Do you know of a farmer or farm family who are producing great food while maintaining a flourishing farm environment, earning the respect of their peers through their innovation, impact and enthusiasm?
Well, if so, please help us to recognise and reward these great farmers and share their stories, so that other farm families might be inspired and so that the wider public can gain a deeper appreciation of the role that our farm families play in nourishing our people and places.
Farming for Nature (FFN) is a national initiative which highlights the positive role that farmers can play in looking after nature on their land and which shares – through short films, podcasts and farm walks – the invaluable, practical insights gained by these farmers in tackling our biodiversity and climate emergencies. Now in its 5th year, FFN has grown to an active network of over 60 wonderful, eloquent Ambassadors who are inspiring many other farmers across Ireland to take simple measures to support nature on their land. FFN wants to further expand this network in 2022 and are now seeking nominations of farmers who are going that extra mile for nature.
The FFN Ambassador awards are sponsored by Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme and is part of a wider FFN initiative (www.farmingfornature.ie) which seeks to frame a more positive, farmer-led narrative around farming and the environment.
One of the founders of, and volunteers with, FFN, Dr. Brendan Dunford, explained that ‘At FFN. we are convinced that, with the appropriate, targeted financial and technical support, farmers represent a great resource in tacking our biodiversity and climate crises. For the past few years we have connected with so many inspiring farmers from all across Ireland.
Seeing and hearing these farmers share their love of nature, of their land and livestock, and knowing that they work day in,
day out, to make sure nature has a place on their farms, is really inspiring. These people are our unsung conservation heroes, the real ‘experts’ in farming for nature, and we need to hear more and learn more from them.’
Norman Dunne, a 2021 Farming Ambassador, explained the importance of the FFN network: “farmers empowering each other with their knowledge of their landscape and their soils
and of course their care for nature.”
Describng the Farming for Nature Ambassador Awards process,
Project Manager Brigid Barry explained: ‘We use a network of over 200 heritage specialists across Ireland to help us identify potential Ambassadors and then shortlisted them based on agreed criteria, before visiting all farms to see and meet them first-hand. We are hoping to hear about farmers who do great things for nature, who farm in a manner that is agriculturally, economically and socially progressive, and who are willing to
share their story with others.
We welcome nominations from across the board from all types of farming systems and land types. For more information on how to get a farmer nominated and who is applicable, please go to our website or contact me by email.
If you are a farmer and would like to be nominated, please contact your local farm advisor (Teagasc or FAS-accredited), your county Heritage Officer (County Council) or your local wildlife ranger (NPWS) to make a nomination on your behalf.
The deadline for the 2022 Farming For Nature Ambassador Awards is the 14th February 2022. The online application is available here.