Salt of the Earth

Liam Byrne recently transitioned to farm water buffalo on his family’s 87-acre holding near Ballygarret, Co. Wexford, with a vision to bring something unique to the Irish market, targeting retail, restaurant and end consumer. Liam outlines how he combines his twin passions of farming and music and how the two together, add balance to his life.

Tommy Heffernan is a veterinary consultant, based in Arklow, Co. Wicklow. He is well- known in farming circles as, ‘Tommy the Vet’ and is a much sought after a keynote speaker and communicator. In addition, he has developed a passion and skill set away from traditional veterinary practice, to work outside of practice. These skillsets and insights have inspired him research how to best to enhance and improve farming systems, along with the development of farm health programs. 

After a decade of conservation and restoration dairy farmer, Sean Windsor opened up Wilton Castle as a venue ideal for holidays, weddings and special occasions and is situated on his land at Bree, near Enniscorthy  in Co. Wexford. The south wing of the Castle has been lovingly restored, and now attracts an increasing number of overseas visitors.

In this podcast episode, I'm with Declan Coyle who is creator of The Green Platform system. Declan is one of Ireland's most internationally experienced Leadership Training & Development consultants and much in demand as a Conference Keynote speaker.

Just over a decade ago, Greenhill Fruit Farm was established by dairy and fresh fruit farmer, Eamonn Crean in Davidstown, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. The plantations of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries comprising twenty four acres of poly tunnel fruit with a staff of up to 150 during the peak summer season. Eamonn recalls how it all began and shares the challenges and lessons he has learned along the way. He retails to supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and to all major agricultural shows. He also sells directly to consumers across the country via a network of roadside stands – where consumer feedback is the essential food of champions.

In this podcast episode, I speak with Nicholas Dunne from Killowen Farm, Courtnacuddy, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. It's an innovative dairy company that has transformed its traditional farm assets into a successful yogurt plant, selling a range of premium product around the world. In addition, the company is adding a new category of fermented products to their range, introducing a Killowen cream cheese to the market.

In this podcast episode, I speak with Dr. Patrick Wall, Professor of Public Health at University College Dublin. Professor Wall qualified in Veterinary Medicine in UCD and in Human Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. In addition, Professor Wall was the first Chief Executive of the Irish Food Safety Authority and the second Chairperson of the European Food Safety Authority, a pan-EU Agency with a remit on food safety for the entire food and feed supply chains.

Wexford strawberries are known the length and breadth of Ireland, but timing and location can prove important factors in deciding where to grow and sell them.  Here strawberry grower, Cyril Wheelock from Wheelock Fruit Farm in Co. Wexford tells how has recently diversified his fruit farm into a farm shop and restaurant, providing some insight and background into what is a relatively unique development within Ireland.

Anton Barton is CEO of BioAg Australia who manufacture of bio-stimulants and bio-fertilisers, designed to improve soil health and reduce the dependence on conventional fertiliser and agri-chemical inputs. Anton was born and raised on a large sheep station in Western Queensland and  is an agronomist with more than 20 years experience of biological farming systems.

Noel Kelly grew up on a pedigree dairy farm (Creva Herd) near Athenry in Co. Galway. He trained in dairy management in the UK and worked in farm software and international sales before returning home in 2010 to combine his twin passions of dairy farming and global agribusiness.

In this podcast episode, I speak with Aidan Connolly, CEO of Cainthus, a computer vision company that turns visual information into actionable insights for farmers. Aidan has also served as Chief Innovation Officer with Alltech and more recently accepted into the prestigious Forbes Technology Council.

David Atherton, CEO of Thomson & Joseph, a UK-based dairy nutritionist and soils expert, provides some background to an intriguing soil-improvement programme that he has helped pioneer.  

In this episode, CEO Gary Wickham outlines some recent successes for this innovative precision-farming solution, assisting farmers meet their twin profitability and sustainability goals, whilst protecting the environment. Dublin-based MagGrow is a patented and proprietary technology that helps solve the problem of droplet formation, experienced within conventional pesticide spray applications.      

