On Thursday 9th May, TY Students visited Carbery Farm Zero C in Shinagh with a view to understanding how these initiatives link to TY courses in Farming, Sustainability and Agricultural Science.
Afterwards students went on a Nature Walk in Bandon Woods with former teacher Mr. John Dullea, who very kindly gave up his free time to come and meet us! We discussed materials that link to TY courses in Farming, Sustainability and Agricultural Science.
Carbery have a world first project for agriculture where they are working to create an economically viable, climate neutral dairy farm by targeting several areas:
· Using clover and multi-species swards to capture carbon within the soil, produce more resilient grass, improve productivity and reduce fertiliser use.
· Trialling different types of diet that change animal digestion, reducing the amount of methane emitted by cows.
· Maintaining and improving biodiversity on the farm and harnessing the natural ecosystem to reduce the reliance on pesticides and fertiliser.
· Sourcing renewable energy where possible to reduce the farm’s reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
The aim is that this model could be adapted and used in farms across the country.
Students noted the following:
We learned that Carbery sources its milk from Drinagh, Lisavaird, Bandon and Barryroe Co-ops and as a result, all suppliers are effectively shareholders at Farm Zero C. We learned that codes on dairy products such as “1867” and “1431” indicate that the milk has been supplied by West Cork farms. This helps consumers to support local farmers when choosing own-brand products.
We also learned that policy and financial incentives are essential to help farmers reduce emissions. In terms of biodiversity, from January onwards famers will be able to claim payments for scrubland whereas up to now they were penalised.
We learned that they fenced off ground where it was too wet for farm machinery so they created wet lands in a field that was too wet for machinery to travel.
In Bandon Woods, Mr Dullea spoke about the natural habitat and how important grass, trees and plants are in the area.
Students noted the following:
We learned that barley oats and maize are all grass plants and that lime comes from fish and that if a tree falls to the ground over time it will start sprouting again. Blackberries are a compound fruit. The main focus that we were discussing is how important that grass is not only for animals but for people as well
We would like to thank Mary-Kate, Paddy and Isla at Carbery for their very warm welcome and for sharing their expertise and experience with us. We would also like to thank Mr. Dullea for meeting us in Bandon Woods and sharing his wisdom with us. Thanks also to all the students and Ms. Burke.
We had a great day out!
