BIODIVERSE FARMING @ DEVIL'S BIT

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BIODIVERSE FARMING @ DEVIL'S BIT

The western slopes of the Devils’ Bit mountain in North Tipperary is where Sean O' Farrell farms. “ I am farming 60 acres of semi upland to organic standards for the past eight years. The suckler cow herd is mainly Limousin X Shorthorn. These are being sired with an Angus bull and I am moving from a weanling to beef finishing system.”

Chatting with Sean, it is clear that he sees his farm as much as a biodiverse entity as a business. Nature is not incidental to him. He is very focused on the life on his farm, from the soil to the grasses to the broader flora and fauna his organic production methods supports.“The broader the wildlife species diversity on the farm the better the food value and sustainability of the product that reaches the table” he says. “A greater above ground diversity of plant species will increase the below ground diversity of species of microbes, fungi, nematodes and earthworms, which will harness the food for the plants and thereby grow the quality organic food.”

It soon becomes clear that Sean thinks a lot about his grasses. “The farm has about 20 acres of wet grassland which tends to suit soft rushes. Most of the pastures are old, with just 12 acres reseeded in the past 9 years. Another 12 acres had clover broadcast after silage harvesting. This was reasonably successful. I think the amount of daisy sitting tight to the ground may have affected clover establishment”.

“Recycling of farmyard manure is of paramount importance and I am trying to move away from slurry which I consider more acidic and involves increasing costs of slurry agitation - plus air pollution and probable carbon taxes - and the impacts of heavy machinery on the land.”

Sean is not a fan of monocultural Italian rye grass swards: "I view my system of production from the perspective of the broader the wildlife species diversity on the farm the better the food value and sustainability of the product that reaches the table. To me the high input ryegrass based system is not sustainable on a number of fronts. Firstly, the costs involved in chemical nitrogen production, transport and application. Secondly, the implications from increased land, water and atmospheric nitrogen levels. Thirdly, the implications of the mono-culture system on the species diversity and habitats. Fourthly, the implications of emissions on climate change. Finally the impact of nitrogen residues on human health."

Sean “prefers to see a good mix of traditional grasses, clovers and herbs in the sward. This variety of plant species will have differing rooting depths to access different minerals. I believe that the diversity of species also provides resilience to extremes in weather conditions.”

He elaborates:“My choice of grass species would be meadow fescue, meadow foxtail, smooth meadow grass, annual meadow grass and crested dog’s tail. I find meadow fescue, meadow foxtail and smooth meadow grass valuable grasses for early spring growth. Crested dog’s tail seems to have good nutritional value and comes into its best in the autumn.”

“These grass varieties have considerable associated biodiversity which are very important to the nature value of the farm” he says, citing John Feehan's recent book, the Grasses of Ireland and the example of smooth meadow grass: “there are fifteen fly species, including leaf miners, gall midges and frit flies; one specie of parasitic mite and one leaf beetle, together with 28 bug species, including frog, leaf and plant-hoppers, stilt, capsid and shield bugs and aphids. It also hosts at least four species of sawfly species, a micro-moth and butterfly species, including the common ringlet and the meadow brown. Now that is quite an amount to be observed from one grass variety.”

Maintaining pollinator populations and a functioning balance of natural preditors is important to the Tipperary man. To do this, he is continuously taking into account the balance between his hedgerows, woodland, river, species rich grasslands, and soil. He also intends to put ponds in.

"Good observational skills are key to the success of organic farming. These will range from observing changes in animal behaviour, to noticing the consistency of cow manure, patterns of soil fertility within fields, clover and grass variety proportions in the sward, to the benefits of companion planting, or early onset of crop disease, trends in animal breeding and performance, market opportunities and consumer demands, farm product flavour and fat quality, to mention just a few."

"But alongside these skills the organic farmer also needs to be in tune with the nature value of his or her farm. For example, it will be important to be aware of the aphid or pest levels and the available levels of natural predators on these. A good diversity of pollinators will be important to maintain a broad diversity of flower species and thus enhance the insect, bat, mammal and bird food chains. Good hedgerow management on the farm will contribute to increasing the species diversity. There will also be species interactions taking place between the different habitats, for example, between invertebrates from the stream/river and the grassland, the hedgerow and woodland habitats. Many of the interactions are not fully understood, but an important balance is maintained if the diversity of species is promoted through good management practices."

"At a recent organic farming discussion group outing it was pleasing to here farmers awareness of the inter-connectedness of nature and the production of healthy food."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sean has started to hold biodiversity farm walks, and area he may develop more in the future.

“The setting of this organic farm in a beautiful landscape offers opportunities for eco-tourism and for raising awareness of this hugely important connection between nature and quality, sustainably produced organic food” says Sean, who also points out that guided tours can be arranged for.

To contact Sean O Farrell for a tour: ofarrejf@tcd.ie or phone 087 9227957.

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