Conversation Beneath The Trees

In this episode we hear from Marina Conway, Reamai Mathers and Jim McAdam who tell us about pioneering projects they have been a part of, the benefits of nurturing and planting native woodland, the agricultural and economic opportunities for farmers and practical ways to apply their knowledge to farms.

Episode host:

Ray Ó Foghlú

Episode guests:

Marina Conway

Jim McAdam

Reamai Mathers

Resources:

Western Forestry Co-op 

Aspen Consultants

Professor Jim McAdam’s website

Edge of the moor - Cactus guards

Fiona McAuliffe - Lecturer, Rural Economy Environment And Society, Environment & Countryside

This podcast is produced by the ⁠⁠Irish Agroforestry Forum⁠⁠ and funded by the ⁠⁠Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine⁠⁠ Forestry Promotion Fund.

Our hosts are ⁠⁠Catherine Cleary⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Ray Ó Foghlú⁠⁠, with design and production by Karishma Kusurkar from ⁠⁠The Curated Pod⁠⁠ and the project lead is  Maureen Kilgore, Manager of the Irish Agroforestry Forum.

In this episode we explore what it's like to take on a forest. We hear from Olive Leavy and Brendan Guinan, two people who found themselves becoming an accidental forester and agroforester. Olive fell in love with the family forest and Brendan has turned a forest into a successful, diverse and productive farm. 

Episode host:

Catherine Cleary

Episode guests:

Olive Leavy 

Brendan Guinan

Resources:

Irish Forest Owners

Fiorbhia Farm

Pro Silva Ireland

Farm Forest - Episode 2 - Olive Leavy

Forestry Solution Series - Webinar 6 - Olive Leavy, Manus Crowley & Liam Byrne, ProSilva

Silviculture Research International - Continuous Cover Forestry

This podcast is produced by the ⁠⁠Irish Agroforestry Forum⁠⁠ and funded by the ⁠⁠Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine⁠⁠ Forestry Promotion Fund.

Our hosts are ⁠⁠Catherine Cleary⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Ray Ó Foghlú⁠⁠, with design and production by Karishma Kusurkar from ⁠⁠The Curated Pod⁠⁠ and the project lead is  Maureen Kilgore, Manager of the Irish Agroforestry Forum.

In this episode, Catherine and Ray find out how Ireland is towards the top of the European league table for hedgerows and "trees outside the forest" and explore the future for biodiversity and carbon farming. We’ll hear from Gerry Lawson and Jim McAdam who both have a wealth of knowledge across the policy landscape and the progression of agroforestry and what’s coming up next.

Episode hosts:

Catherine Cleary 

Ray Ó Foghlú

Episode guests:

Gerry Lawson

Jim McAdam

Resources:

Irish Agroforestry Forum

Irish Agroforestry Forum’s FT8 booklet

Irish Agroforestry Forum - Conference Proceedings (November 2023)

European Agroforestry Federation

Professor Jim McAdam’s website

Third Level Agricultural Education in Twentieth Century Ireland with Particular Reference to Northern Ireland

Book: Advances in temperate agroforestry - Chapter 9. Types of silvopastoral system: an overview 

Monitoring Trees Outside Forests in the EU

The Falkland Islands Journal

French Chambers of Agriculture

UN Land Use, Land-Use Change & Forestry (LULUCF)

EC Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming

View through a window may influence recovery from surgery

AFBI NI - Soil Nutrient Health Scheme

Agrecalc - Coppice Willow for Cattle Grazing

Forestry and logging in the EU

DisneyPlus Farm Rebellion

Sophia Swan - Planning and environmental specialist at Ørsted

Native Tree Area Scheme

This podcast is produced by the ⁠Irish Agroforestry Forum⁠ and funded by the ⁠Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine⁠ Forestry Promotion Fund.

