Organic Delights: Healy and Son's organic fruits and vegetables

Looks like REPS 4 is being pulled: no more future applicants. Buried deep in a story about agri-enviromental funding. That's a big one that will cause quite a stir.

NB: close of business TODAY (9th) is what the above press release says at the bottom of the page, NOT tomorrow as Farmers' Journal's back page claims today. Tell your REPS planner!)

In the meantime, here's a feature on the Healy's Organic Delights organic fruit and vegetable farm and business in Wicklow.
(Pic: Duncan Healy with a classic afro)

The Healy name has been involved in organic farming in Ireland since the 1980s. Today Dennis has been joined by his son Duncan in managing the impressive Organic Delights farm and business.

The Healy's have a sixty acre farm in south east Wicklow, half of which is dedicated exclusively to growing some 150 varieties of vegetables, salad leaves and fruits. Some of these are planted up to 10 times in the year. The rest of the land is devoted to wildlife and nature, with forestry and ponds providing habitats for all kinds of everything.

�We are doing fifteen markets at the moment, along with occasional one-offs� Duncan tells me. Their stalls are impressive set ups, with up to 90 fruits and vegetables on display at some of the bigger ones, such as Lepoardstown market on Dublin's south side.

Inevitably, this means that, despite the size of the farm in Wicklow, the majority of the produce sold is imported.

That said, food miles and also more general energy and Carbon footprint considerations also come into Duncan Healy's thinking: �We aim for Irish first and as close as possible to Ireland after that�.

However, he does also take into account the energy intensiveness of southern vs northern European production.

Southern production is less intensive and occurs more in the outdoors, despite being slightly further away. This is better for the environment, but also:

�Without the natural light, the Dutch stuff can sometimes taste inferior. Italian and Spanish tomatoes, peppers and the like can often be better. But we also want to extend our own production too�.

I asked Duncan Healy if he had noticed a change with the recession. Many stallholders are reporting a return to staples in consumer trends, with luxuries being replaced by necessities.

Interestingly, he has not noticed this trend: �we've found the opposite in fact. New potatoes, figs, cherries, apricots they are all going really well� the afro-haired Healy tells me.

Healy is obsessive on quality, which helps. In any case, there is simply no supermarket availability of many of the quirkier organic options amongst the array on display at one of his stalls.

That said �We have some sworn supermarket avoidists shopping with us� he smiles.

Also, fruits, vegetables and leaves are all pretty much in the staple category.

With horror stories circulating about the supermarket demands for price reductions from organic farmers, Duncan Healy is relieved not to have gone down that route.

He has a few scare stories of his own:

�I do know an organic carrot grower who had a contract, but the carrots didn't look right, he was told. So he ploughed 20 acres of good carrots back into ground, and the supermarket went for the Scottish option instead�.

One new trend with the recession is a plethora of new markets. Even the north side of Dublin is getting them:

�In the last 6 months, a load of new markets have tried to start. Last Saturday and last Sunday saw new markets in Phibsboro. There are also new markets in Glasnevin and on Baggot Street�.

Healy is annoyed by shoddy chancers, and overall welcomes the new best practice flag scheme the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (DAFF) is spearheading for Farmers' Markets.

�There are a lot of guys coming down from the north selling imported produce that's clearly in season in Ireland. Others sometimes find an easy way to source abroad and stop with the local supply�.

�You need to adapt and be adaptable. This year people are hoovering up plants at markets�

I asked him whether all of this grow your own malarkey was a threat to commercial growers:

�Not at all� he informs me: �people who grow their own appreciate what it should taste like. They can't go back to tasteless supermarket tomatoes after that�.