Farming for Nature welcomes County Roscommon organic farmers to the network

FARMING for Nature is delighted to welcome Justina & Liam Gavin of Drumanilra Organic Farm to their ambassador network. The network, founded in 2018, seeks to acknowledge and support farmers who farm, or wish to farm, in a way that will improve the natural health of the countryside.

Justina and Liam Gavin run Drumanilra Organic Farm on the shores of Lough Key, Co. Roscommon. They manage a 300acre mixed livestock and horticulture farm. They farm a herd of pedigree Irish Dexter cattle, a flock of Jacob sheep and a flock of laying hens. The organic animal produce is processed locally and sold direct to their customers via their farm shops/restaurants. The market garden produces organic salads and vegetables which also supply their restaurant business. A Holistic Planned Grazing system is practised on the farm and multi-species herbal leys have been sown to help regenerate soil and provide nutritionally dense food for the animals. Habitats on the farm include pockets of mature broadleaf forestry, wetlands along the lake shore and mature.

Justina said “Our business was born out of a dream to produce and sell the kind of food we wanted to eat and feed to our kids. We believe the existing food system is broken. The urgent push to feed our growing global population cheaply and efficiently, has led to a race to the bottom. The intensification of farming and food production systems has had a devastating impact on our natural world, destroying natural ecosystems and habitats, and fuelling climate change with high-input, carbon-hungry, farming practices and unsustainable emissions. It is characterised by high food waste, low nutrient food, and grim conditions for animals born into the system. As organic farmers, we’re seeking ways to produce food in an environment that works with nature rather than against it. Low-input, low-density farming, protecting biodiversity and soil health, sequestering carbon with properly managed grassland and native tree cover to offset methane emissions, and having the highest regard for animal welfare, are all key to our ethos”.

Farming For Nature was set up with the aim to source, share and celebrate the stories of farmers across Ireland who manage their land in a way that sustains nature, while providing a livelihood for their family. Justina and Liam are part of Farming for Nature’s 10 new ambassadors in 2023. The ambassadors come from across Ireland and include beef, sheep, goats, horses, 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 Farming For Nature ambassador network is now 91 people strong and made up of family farms, couples, and both male and female farmers.

If you want to hear more about Justina and Liam’s story , you can register for a live Ask the Farmer Q&A which takes place on Tuesday April 9 th evening on Zoom. Registration is on www. farmingfornature.ie