Surf ‘n’ turf: Organic farmers in crowdfunding bid

Professional surfers are also planting their feet on dry land in a crowdfunding project to expand an organic farm.

A group of surfer-farmers based in west Clare are launching a crowdfunding campaign to purchase 60 acres of land near Lahinch.

In a six-week campaign, promoters of The Moy Hill Community Garden hope to raise €300,000.

The money will assist the expansion of a 17-acre organic vegetable farm.

The campaign is being led by professional big-wave surfer-turned-horticulturalist, Fergal Smith.

“There were a huge number of reasons for starting the project,” says the Mayo native.

“I grew up on a farm near Westport; my parents have an organic vegetable farm and I always wanted to get back to it.

“I’m a surfer and I travelled the world surfing but I was seeing the world not getting better, what with pollution and people becoming obese.

“And I asked myself the question ‘what can I do that can be of use?’

The now 30-year-old found the answer in 2013 when he set up the farm and garden with fellow pro-surfers Mitch Smith and Matt Corbett.

Growth

Since its inception just four years ago, the farm and garden have gone from strength to strength.

His 50-strong Community Supported Agriculture Group now grow enough food to feed 50 families in the area and they have also planted 12,000 native tree saplings around the farm.

“I wanted to do it a little bit differently: with other people,” he said, “not your typical standalone farmer, and not necessarily with people who like to grow vegetables but with people who never even thought of doing it.”

Many of the members are still drawn from the nearby surfing community but they are looking to expand, and being able to ride the waves is not a requirement of membership.

In fact, getting involved seems to be the only condition.

Smith estimates the purchase of the extra 60 acres of land will allow the group to feed up to 150 families for 48 weeks of the year, and to plant a further 30,000 native trees. “The goal is 150 members,” he says. “That’s our capping point.

“We’ve done a lot of research on it, visited a lot of farms and the theory is 150 is still a small farm, it’s still personal and community connected. But once you go above that, it can change quite a bit.”

There are also plans to develop a forest school, he said, and be in a position to “welcome people who need solace, and who are seeking balance and peace in their lives”.

As well as the feel-good factor, generated from helping the planet, donors can expect rewards that stretch from packs of vegetables seeds that are hand-saved on the farm, to having trees planted on their behalf.

Also on offer are surfing sessions with Fergal or tickets to the farm’s festival next September which they promise will be “a celebratory hooley of music, tours, acts, talks, camping and connection”.

“This is far bigger than us,” says Smith.

“This is a thing of worth and we hope that people will support us because it’s an idea worth supporting.

“It’s not about us wanting your money, it’s more about this being a good idea and there should be more of these ideas and if people support us there’s more chance of these things happening.”

Campaign

The Crowdfunding campaign is due to run early October.

More details at www.growing.ie

Last year, the garden project grew 86 varieties of fruit and vegetables, including 26 varieties of potatoes.

It hosts a ‘farm day’ every Tuesday from March to November and a ‘Community Cook-Up’ every Friday, from 6pm, at the Community Garden in Moy village.

On Saturdays, from 10pm until 4pm, there’s a ‘garden day’ at the Community Garden.

A website, explaining the concept, states: “The Garden started by a few folk having a chat about how there can be a space for people in the community to relax and socialise with out being inside and without being on the beach.

“So a kind man gave the community the use of a piece of unused land, and the whole community got involved, clearing the space, removing the waste and having a lot of fun doing it.

“Some people came every day for hours and some came once for 30 min but everything is excellent and that is the idea.

“If you would like to come to the garden, the gate is always open.”