community outreach & education programmes
Moy Hill Farm supports our local community with a deep sense of care for environmental and social sustainability.
Community outreach involves mentorship, education, and connection through self-delivered on-site programs and industry partnerships.
affiliations
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Talamh Beo
Fergal is a director of Talamh Beo. Talamh Beo is a membership-based Irish farming organisation that is working to improve regional agricultural systems and food sovereignty through education and policy change.
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Farming for Nature
As an ambassador of Farming for Nature, Fergal speaks on soil health and diverse farming integration at industry events and educational outreach programs. Farming for Nature is a non-profit initiative hosted by the Burrenbeo Trust to educate farmers on habitat enhancement.
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ecosystem restoration communities
Fergal is one of several industry experts sharing his experience and teaching the next generation of farmers how to grow nutrient-dense food while restoring ecosystems, sequestering carbon, and boosting biodiversity.
panel discussion
at fields good, northern ireland. 2024
“Mix it, Market it & Sell it: Horticultural Enterprises”
Fergal was invited to speak on a panel with Michael Rauch from Four Leaf Farm and Rob Kennedy from Knocknarea Farm on horticulture enterprises; chaired by Rachel Martin, Farming Editor of the Irish Examiner.
Fields Good agriculture festival builds practical skills in soil health, whilst addressing some of the many challenges and opportunities for the farming industry.
Soil Biodiversity Literacy
In 2022, Talamh Beo engaged in a Soil Biodiversity Project, which involved 16 farms across Ireland embarking on a year long educational course & experimental investigation. This improved their understanding of how soil functions and offered practical knowledge on how to kick-start sleepy or degraded soils. Participants trialled and documented technical and physical innovations on their farms, and discussed and shared their experiences in a Knowledge Transfer group. Building farmer and wider citizen understanding of the methods and options available for enhancing soil biodiversity is a first step in transitioning our farming to a model which builds soils and improves the quality of the food those soils produce. Above ground biodiversity is inextricably linked to the diversity of our soils, so starting with the soil is truly starting from the ground up.
farm tours
Moy Hill Farm participates in Farming for Nature events, including farm tours. These events are interactive half or full day practical and theoretical education sessions for farmers.
Fergal touches on soil health, diverse farming integration, holistic management, Korean Natural Farming and no-dig market garden methodologies at these educational outreach programs.