Three multi-generational family farms discuss their on-farm innovations ensure farm viability for future generations and becoming an important part of their local communities by establishing farm shops, ready-to-eat food products, milk vending, pop-up restaurants, cafes, family activity days and more besides! With Fallon Moore of Blas na hEireann.
Sandra Burns is one-half of Joe’s Farm Crisps who have innovated with their horticulture farm to produce multi-award-winning potato and vegetable crisps where the product is grown, made and packaged on farm. There is also a farm shop, and the Burns’ host family events throughout the year including their Sunflower Pick for Marymount, Pumpkin Patch for Hallowe’en, and a Pick Your Own Veg day on the farm.
Olivia/Joe Morrissey are the current owners of the multi-generational Rostellan Farm. Olivia’s vision to create an onsite farm shop and café and investing in milk vending machines to sell their own milk direct to customers has seen the farm become a vibrant and essential part of the Rostellan community. Throughout the year, the farm hosts family days, school groups and other visitors to learn about life on a dairy farm.
Peter Twomey is the current generation of Twomey’s to work Glenbrook Farm at White’s Cross. After exclusively working the farm as a dairy enterprise, Peter has completely changed direction to embrace sustainable practice of free-range pig farming on ten acres. Peter is collaborating on a horticulture enterprise on 60 acres with Cork Rooftop Farm, runs a pop-up on-farm restaurant working with chefs several times a year, a farm shop weekly, and is beginning to operate a dry dairy farm for ex-dairy beef production.
Fallon Moore is one half of Blas na hEireann – the Irish Food Awards. Over the past 17 years, Blas have raised the profile of hundreds of Irish artisan food producers across Ireland and abroad, including many on-farm innovators. Aside from the awards, the Blas network of producers, retailers and industry specialists have proven to be an invaluable resource for those seeking advice, training, or connections for all kinds of routes to market. It has seen many success stories over the years proving success is not always about going big, but finding what works for the producer.
The panel will provide some samples of their products for the audience to taste, including milk and crisps.