The National Rural Network Biodiversity Farmer of the Year Award, in association with Macra na Feirme as part of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year Awards, is now in its third year and aims to highlight the importance of farming in-tandem with the environment.
Farmers play a significant role in maintaining and managing biodiversity. They are the custodians of the land and the environment, and their actions play a key role in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity. Farmers have to be able to demonstrate that it is possible to produce food sustainably while farming efficiently. The National Rural Network Biodiversity Farmer of the Year Award recognises a farmer who is farming in a sustainable manner by encouraging biodiversity and protecting the environment.
The winner of the 2020 National Rural Network Biodiversity Farmer of the year is Joe Melody from Bunratty Co. Clare. Joe is a dairy and purebred suckler farmer, farming 360 acres in a registered farm partnership with his father. Around 260 acres of the farm is used for the purebred suckler cows, their calves, and rearing the dairy replacement heifers—the remaining 100 acres used for the dairy enterprise. A grassland management plan is in place to ensure animals maximise the number of days at grass throughout the grazing season.
Joe is an active participant in the Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS), where habitats such as Low Input Permanent Pasture (LIPP) and Traditional Hay Meadows (THM) are preserved. He is passionate about biodiversity and is aware of the importance of maintaining these habitats for birds and wildlife. The farm borders the Shannon estuary with over 3km of riverbank. The riverbank is emersed in a reed bed that intersperses with salt marsh, all of which need to be grazed and managed to allow the habitat and its ecosystem to thrive. The riverbank is carefully managed to encourage winter nesting birds such as wild geese and swans, also a measure within Joe’s GLAS plan.
On receiving the award, Joe commented: “I am delighted to receive this award and to be recognised for supporting biodiversity and nature on my farm. I try to farm in conjunction with nature to protect the habitats on my farm. I want to leave this land in the best condition I can so future generations can enjoy the nature and biodiversity it supports. While farming the land, I take pride in embracing my role as a custodian of the land and protecting the environment.”
The National Rural Network would also like to congratulate each of the category winners
- Drystock: Christopher Scally, Co. Roscommon;
- Dairy: Dara Killeen, Co. Galway;
- Land Mobility: Maighread Barron, Co. Waterford; and
- Other Enterprises: Nicola Clarke, Co. Cavan.
Other award winners include David Fogarty, Co. Kilkenny as Best Farm Manager, Dara Killeen, Co. Galway as Most Climate Change Conscious and Best Emerging Young Farmer was awarded to James Kiernan, Co. Cavan.
A special congratulations to Dara Killeen who was awarded the 2020 FBD Young Farmer of the Year title for 2020. Best of luck to all participants in all their farming futures.
Image credit: Macra na Feirme
Source: NRN
