Farmer Profile
For the last 8 months of the project, we hope profile eight participant farmers.
First up is John McHugh, an organic, dairy, tillage, beef, and pig farmer in Co Laois. He is the 5th generation farmer of the land. He graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in Agriculture in 2001 and inherited the farm from his parents (Clondarig Farm).
Up until 2015, John was an intensive dairy, derogation famer, milking 160 cows with plans to expand. He realised how his inputs were controlling the way he farmed and wanted to create a more resilient farm that his children could carry on. He analysed his figures and profit margins and realised that he could create a more resilient farm, with lower financial risk, that he can pass on to his children. He has been studying regenerative and restorative farming practices and implementing these practices on his farm. John believes that “Diversity drives the resilience in nature”.
John is trying to reconnect his farm with the local community, building bridges that can be beneficial and empowering to all involved. The farm is mostly in grass with some spring oats as well. Since 2015, he has sown multi species swards and herbal leys. He manages the fields in a way that is enabling the natural, native diversity back on the farm. He achieves this by having long grazing intervals and by reducing grazing pressure, which in turn allows pastures to flower and seed, enabling natural succession and helping pollinator populations in the process. John cuts most of his hedges on a 3-5-year rotation, he has moved the fence out to allow for a 2-metre margin on some hedges and has wide ditches acting as margins on others. His hedgerows are a haven for pollinators providing both food and shelter.
Twenty different pollinator species were recorded on John’s farm during the 2020 hedgerow pollinator surveys.
If you are interested in learning more, please come along to Clondarrig Farm on the 20th May at 11:30 for a farm walk. You can also keep an eye out for the Biodiversity On your Farm Species and Tips.
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