Farming for Nature walk taking place on County Roscommon farm

A Farming For Nature Farm Walk with Knockvicar farmer Andrew Chilton will take place today, Saturday, October 3rd from 11 a.m.to 1.30 p.m..

Andrew manages two farms in North Roscommon, but today's farm walk will take place specifically on a six-hectare farm near his home. The walk will not take place at Knockvicar Alpaca Farm, where Andrew keeps a herd of more than 50 alpacas and runs alpaca experiences.

The walk will focus on his six-hectare organic farm, where he has developed a diverse system combining livestock, vegetable growing, orchards and agroforestry.

The smaller farm is certified organic and is managed with a strong emphasis on diversity. He keeps a small herd of Dexter cattle and has also kept pigs, goats, sheep and chickens at different times. Vegetables are grown for the home and the farm includes established apple and plum orchards.

A major focus of his work has been creating more habitat for wildlife. He has experimented with different approaches to agroforestry, including planting field corners, nature corridors and blocks of trees. Between 50 and 100 trees are planted each year, while numerous ponds have also been created on the farm. These changes have helped increase the diversity of wildlife, with Andrew recording more than 30 bird species on the land.

The farm walk will look at how these relatively simple changes can be incorporated into a working farm. Andrew will discuss organic farming, rotational grazing, tree planting, ponds and the role of diversity in building a more resilient farming system. For Andrew, diversity is not limited to habitats and wildlife. The farm itself has developed through a mixture of enterprises and experiments, with different animals, crops, trees and habitats contributing to the overall system.

Tickets can be purchased  at  https://www.farmingfornature.ie/events/farm-walks/