Mareese Keane is Platform Director with THRIVE, an AgriFood -Tech Accelerator, located at Salinas, California. In this episode, Mareese provides some background to her exciting work with THRIVE, recently acknowledged as being the, ‘Most Valuable AgriFood Tech Accelerator Programme’ in the United States by San Francisco based AgFunder.

Cashel Blue is a 100% family farmhouse, blue cheese production, located near the historic town of Cashel in Co. Tipperary.  The focus is very much on quality cheese production, linked with a desire to keep the family living and working on the family farm. In this episode, Co-owner, Sarah Furno provides some background to this innovative Tipperary farming enterprise, making a range of cheese for the home and export markets.

Farm Tours Ireland was set up in 2012, by long established Louth-based agricultural advisors, father and son team, Gerry and Aonghus Giggins. It was launched in response to a growing appetite among professionals and farmers from overseas, wishing to visit and experience at first-hand, Ireland's innovative farming and food industry. Here, Aonghus gives some background to the story of operating in what is a niche but burgeoning marketplace.

Kylie and Billy Magner produce pasture-raised eggs and pasture-raised chicken near the village of Moyglass in Co. Tipperary. Kylie provides some background to starting a poultry enterprise, and producing an award-winning chicken bone broth, all told and sold under the Magners Farm label, just a few kilometres north of the historic walled-town of Fethard.

In 2005, artisan farmer and food producer, John Commins began farming piedmontese cattle, a breed native to Italy, on his farm, near Thurles, Co. Tipperary. He now supplies this award-winning high-end beef into supermarkets, restaurants and online across Ireland.  In this episode, John also talks about his work with Avocet Bio-Solutions, trialling technology on his farm with the potential to make a significant global impact on sustainable food production.

James O’Donoghue’s initial curiosity in farming was triggered during summer holidays, helping on his grandparents’ farm. As a trainee farmer manager, he  graduated ‘top student’ in Ag College and ‘top farm apprentice’. Decades on, James tells how he now produces his own premium brand, award-winning cider called ‘Longways Cider’ from his farm and orchard, located in South Tipperary.   www.longwayscider.ie @SaltEarthEire

Acres Machinery is an award-winning agri-machinery design and engineering company, based in Co. Roscommon. Here, CEO David Doran outlines some of the significant progress being made by this innovative agtech startup.

Waterford Distillery is a single malt whiskey distillery located in Waterford City, in the South East of Ireland. The distillery was originally rebuilt in 2004 as a Guinness brewery, shut down a decade later and in 2015 transformed into a state-of-the-art single malt whiskey distillery. Here CEO, Mark Reynier provides an update on progress and of his ambition to create the most profound single malt whisky that has ever been seen.

Ireland has long valued the hive and the honey bee, as evidenced in the Bechbretha or ‘Bee Judgements’ texts, recorded under ancient Irish law or Brehon law, dating back to circa 6th century. Today, a new Irish tech start-up, is seeking to write a new page in history, in terms of food security within a global industry, responsible for providing 1/3rd of the food consumed in the world. ApisProtect, a start-up co-founded by CEO, Fiona Edwards Murphy, a Cork-based electronics engineer, focused on the growing global problem of the stressed honey bee population. Her goal is to provide an IoT - bee monitoring service, utilising the latest sensor technology and machine learning, to help beekeepers reduce losses and increase productivity in their hives. In this episode, ApisProtect Chair and co-founder, Andrew Wood recounts the story behind this innovative idea and the journey of discovery into the secret lives of bees.

Can a growing global passion for lower carb / high nutrient-dense food boost demand for Irish grassfed produce? In this episode, Ivor Cummins, Chief Program Officer, IHDA outlines some context on this growing trend, along with perspectives on CVD risk-taking to better understand and optimise health. * In the 90's, Ivor completed a biochemical engineering degree, followed by 30 years spent in corporate technical leadership positions. His career specialty has been leading large worldwide teams in complex problem-solving activity.  * Irish Heart Disease Awareness (IHDA.ie) is a charity established to raise awareness of heart disease, as a progressive, measurable and treatable disease, that can be detected by a simple calcification test.   * The charity's founder, David Bobbett, is also CEO and majority shareholder of H&K International, one of the world's largest equipment suppliers to the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry. 

