First harvest of organic Irish spinach for McCormack's - and how it could help Ireland's carbon footprint

Growing organic spinach locally during the Irish season, the farm is thought to save up to 132 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions compared with importing from further afield.

Managing director Stephen McCormack with Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Damien English at McCormack Family Farms, where they announced its new business development in organic spinach leaves. Picture: Fennell Photography

The first harvest of organic Irish spinach for McCormack Family Farms is underway in Boycetown, Kiltale, Co Meath.

This development sees the business - which is the leading grower of baby salad leaves in Ireland - also become the largest Irish producer of organic spinach, and marks a new venture for the company into organic farming.

The company will continue to produce its existing range of unwashed salad leaves for retail and foodservice outlets. 

The organic spinach can be found in Lidl stores nationwide, as well as under private labels in other retail chains.

McCormack Family Farms is a second-generation family farm that has been in business for almost 40 years.

Managing director Stephen McCormack explained the family saw the opportunity to provide a consistent supply of organic spinach to the retail market throughout the domestic growing season. 

While doing so, it would also be able to produce Irish-origin spinach at scale which is a first for the retail market. 

Before this, large retailers were dependent on imported produce from year-round; however, this is not without its own problems as in major salad-producing regions in southern Europe, the months of June, July, and August are too hot to produce adequate quantities. 

The new offering has been in development for two years, with a comprehensive process from land preparation, sowing of seeds, to harvesting the first spinach crop across a 10-hectare site.

Sustainability

Speaking about the launch, Mr McCormack said the family have been farming "as sustainably as we can" for nearly four decades.

"The decision to try organic farming is not a financial one - our initial motivation was to be able to guarantee the supply of organic spinach to the market," he said. 

The farm is a certified member of Bord Bia's Origin Green initiative. MrMcCormack said that by growing organic spinach during the Irish season, the farm "can save 132 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions compared with importing from further afield".

Local TD and Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English attended the start of the first season harvest and said that McCormack Family Farms is "embedded in its local community of Kiltale, making a real impact in the food production sector in Ireland". 

"They are part of a very talented and progressive SME community in Meath that is driving employment opportunities and economic activity in the county," Mr English added.

McCormack Family Farms operates off 700 acres of farmland including three acres of polytunnels and three acres of glasshouses. It is supported by 100 staff off-season and 130 during peak season.