Plato and Aristotle explore organic farming in Ireland
Plato looked to an ideal essence from which our understanding of reality is formed, Aristotle looked at things. Heaven and earth, the sky and the ground, the astral and terra firma.
From fundos to realos (see history here), the organic movement has alwys had both practical and philosophical dimensions. The beginning of April is a golden opportunity to engage in both.
The least apt day of the year for the now departed Merf � Dr. Charles Merfield � to give a talk in Ireland is April Fool's day, for he's far from a fool.
In fact, he's a classic brainbox, full of science, ideas, and inventions.
Merf, until recently an organic crop researcher with Teagasc and UCD, returns to Ireland to give a talk entitled 'Organics: Philosophy of Agriculture Science and Ethics' in UCD on April 1st at 1pm.
This talk is part of the UCD History and Philosophy of Science Lecture Series, and is being held in the Seminar Room of the Humanities Institute of Ireland at University College Dublin (UCD).
Merf's seminar will briefly review the history and context of organic agriculture from its beginnings in the early 1900s with its focus on soil nutrition and human health. It will then examine the 1960s anti synthetic biocide revolution and finally today's multiple organic systems will be considered.
This history will provide a foundation �to examine the fundamental differences between organic and industrial agriculture with a particular focus on ethics, and the role of science followed by and exploration of organic's critique of industrial agriculture� according to Merf.
The next day, April 2nd, features a perhaps more typical but nonetheless interesting organic farming day.
The Teagasc organic conference will be held in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone. It begins at 9am, and features a host of important speakers and topics.
The first session deals with a topic close to every farmers heart. It is entitled, very straightforwardly, 'Making Money from Organic Farming'. Two Teagasc organic advisors James McDonnell and Dan Clavin will present on profitability of organic farms and financial planning for farmers undergoing conversion.
The next sessions deals with market opportunities for organic milk, meat and grain. Perhaps suprizingly, there is no place at the table for the newly formed Irish Organic Milk Producers Company.
However, Glenisk's Vincent Cleary will be one of the chairs, along with chair of the National Organic Steering Committee John Duggan.
A highlight in this session will be the presentation by Dr. Nic Lampkin ofthe Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Berkshire. Nic's 1990 book on organic farming is considered a bible while his work on developing the organic sector in wales has been considered integral to their strong recent growth. Nic' s presentation is on UK and EU markets.
Along with Nic, John Purcell of the Good Herdsman � the largest organic meat processor in either Ireland or the UK, John Flahavan of Flahavans who have capacity to talk in more Irish produce, and Anthony Murphy (Skettering Nutrition, Co. Mayo) will present.
The after lunch session gives a farmer's perspective.
Cavan's Richard Moeran has been described as a rare breed with a rare breed. He is chair of Cavan IFA, certified organic and stocks saddleback pigs. He also carries lamb and beef, and grows much of his own feed.
His produce is sold direct and through supermarkets, so he really can speak from and for a number of perspectives.
Also presenting the farmers' perspective is Noel Lynch of Macroom (beef, sheep, tillage)
and Fintan Rice, of Fethard, Co. Tipperary (dairying).
Following this, another session on profitabilty will be held. This time, the focus is on increasing profit margins outside the farm gate. This session is chaired by Peter Young, organic farmer and journalist.
His own Castlefarm enterprise is a great model for innovative ways to increase profitability. With his wife Jenny, they direct sell, make their own cheese, do school trips and a host range of courses. The next one is on making outdoor clay ovens.
Lorcan Burke (Bord Bia) will present on purchasing trends in the current climate, while Mark Winterbotham, (Gold River Farms, Co. Wicklow) will present on direct selling.
See here or ring 059 917 020
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