In 2017, Finistere Ventures, a Californian-based firm, partnered with Ireland’s sovereign development fund (ISIF) to launch a €20m Ireland Agtech Fund (IAF), investing in emerging AgTech startups, to help stimulate growth and offer value across the Irish Agriculture and Food sectors. The Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) also allocated a further €20m in Finistere’s second global agtech fund for global agri investment. Kieran Furlong, venture partner with Finistere Ventures provides an update on this exciting and innovative development.

Belfast-based Devenish Nutrition is a leading animal nutrition company and trades worldwide within the farming and food sector under the aegis of chief executive Richard Kennedy and executive chairman, Owen Brennan. With the intriguing central philosophy of ‘One Health, from Soil to Society’, Devenish provide solutions to ensure effective and efficient utilisation of nutrients in the production of meat, milk and eggs. Here Richard Kennedy gives some background to working in this sector, work important to both animal and human health, and to the nutrient sustainability of the world’s food supply.

Achill is Ireland’s largest island and the sea that surrounds it has been the lifeblood for generations of people living there. Since returning home, some twenty years ago, Kieran and Marjorie O’Malley have renewed that maritime link, by establishing Achill Sea Salt on Achill Island in Co. Mayo. It’s a simple story but one which continues to resonate with both local and visitor alike. Marjorie tells how in 2013, this enterprising family became producers of an artisan sea salt, reviving the hand-harvesting of sea salt on Achill – after a gap of some centuries. www.achillislandseasalt.ie  

Over 30 years ago, Pat and Miriam Mulcahy purchased Ballinwillin House, a historic building on the outskirts of Mitchelstown in Co. Cork. Since then, Ballinwillin has expanded to become a specialist breeder of organic deer, wild boar and goats. It’s a tale of a farming family, developing an award-winning artisan food business, together with a boutique B&B accommodation and mindfulness and meditation retreat. Pat also talks about the soil and its role in nourishing both body and soul. www.ballinwillinhouse.com @SaltEarthEire

Redmond Farm, situated in Craanford, North Wexford is an inspirational farm-to-fork story, created by two brothers, Paddy and Tommy Redmond. The farm specialises in providing, dry-aged Angus beef, along with seasonal daily-fresh produce. All produce is destined for the family’s two very busy hotels, the Ashdown and Amber Springs Hotel, both located in the bustling town of Gorey. Paddy Redmond recounts the story behind their farm and food success. www.redmondfarm.ie @SaltEarthEire

Brothers Padraig and Tom Hennessy founded Terra NutriTech at Moone, Athy in Co. Kildare. The brothers work with farmers to improve herd health using advanced automation to accurately feed minerals in water. Padraig Hennessy outlines the background to this exciting agtech startup.  www.terranutritech.com @SaltEarthEire

Ballykilcavan Farm at Stradbally, Co. Laois has been in David Walsh-Kemmis's family since 1639, and remarkably he is the 13th generation of his family to farm there. David outlines his plan to diversify this unique farm asset and help create additional revenue streams for the benefit of present and future generations to come.  www.ballykilcavan.com ww.ballykilcavanbrewing.com  @SaltEarthEire

A chance conversation in the local pub one-night, sparked Eavaun Carmody’s interest in reviving a cattle breed, called Dexter. She has since developed it into a successful enterprise, producing a range of premium meat, charcuterie, leather and milk products. It’s a unique and intriguing story - all told and sold under the Killenure Gourmet Dexter Beef brand, at Killenure Castle in Co. Tipperary. www.killenure.com @saltearthireland

Olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet and perceived by many as a natural health-food product. However, the olive waste stream produced as a by-product of manufacture, can cause some challenging environmental issues. In 2017, an innovative Irish start up, developed a method to convert this crop waste, into a high value animal feed, increasingly favoured by the €1 billion per annum, Wagyu beef market. In this show CEO, Gavin Dunne of the Olive Feed Corporation, shares his intriguing, circular economy ambition. www.olivefeed.com @SaltEarthEire