Ray Ryan: A focus on biodiversity means some of the old ways are still relevant

There was no Google, no Green Certs, no webinars — but there was great ingenuity and a wide range of skills 

Every parish had a network of people with an inherited knowledge which they shared with each other. Advice was often sought about folk medicines for sick animals, what vegetables should be planted in damp soil and where to set a row of sheltering trees.

FARMERS in today’s high-tech society are only the click of a computer mouse away from accessing advice on any aspect of their work.

But that was not the case in previous generations when there was no Google, Teagasc, Green Certs, discussion groups, farm walks, or webinars.