ERNEST MACKEY'S WICKLOW GRAIN SHARE

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ERNEST MACKEY'S WICKLOW GRAIN SHARE

ORGANIC GRAIN SHARE IN WICKLOW

For 25E, you can have 25Kg of organic, indeed biodynamic, grain from an Irish farm to mill in your own home. That's 1E a kg.

Granted, a home milling machine has to be purchased up front. But once you, or a group of you, purchase this, you have very affordable, incredibly fresh and highly nutritious Irish farm Aszita milled wheat for your own consumption.

This is what's currently available through Ireland's first grain share. (contact details at the end of article) Run from Ernest MacKey's organic farm in Wicklow, this grain share is now in its third year. Each year, the plans and offerings get more refined for the two dozen or so who have joined up this year so far.

This is the first year that 25kg shares will be available – previously there were only 100kg shares available.

Mackey has 140 hectares in Wicklow. Of this, up to 60 hectares are in forestry, with the remainder farmed. The farmed area is a combination of grassland and cereals. Both Aubrac and, more recently, Red Poll are stocked on the holding. Neither would be typical cattle for an Irish farm, but both are “ideally suited for organic” according to Mackey.

Of his 52 cows, 37 are Aubrac and the reamining 16 are the more recently purchased Red Polls. The latter are “good milkers, hardy, not too big, tidy cattle that calve easily” he tells me, pointing out that an adult cow reaches about 600 kg. Also “I've seen calves over 300 kg with no creep feed because they have so much milk”.

The Aubrac are similar, but “slightly bigger”. A key aspect of both breeds is that they require hardly any inputs. “Even over the winter, we aim for no grain feeds for the cattle, just silage and hay.”

Cattle are an integral part of any mixed biodynamic holding. And despite the cattle's non-cereal diet, the cereal crop takes up 5 hectares at present. I asked Ernest about the variety, Aszita.

“Mikeal Miklas [of the Biodynamic Association] choose this. Its imported from a German plant breeder and biodynamic farmer called Peter Kunz. Unlike most wheats, its its a bearded wheat, bred for low input and biodynamics. Its high in protein, so its also healthier”.

The idea of a grain share is that people are shareholders in the crop: “the plan was that they would feel they owned it, and would help with the work”. Being quite candid, Ernest points out that there is a mixture of types involved - “some want to help out, others just want the grain”.

Initially, a 100kg share was settled upon because it was calculated that that's what a typical family of two adults and two or three children would consume in a given year. This year, the shares are being given out in a more flexible pattern: “A lot of people don't want 100 kg of grain in one go. People sometimes worry about storage, rats, mould and so on - so we're beginning to realise its too much for some people. So we are now offering 25 kg shares, and I have bulk delivered loads to Clare previously” he points out, dealing with another issue - pick up or delivery.

Though most pick up on what turn out to be quite social days, deliveries can be arranged.

The mill for home use is also available in Ireland. Fruit Hill Farm in Cork supply a range (027 50710) as does Tipperary organic farmer Richard Auler (086 8226843).

Ernest Mackey can be contacted on 087 6737341 and 045-404973 and at Ballinclea, Donard, Co Wicklow.

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