Agroforestry Farm Walk Clare
August 14th 2026
This walk is part-funded by forestry promotion funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Join us for an Agroforestry Farm Walk in Co Clare on Friday, August 14th. Start time 11am. We are visiting the Earls’ Family Farm. This is an organic beef farm with native woodland, ACRES tree planting, Agroforestry FT8 and commercial forestry. Plans for a sheep enterprise with agroforestry. The family will share their reasons for planting agroforestry on the farm, environmental and financial. They will also share their experience of the application process, farm payments and how they have managed their forestry and agroforestry within the farm succession plan.
Trees on the Dairy Farm: Walk & Talk Event
Date: Thursday, August 20th, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM start time
Locations: Pollards Organic Farm, Ballywillam, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Y21y659
Cost: Free (Booking Required)
This walk is part funded by Forestry Promotion Funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Why Trees? Integrating Agroforestry into Dairy Production
As weather extremes become more common, integrating trees into the dairy system will be important for animal welfare, herd health, soil health, and farm productivity and profitability in a changing climate. Far from taking valuable land out of production, strategic tree planting creates a multi-layered ecosystem that supports livestock throughout the grazing season. The event will be hosted at an organic dairy farm in Ballywilliam, Co. Wexford, managed by Kevin O’Hanlon on behalf of Marie Pascale-Pollard. Having fully converted to organic dairying with a herd of 155 cows, the farm serves as an inspiring practical model for reducing chemical fertiliser and meal inputs while maintaining strong net margins and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Kevin will share the farm story, use of multi-species swards, biodiversity measures, and animal welfare and plans for future tree planting.
Key Topics Covered on the Walk & Talk
Heat Stress Mitigation & Animal Welfare: Direct sunlight and increased temperatures reduce feed intake, milk yield and conception rates in the dairy cow. Hear how shelterbelts and tree planting for shade protect cows during hot summer days and can offer vital shelter during harsh winter downpours.
Microclimate & Grass Growth: We will discuss how shelterbelts can reduce wind speed across pastures, retaining soil moisture and extending the grass-growing window and the use of trees in pasture to extend the grazing season.
Lessons from Organic Conversion: Kevin will share the story of the farm’s conversion to organic, including the use of multispecies swards.
Current and Future Tree Planting Plans: Walk the grounds to discuss prospective field layouts, species selections, tree protection methods for grazing cattle, and available grant funding schemes. Leaving ditch tops unmanaged creating escaped hedgerows to sequester carbon, create wildlife corridors and foster natural tree regeneration without added planting costs.