Gareth Culligan, from Stabannon in Co Louth, has been announced as the Philip Reck soil farmer of the year by BASE (Biodiversity, Agriculture, Soil, Environment) Ireland.

The group presented the award, which is in memory of BASE Ireland founding member Philip Reck, at BASE Ireland’s Soil Dependence event in Maynooth on Monday, 4 July. Philip’s family was there to present the award. This included an engraved, perpetual spade.

Gareth was voted soil farmer of the year by his fellow BASE members. He is a tillage farmer using direct drill, cover cropping, and companion cropping on his farm to improve soil biodiversity and increase soil biological activity.

Norman Dunne who is the chairperson of BASE Ireland, and was the host farmer for the day, explained that last year was the first time that the award was presented and that it is close to BASE Ireland members’ hearts as it remembers their former colleague Philip who he said had influenced a lot of members to where they were today.

Theme

Philip was a strong promoter of farmers educating farmers and that was the theme of the day, with many BASE Ireland members discussing their farming practices and a move to regenerative and conservation agriculture on stage as well as running some machinery out in the fields.

Readers of the Irish Farmers Journal may recognise Gareth as he takes part in the Footprint Farmers programme and has featured regularly online and in the paper.