"Most of them were directly selling themselves and I think they were suspicious of me; who’s this lad coming in here telling us what to do.
“I got a bit disheartened by the response. Anyone who was doing it well was direct-marketing and doing alright. Anyone who wasn’t felt frustrated, as they were working hard and not getting anywhere. There was a lot of despair out there, even among those who are doing well.”
Not to be dissuaded, Brendan decided the only way to convince farmers of his authenticity was to go out and meet as many of them as possible.
“I decided I was going to cycle from Malin to Mizen, on my own originally, and call into regenerative farms along the way, to prove that regenerative farming is national and not niche, and that it’s commercially viable. I also wanted to break down the barriers between these farmers and me,” he says.
“When I’d tell people of my mad cycling idea, I thought they’d laugh at me, but different people offered to join me. The oldest cyclist was Jim (75), a part-time farmer from Tipperary who cycled from Mad Yolk Farm in Craughwell, Co Galway, to Brookfield Farm in Nenagh and from there to in Forbhia Farm, which was 147km in one day. It wasn’t a bother to him. His wife drove behind us in a van with a double bed in the back, converted into a camper, and they slept in that each night.”
Strength in numbers
Jim Kennedy, 75, was the oldest cyclist to take part in the challenge.
“People were happy to give their time, blood sweat and tears to do this cycle. Five of us did the entire route, but we had a group of 14 others who did 80% of it.
"One guy flew over from London, he’s originally from Kilcullen, and asked us to collect his bike and he met us in Malin Head. We also had a Department of Agriculture guy based in Brussels, who came over and cycled from Laois to Mizen Head. We were a motley crew, but all had the same goal and same heart. Gill, a 62-year-old woman, did the full trek, she was the only one with endurance experience before and she was like a mammy to us all.
“Over the eight days, we only ate our own food, we had no gels or energy drinks driving us along because we wanted to prove the nutrient density of the food, that what we are producing can actually power you across the country.”
The cycle wasn’t all about endurance. At each farm stop, a ticketed event was held to showcase the produce on offer.
“The local community came in and sampled the food, and there was music and entertainment at each farm we stopped at. It was the chance for these farmers to showcase what they’re doing, explain the reasons why they’re doing it and to sell themselves,” adds Brendan.
“The first farm we arrived at in Portnoo in Donegal, Barry, the farmer, was a little concerned about hosting the public so we kept the numbers to 30, but by the time we arrived at our last farm in Dunmanaway in Cork, we had 180 people on the farm sampling the produce and enjoying the event.
“There’s never been a Malin to Mizen that has come through Laois and we were in Tipperary twice, it was the same equivalent of doing the entire journey along the usual route, twice.”
Lights, camera, action
Jill Wright, Dermot Lawless and Brendan Guinan were among a group of regenerative farmers cycle 1240km on a criss-cross route of Ireland to showcase produce from farms all over the country.
Given the once-in-a-lifetime experience the cycle offered, Brendan enlisted the services of a production company to film the expedition, and each of the 10 farms visited are included in the final documentary, which will be premiered in Killruddery House at the gala event.
“We had an independent production company following us, which cost €30,000. Each farmer got a two-minute promotional video for their farm, incorporated into the documentary, worth €2,000. So the ticket sales at each farm event paid for that.
“We’re planning on bringing the documentary on the road to film festivals all over Ireland and Europe, to get the message out about what we are doing.”
Along with travelling Europe with his documentary, Brendan is also in the process of establishing a representative group for regenerative farmers, north and south.
“One of the effects of the cycle is I’ve set up a 32-county representative body for regenerative farmers. The group which is called Grounded in Soil will be launched at the gala banquet,” explains Brendan.
“The point of the cycle was to bring farmers together and then to use those connections in a way to benefit everyone.
“We want to show people there is an alternative out there, that there is hope and that the land has an infinite number of incomes available to it.
“We want to highlight the savage work that is being done by farmers all over the country.
“We are going to become a lobbying group to fight for regenerative and organic farmers at Government level, north and south.
“Most farmers see regenerative farming as some kind of hippy thing. Some traditional farmers don’t see it as a viable commercial alternative, but I have opened my books and shown people what I’m making off 26ac, farming full-time, supporting a family of five kids, two of whom are in college.
“When farmers open their eyes to what’s out there, the simple fact is there is no end to the potential of regenerative farming, which can benefit entire communities.”
Tickets are still available for the gala screening of the Longest Malin to Mizen, €120. See killruddery.com/products/the-longest-malin-to-mizen-documentary-an-exclusive-pre-launch-screening-gala
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