Calling all Clarksons: Growing your own is the new cool, even if you know Diddly Squat about farming
Jeremy Clarkson outside the Diddly Squat Farm Shop on his farm.
FOR the past number of years, we have seen considerable interest growing (excuse the pun) for a particular type of small holding property in Co Cork.
Not always located by the sea, these intimate parcels of land have been attracting interest from city dwellers, with a pent up demand coming on the back of the pandemic.
Generally speaking, these holdings start at around five acres and extend to about 20 acres, with most featuring old stone houses, out-buildings and in some cases, just a barn, whereby we have seen buyers residing in mobile homes fitted underneath for protection!
Given the ecological, financial and environmental benefits that forestry is known for, many of these buyers are concentrating on the planting of native woodland ā a process that can take over a generation to mature.
There are excellent partnerships available with Forestry Service providers who engage with land owners to establish and manage plantations.
The minimum sized plantation for a commercial crop of soft wood varieties starts at about 0.6 acres and minimum areas for native hardwood varieties starting from as little as 0.25 acres.
These can offer annual premium payments of around ā¬200/ acre for a period of approx. 20 years for soft wood varieties such as sitka spruce, to over ā¬400/acre for native varieties such as oak, birch, alder etc.
Within this grant-aided system are a selection of payments to cover fencing, access roads and soil sampling.
If the desire is to incorporate a mixture of forestry, crops and/or animal rearing, another option would be agro-forestry. This relatively new idea involves the low density planting of trees in harmony with farming the lands for grazing or crop rotations. Trees are planted and managed on a commercial basis, with grant-aided structures similar to standard commercial timber crops, whilst still allowing farmers to maintain control of lands for stock and crops.
Not all holdings end up in forestry though, with an ever-increasing trend to push for the off-grid low carbon living environment, with fresh home-grown and home-reared food now firmly in our minds. What might previously have been thought of as the hippie lifestyle, is now a focus for the former jet-setter apartment dweller who values green fields over the concrete jungle.
Has the tide turned? Young boyhood tales from my mother of her parents living off their own farm in Drinagh with the family fed by rearing and slaughtering of their own animals, shooting wild game in the local bog and collecting eggs within their own yard has all of a sudden become trendy and desirable ā what next, cull the wifi?
The national and international push for organic farming has no doubt contributed towards the trend, and combined with growing EU grants and subsidies and more education towards the benefits of healthy eating, has shone the light on the advantages a small holding can offer.
The regular sights and smells of the country market has evolved into quite the enterprise across the country, with tents and stalls appearing in most towns and villages, in what is now an organised fan fair of local producers eager to get the best spots to sell their wares.
When we look back at the origins of the large food producers within the county, so many of these have their roots in the weekend markets - their first opportunity to display the cheeses, yogurt, cured meats etc to the world, long before the internet was rolled out.
The Scottish system of crofting, whereby a farm of anything from around 10 acres upwards comes available to lease for an average of five years, is proving more and more attractive to the non-farming types seeking to take advantage of the lifestyle. These farms are generally located in the Highlands or Islands and require a formidable type of individual to weather the elements on what is often such remote locations.
Should our Government ministers be looking towards this model to encourage young families to establish themselves in the remote parts of Ireland, its off-shore islands and Gaeltachts?
Teagasc has a variety of very helpful courses dotted across the country aimed at supporting new and existing land owners to engage in various forms of farming. Whilst completing the āGreen Certā Agricultural course a number of years ago, I was not surprised to see the number of students attending having just purchased a small holding and eager to learn more about the processes and practices involved in ābecomingā a farmer.
If Jeremy Clarkson can do it, anyone can!
