Stock to buy. A shed to fix. A crush that should have been replaced last year. A loader that won't do another season.

These are the kinds of investments that Cultivate was built for and National Cultivate Week, running from 20 to 26 April, is the time to start the conversation.

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The week has become an annual fixture in the credit union calendar. It is a celebration of the farming community, but it is also a practical invitation: if you are thinking about investing in your farm this year, your participating local credit union wants to hear about it.

What is happening during the week?

Each participating credit union is putting its own stamp on National Cultivate Week - it's as much a celebration of the farming community as it is about finance.

Some are running open mornings. Others are hosting drop-in sessions where farmers can sit down with the lending team and talk through their plans. A few are heading to local marts to meet farmers where they already are.

There is also a free national webinar on Thursday 23 April from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, titled 'Cultivate: backing Irish farming's future', open to farmers across the country.

What is Cultivate?

Cultivate is a farm lending initiative offered by a group of credit unions across the Republic of Ireland. It was designed around the way farming actually works.

Every lending decision is made locally, inside the credit union, by people who know the area. Repayment terms are flexible - weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

They can be structured around the way farm income flows, whether that is a monthly milk cheque or money coming in after cattle are sold in the autumn.

Farmers can borrow up to €100,000 unsecured for up to 10 years. Cultivate loans cover stock purchases, machinery, sheds, land improvement and working capital.

A number of the participating credit unions offer secured loans of up to €300,000 over 30 years for large-scale capital expenditure such as new sheds, land purchases and funding of inheritance tax.

The credit union on your doorstep

Credit unions have always been rooted in their local communities and that matters when it comes to farm lending.

The person across the counter understands what a spring of poor weather does to cashflow or why a machinery purchase cannot wait. That local knowledge is built into the way Cultivate operates, from the first conversation through to how repayments are scheduled.

Not every farmer who calls in during the week will need finance right now. But knowing the option is there and knowing who you would be dealing with makes a difference when the time comes.

"This week is about the farmers," says CEO of Collaborative Finance Therese Conway, the organisation behind the Cultivate initiative.

"They're the backbone of their local communities and our credit unions work alongside them every day."

National Cultivate Week runs from 20 to 26 April 2026.

To find your nearest participating credit union and see what events are happening in your area, visit www.cultivate-CU.ie or call 1800 839 999.

To register for the free national webinar on Thursday 23 April, visit https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6nhA07YxS2OzusUAE00gNw.

Loans are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. If you do not meet the repayments on your loan, your account will go into arrears.

This may affect your credit rating, which may limit your ability to access credit in the future. The cost of your repayments may increase. Credit unions in Ireland are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.