Irish Farmer Case Studies

We shared our 7 Farmer Case Studies through easy-to-read Blog format, available to view on the SECAD Website here: https://www.secad.ie/what-we-do/regenerative-agriculture-in-ireland/

Online Regenerative Agriculture Webinar

In July 2023, SECAD Hosted a Webinar to talk about Regenerative Agriculture in Ireland, and to share the stories of the 7 Farms that were interviewed as part of the REGINA Project. We were joined on the night by some of the Farmers who answered the viewers questions. This Webinar was recorded and is available to watch online on the SECAD Website: https://www.secad.ie/case-studies/environment-case-studies/regenerative-agriculture-in-ireland-webinar/

Training of Trainers Event in Hungary.

In August 2023, stakeholders from SECAD Partnership CLG travelled to Hungary to take part in the Training of the Trainers event, where we engaged in talks, workshops, group activities and farm visits. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet with the project partners and discuss relevant issues around regenerative agriculture and the future of sustainable farming.

REGINA Irish National Workshop

As part of the REGINA project, SECAD hosted a very successful half-day workshop in the Midleton Park Hotel on Thursday, 4^th April. The workshop offered a unique opportunity for researchers, farmers, educators and support agencies to network, learn and discuss Regenerative Agriculture along with our REGINA Erasmus+ European partners from Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Greece.

With guest speakers from the farming community, academia and support agencies, the workshop aimed to facilitate discussion amongst those who share an interest in farming approaches which are compatible with environmental concerns and the fight against climate change. While showcasing some of the academic research, the workshop also explored many of the practical challenges and opportunities for the sector.

The importance of education, ongoing multi-stakeholder discussions and sharing of positive experiences were highlighted as key to the growth and adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

Recordings of the panel presentations can be found below.

Welcome & Introduction

The session was opened by SECAD Partnership CEO, Ryan Howard, who welcomed participants to the event. This was followed by a brief introduction by SECAD Development Officer, Katie Kearns, who gave a short presentation on SECAD and its work to support the farming community and the environment.

Patricia Honvári, Széchenyi István University, Hungary

Introduction to REGINA and the project  work to date

Patricia Honvari is College associate professor of Economics and Environmental Economics at the Budapest Business School (Hungary). As a previous research fellow of the Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, she has more than 10 years of experience of scientific and practical activity in research projects (both national and international, mostly Erasmus, Interreg and Horizon 2020). Patricia holds a PhD in regional studies, with the research topic linked to rural areas, environmental economics, and sustainable development. Also involved in several educational projects, working on the development of digital learning material for different courses. Member of Euracademy Association since 2014, currently the Secretary General.

In her capacity as REGINA Project Lead, Patricia provided an introduction to the REGINA project to the attendees and presented some of the project results to date.

Dermot Forristal, Research Officer, Teagasc

Regenerative Agriculture in Ireland – Alternative Crop establishment systems in the Irish climate

https://www.teagasc.ie/contact/staff-directory/f/dermot-forristal

Dermot is a Research Officer with the Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority. Teagasc is the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities. Dermot’s research area of interest is the mechanisation aspects of crop production and crop production systems, particularly crop establishment and soil cultivation systems.

Robert Coleman, BASE Ireland & Farmer

Regenerative Agriculture in Ireland – The Farmer Perspective

Rob Coleman farms with his father Billy near the village of Castlemagner in North Cork. They manage a mixed tillage and stock farm, with tillage being the main commercial aspect of the farming system. Rob and Billy run a calf-to-beef system and a flock of 150 breeding ewes. Rob and Billy have always been fascinated by soil health and environmental conservation / regeneration and since joining BASE Ireland in 2016, Rob began a journey in adopting numerous conservation agriculture practices on the farm. BASEIreland.ie is part of an International community of farmers, agronomists and agriculture professionals who are committed to advancing the knowledge and practice of Conservation Agriculture. 

Dr. Rok Mihelič, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Effects of Soil Management on Soil Quality

Rok Mihelic is the Chair of Soil and Environmental Science at the Department of Agronomy, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Rok is an internationally recognised and widely published expert on soil management, soil fertility, sustainable agriculutre, agroecosystems and environmental protection. He is also a founding member of the Slovenian Association for Conservation Agriculture and a member of the board of Directors of Euracademy.

Dr. Marco Napoli, University of Florence, Italy

Crop Rotation and Intercropping: Maximising Crop Diversity

Marco Napoli is a technologist at Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI) of University of Florence, where he lectures in "Biotechnological applications for sustainable crop production” for the MSc “Biotecnologie per la gestione ambientale e l'agricoltura sostenibile”, “Field crops for energy production” for the Msc “Scienze e tecnologie agrarie”. His preferred research fields are soil conservation, growth and development of herbaceous crops, analysis of hydrological-erosive processes, pollution and phyto-remediation of agricultural soils. He is the author of 46 works in Scopus-referenced magazines. He is a member of the American Society of Agronomy; Crop Science Society of America; Order of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors of Florence; National Organization of Wine Tasters; Italian Society of Agronomy; Tuscan Horticultural Society; Soil Science Society of America. 

Laura Jayne Foley, Farmer & Business Owner

Irish Case Study - Wild Atlantic Hemp

Laura Jayne Foley and Daniel Lyons, owners of Wild Atlantic Hemp, are farmers and hemp cultivators based in County Clare. They founded their company on the Loop Head peninsula, where they focused on farming with nature. Graduates of the University of Galway with Masters in Agricultural Innovation, they received a start-up award from Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers programme to develop their hemp processing facility in Kilkee. They discovered significant improvements in their crops by using biochar and homemade microbial tea to enhance soil nutrient density. These methods formed the basis of the Hemp4Soil European Innovation Partnership, a Regenerative Farming Experiment which won the national Climate Action Award in the Pride of Place awards in 2023.

You can check on the recordings of the Workshop here: National Workshop in Ireland

Regenerative Agriculture International Webinar

On Monday, 30^th September 2024, SECAD hosted an international webinar which showcased the new online learning platform and best practice library of resources on Regenerative Agriculture.

Aimed at third level institutions, teachers, students, researchers, practitioners, or anyone interested in sustainable agriculture, the webinar provided a greater understanding of the learning materials, tools and resources designed to promote and support principles and practices of Regenerative Agriculture.  An introduction was provided to the four free and accessible online modules which focus on regenerative farming practices that enhance soil health, increase biodiversity, and promote ecosystem resilience.

We were delighted to be joined in the webinar by:

• Honvári Patrícia, PhD – Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Economics, Budapest Business School, Hungary
• Dr. Rok Mihelic – Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Dr. Marco Napoli – Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Italy
• Antonio Pescatore – Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Italy

Our speakers gave an introduction and overview of the project, the online learning resources available and the four REGINA modules. The webinar also formed part of a wider campaign to mobilise individuals, key farming stakeholders and rural development and education institutions, to join the REGINA community and utilise the online learning resources available through the REGINA platform. It was designed to support their work, and to promote learning and engagement.

The event was hugely successful with attendees joining the session from across Europe and beyond.

You can check on the recordings of the International Webinar here: International Webinar