Join us for an agroforestry farm walk at Brian Nicholson's Farm in Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny!
Discover how Brian, a progressive farmer, is successfully integrating organic practices and agroforestry to enhance sustainability, improve farm resilience, and create a better work-life balance.
Date: Thursday, August 28th Time: 1:00 PM Location: Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny (Full address details will be provided upon booking.)
Brian's 90-hectare farm, primarily focuses on sheep with some beef cattle, tillage, agroforestry and forestry. He's made significant strides in soil fertility, with an impressive 41% of his soils now at optimum levels for pH, P, and K. Through the strategic incorporation of clover and multispecies swards into his reseeds over the years, Brian has achieved a notable reduction in chemical input.
A key highlight of the walk will be his 19 hectares of FT8 Broadleaf Agroforestry, demonstrating how trees are being integrated into the farm to provide multi-ecosystem services including shade and shelter, water quality improvement and provide a valuable additional income stream. Brian himself attests that the switch to organic farming has brought tangible benefits, not just for the farm's sustainability but also for his own work-life balance.
This is a fantastic opportunity to see practical agroforestry and organic farming in action and learn directly from Brian's experience. This farm is a Teagasc Sign Post Farm. This event is funded by Forestry Promotion Funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.