Wexford woman reaches final of EU innovation award for female farmers

Alan and Cheryl Poole live with their three children on their dairy farm near Gorey which has been transformed into a model of water stewardship and environmental leadership, showing that sustainability can be achieved without sacrificing productivity.
A Co Wexford dairy farmer is one of five finalists for the 2025 COPA-COGECA Innovation Award for Women Farmers.
This year’s theme highlights farmers leading the transition to more sustainable water use and management.
The award judges said Cheryl Poole transformed their family farm into a model of water stewardship and environmental leadership, showing that sustainability can be achieved without sacrificing productivity.
Nominated for the award by ICOS, she lives with her husband Alan and their three children on their dairy farm near Gorey. The 103-acre farm has been in the family since the early 1700s, making Cheryl and Alan the 13th generation.
Their focus is on milk solids, herd health, and environmental sustainability in their 72-cow high-EBI herd. Cheryl’s BSc from NUI Galway and a doctorate in chemistry underpin her evidence-based approach to farming.
Her doctoral research examined the mechanism action of an anti-cancer drug. Although farming was not always her expected path, family circumstances brought Cheryl and Alan back to the land.
The River Bann runs through their land, and protecting this waterway became both a personal and professional mission. This conviction was shaped by personal experience, because their eldest son, Jacob, who has a severe disability, finds joy and therapy in the river.
More than 20% of the farm is dedicated to biodiversity, including wildlife corridors, orchards, and hedgerows. Careful nutrient management ensures high nitrogen efficiency, while slurry storage and roofing minimise waste and water contamination.
Rainwater harvesting is used for tasks such as cleaning the parlour, reducing reliance on mains water. The Pooles also engage in national programmes, such as the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, bat and moth surveys, and regular biodiversity monitoring.
Recently, their stretch of the River Bann achieved “Blue Dot” status, recognising it as a high-quality waterbody. Water-focused innovations on the farm include a rainfall garden, sediment tanks, and a constructed wetland to filter and slow water flow before it enters the river.
They have diverted road drainage away from the river, channelling it through filtration systems. Nutrient run-off has been reduced, biodiversity has flourished, and the river has been safeguarded.
Economically, fertiliser and energy costs have declined, while milk solids and herd performance have been maintained. Socially, Cheryl and Alan’s work fosters community engagement, through school partnerships, public talks, and farm walks.
Their farm has attracted national and international recognition, from European Commission officials to researchers from Zambia and Armenia.
COPA and COGECA, representing EU organisations of farmers and agricultural co-ops, and Corteva Agriscience, celebrate women who are driving sustainability, resilience, and innovation in European agriculture, with the 8th Innovation Award for Women Farmers.
The other finalists are Alessandra Pighin’s tech-driven mixed farm in Italy; Sarah Descamps’s closed-loop irrigation system in Belgium, which stores 24 million litres of rainwater; Monika Zsuzsanna Horváth’s goat milk soap production in Hungary; and Lidia Moron Morawska’s organic beekeeping in Poland.
The winner will be announced in a ceremony planned for the end of the year in Brussels.