Beechlawn organic fruit and vegetable farm part 1: background

Here is an article on an organic vegetable and fruit farm in east Galway called Beechlawn. It is mostly an intro to their growth as a business. they held a farm walk last Saturday - details on the next one is at the end of this article.

Pictured on the right are the good folk from beechlawn: Una, Padraig and their two kids, Roisin and Maebh.

In the Irish Examiner next week (thur) I'll have a 'hard look at the economics of thier business' type of article. Links for IOFGA, NOTS and Merf are all over there on the left.

Of all the agricultural sectors that are underperforming in Ireland at present, organic horticulture is one of the most glaring. Rising consumer demand, trainees produced each year, and yet the numbers of full time commercial organic horticulturalists is low.

There are less than 200 licensed by the two certification bodies, and many of these have a mixed enterprise. It has been estimated that there are no more than 60 professional certified organic horticulturalists in Ireland at present.

Beechlawn Farm in east Galway, however, bucks the trend. Una Ni Bhroin and Padraig Fahy manage an ever expanding growing, wholesaling and retailing (box scheme and farmers� markets and wholesaling) enterprise.

Fresh from getting married (to each other) and Padraig�s chairing of IOFGA for two years, they have put another 8 acres into conversion, to add to their present four.

2001 was the year they started growing on half and acre, as fresh faced graduates from the Organic College in Drumcollagher, Limerick.

By 2003, their organic licence was granted, a 2nd polytunnel erected, heated propagator bought, grant received from Galway Rural Development and considerable other equipment was purchased, including a rotovator, tractor, two wheel rotovator, plough, and tiller.

2004 and 2005 saw more polytunnels, their box scheme grow, and more farmers markets be added to their repertoire.

Just last year they erected their latest polytunnel - 10,000 square feet in size � which brings their total to five, at 16,000 sq ft.

They continue to sell direct through a box scheme, and have been instrumental in not just selling at, but opening a range of regional farmers� markets. Their vegetables are now on sale at Loughrea, Athlone, Ballinasloe and Oranmore .There is also a small but increasing wholesale dimension to their business.

The couple have been full time since last year. Indeed the farm and food business has been employing people since 2005. They also take volunteers. Many organic operators do, but the scale at which they do at Beechlawn is quite something: 60 since starting and counting! They�ve had so many, in fact, that they have built a small wooden house on site for the volunteers and farm workers to stay in.

According to Una �Alex our Ukrainian farm worker is a marvellous addition to our workforce - he�s a university student with the Macra na Feirme seasonal horticultural farm worker scheme. He�s with us from March to October and at this stage he�s so well trained in he could nearly run the farm himself�.

�Eva is another gem. Eva is a volunteer who came to help us two months ago. She�s been running market stalls for us all alone giving us the space to catch up with paperwork, orders for seeds, pay the bills and whatever the hidden tasks are�.

She goes on: �We currently also have a Japaneze, German and French volunteers staying at the farm. The three of them are exceptionally helpful. Thank God for the WWOOFERS�Where would be without them?�

WWOOF is a volunteer scheme that enables people to contribute to the various activities on an organic farm.

Another great source of help arrived on their last farm walk, conducted on behalf of the National Organic training Skillsnet (NOTS). This came in the form of Merf, Dr. Charles Merfield, the affable Teagasc organic crop scientist.

�Merf spotted Red Spider Mite on the recent NOTS walk we held, and we had other pest problems too. We dealt with this and other crop issues through products from Fruit Hill Farm organic garden supplies and then a follow up of biological control� according to Una.

Beechlawn (click here for their site) Teagasc national demonstration farm walk for those interested in learning about organic horticulture. It is being held on Wednesday 17th September at 6 pm (admission free)