Organic Stalwart Jim McNamara Retires from Organic College

Jim McNamara of An tIonad Glas, the Organic College, has just retired after 23 years at the helm. He's seem it grow from an idea to the place where many of today's organic producers began. I spoke to Jim on his final, emotional day in the place as he packed his boxes...

Jim McNamara (left) at the Organic College in 2009

Oliver Moore: So what inspired you and others to set up the Organic College 23 years ago Jim?

Jim McNamara: Initially, it was people like Anthony Key, down in Wexford, in Inis Glas. There was Common Ground magazine up in Leitrim.

The Southern Organic Meat co-op, via Shannon Development had great vision. Ballyhoura LEADER helped too.

A local committee here in Dromcollagher wanted to commemorate the centenary of the creamery co-op movement in 1989. They had an acre which they bought as public space, as a land bank. I was teaching in the local secondary school, and was approached.

They knew we were pioneering teaching teenagers gardening and cooking, and asked us to do an adult and a day class. They offered us the acre.

We had to convince them on the organic side of things, but it was as Plunkett said, “better farming, better business, better living”, for a new era. It was apt.

OM: How were the early years?

JM: We started with six brave souls in 1991. It was difficult in the early days. We had to write our own modules. But we got organic certificate modules accepted and examined.

Over time we added sustainable development and permaculture modules. It was great to step up from one rented acre to 2 acres of veg. We have some field scale and 3 tunnels now.

OM: Tell me some highs and lows from the 23 years Jim.

Dealing with bureaucracy as a low. We always faced a 'you can't teach this, that or the other' sort of thing. Getting acceptance for a bottom up approach in education. As Larkin said “the great only appear great because we are on our knees”.

We should be listening to the teachers, not the politicians, as decision makers in education. I wasn't told about organics in the 70s in UCD where I as studying agriculture at the time. I had to go to France to learn about it.

We also don't have enough supports, knowledge and technology transfer, we have poor horticulture machinery in Ireland. Our pace of organic growth compared to Europe is very poor. Look at the Danes and their schools. 90% of the food is organic in their schools now.

Its the deed not the word – just do it - even a small patch half and acre. Get started growing organically. Let the father watch you grow it, and build up from there.

OM: And the highs?

JM: It was great to see all the comments that came through when people heard I was moving on; reliving their Drom organic experience so to speak. Also people reinvent and relive the organic vision through their work. We provide a public space, a public education for people to come in and learn from each other.

Seeing young people who've qualified from the Organic College staying here, despite job offers abroad. And its difficult, you don't get paid much for it. People will pay more for a half pint Guinness that for a head of organic lettuce.

There is a joy in watching people get skills, making a difference in their community. With organic in general, helping develop a model in the world of good farming standards.

Of course developing this whole place has been a real high. There's a great team here. Recently, the Organic College established the national certificate in bee keeping course, the first one in Ireland.

Of course developing this whole place has been a real high. There's a great team here.

We have 60 on the books now as day students and 40 through distance learning.

More generally I've seen positives develop such as healthy eating in secondary schools here and elsewhere. The organic market is growing slowly. There are pop up kitchens, foraging, some restaurants are supplied by our old student’s. There's lots of positives going on in Cloughjordan too.

OM: What's next Jim?

JM: We're setting up another co-op, a meitheal co-op which will include machinery. We need machinery adapted to Irish conditions. I remember when you could take home a feeder for 2 days from a co-op. We need to get back to those practical working co-ops.

A potted History of Drom

1991 Jim started teaching organic horticulture in the Prefabs of the VEC tech college where he was a science teacher and in rooms in the Dromcollogher Heritage Centre.

1994 They got land from the Community Development Committee to use as a devoted Organic College garden.

1998 Accessed the Courthouse in Dromcollogher as the main teaching room, every court day they had to set up the room as a court and vacate, and then reset up as a class room after the court had sat!! The courthouse was a lovely old building (now teddy's playschool/montessori) but incredibly cold so during the winter the fire was going and gloves were a prerequisite in class!

1999 Offered a Certificate in Organic Farming (under Mary Lynch's tutelage) in the 26 acre farm that was leased some 2 or 3 miles out the road... cattle and sheep were raised, field scale crops, oats, a reedbed for yard waste management was installed and the first college beehive was established.

2000 Sustainable Development Agriculture and Countryside Management, locally devised modules were offered with good take up as they were meeting known needs amongst the local farming populace and development sector.

2002 Got the old VEC buildings for the Organic College when the new Hazelwood school buildings became available.

2003 Hosted the Biodynamic AGM

Developed the highly successful distance learning modules for the certificate level modules in organic horticulture.

Some quotes from past pupils

I am honoured to call Jim McNamara a friend, and am grateful that he was the principal of the college while I was a student. Jim has a great way about him, of bringing you along in his magical view of plants and wildlife. During our time at the organic college, Jim helped us see the bigger picture in organics and connected the dots to permaculture, social inclusion and human rights. Students are taken to visit biodiverse, active, well-managed organic enterprises, learning from those who have gone before: friends and ex-students of Jim and the college.

Jim is both a mentor and an inspiration for those of us who trained at the college. He has been a great ambassador for organic horticulture and organics in general, and a stanch supporter of lifelong learning. I am sure retirement won’t mean Jim disappearing from organic life in Ireland, and I look forward to meeting up with him at many events and celebrations in the future. Thomas and I wish him a peaceful and happy retirement.

– Claire O’Connor, Manna Organic Store (& the OGI)

"Jim has been the catalyst for so many people becoming organic farmers and growers in Ireland and abroad, including Áine and myself here in Wexford. In a way he gives a voice to the living soils of Ireland, especially when he is speaking about nature and 'feirmeoireacht orgánach' in Irish on TG4. He is a true visionary, seeing the ultimate potential of The Organic College and organic farming in Ireland as a way to lift the well-being and health of Ireland and all her people. He well deserves time for himself to explore other aspects of life, but his shoes as Principal of An tIonad Glas will be very difficult to fill."

- Trevor Sargent

"Jim looked to the future and saw that after generations of change across the countryside those who wished to be the caretakers of the land and provide for future generations had lost great swaths of traditional farming knowledge. Jim 's vision was to create a school that could feed those hungry for the skills, that allowed we,the stewards of the land to gain the knowledge and practical skills needed to work with natural systems and produce food for a sustainable future . From this was born An tIonad Glas The Organic College, were I was privileged to become one of Jim's students for three years. The skills I learned will serve me for a lifetime and always remind me to tread upon the Earth with care."

- Gaia Woolf Nightingall

“Jim Mc Namara was an inspiration to us from the moment we met him, a forward thinking man who can see the bigger picture while having time to nurture every person and every good idea he comes across. Jim is a natural teacher, guiding people to carve out their future in organic growing or whatever creative path they take after doing the course with him in the organic college, he certainly helped us a great deal in our journey to create Beechlawn Organic Farm, Ballinasloe”.

- Una Ni Bhroin & Padraig Fahy

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