Our hosts are ⁠Catherine Cleary⁠ and ⁠Ray Ó Foghlú⁠, with design and production by Karishma Kusurkar from ⁠The Curated Pod⁠ and the project lead is  Maureen Kilgore, Manager of the Irish Agroforestry Forum.

Season 2

Welcome to Conversation Beneath The Trees, a podcast bringing together scientists, farmers and innovators from all across Ireland to share their ideas and experiences of farming with trees. 

In our second season, we’ll be exploring a wide range of topics including how to design your farm using the right types of trees and plants, how knowledge from ancient farming practices could still be applicable today, how trees can support health and wellbeing, how diversifying farms can create new earning opportunities and the essential role trees can play in sustaining our environment now, and in the future.

Episode hosts:

Catherine Cleary 

Ray Ó Foghlú

Featured guests:

Henry O’Donnell

Olive Leavy

Dr. Eoin Galavan

This podcast is produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Forestry Promotion Fund.

Our hosts are Catherine Cleary and Ray Ó Foghlú, with design and production by Karishma Kusurkar from The Curated Pod and the project lead is  Maureen Kilgore, Manager of the Irish Agroforestry Forum.

In our ninth episode we'll hear all about Charlie Cole’s small family run farm - Broughgammon - outside Ballycastle, County Antrim. Charlie’s family have turned fifty acres into a thriving multigenerational business.

Find out more about Broughgammon Farm: www.broughgammon.com

This episode is hosted by Catherine Cleary - www.pocketforests.ie

This podcast has been produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in association with GrowIn.  It is funded by the Woodland Support Scheme provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In our eighth episode, Ray Ó Foghlú is in the host's chair and he's joined by Lindsay Whistance and Mick O’Sullivan who tell us all about the relationship between trees, nature and dairy farming.

Find out more about some of our featured guests’ work:

Lindsay Whistance - www.organicresearchcentre.com

This episode is hosted by Ray Ó Foghlú - www.hometree.ie

This podcast has been produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in association with GrowIn.  It is funded by the Woodland Support Scheme provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In our seventh episode, we get to the bottom of regenerative farming, what it is and how farms can transition to a more regenerative model. Our experts are forester and farmer Rossa Gibbons, farmer Will Frazer and they're joined by Professor Jim McAdam.

Find out more about some of our featured guests’ work:

Will Frazer - www.growin.land

Professor Jim McAdam - www.jim-mcadam.net

This episode is hosted by Catherine Cleary - www.pocketforests.ie

This podcast has been produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in association with GrowIn.  It is funded by the Woodland Support Scheme provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In our sixth episode we do a “deep dive” into how Skibbereen farmer Alan Kingston is farming with trees and berries - there will be lots of berries, including one you may not have heard of before!

You can find Alan Kingston on his farm “Seamus’ Farm” in West Cork.

This episode is hosted by Catherine Cleary - www.pocketforests.ie

This podcast has been produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in association with GrowIn.  It is funded by the Woodland Support Scheme provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In our fifth episode, we travel through time to “farms of the future” to see what innovations are on the horizon. We're joined by Brendan Digney from tech start-up Machine Eye, entrepreneur Helen Keys from GrowIn and Professor Jim McAdam.

Find out more about our featured guests’ work:

Brendan Digney - www.machine-eye.com

Helen Keys - www.growin.land

Professor Jim McAdam - www.jim-mcadam.net

This episode is hosted by Catherine Cleary - www.pocketforests.ie

This podcast has been produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in association with GrowIn.  It is funded by the Woodland Support Scheme provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In our fourth episode, we invited a panel of guests to tell us all the latest happenings in the world of tree fodder, the research into it and its potential uses. We’re joined by farmers Michael Meharg and Keith Brennan, Dr Katerina Theodoridou from Queen’s University and Professor Jim McAdam.

Find out more about our featured guests’ work:

Michael Meharg - www.nffn.org.uk/steering-group-northern-ireland/

Keith Brennan - www.hawthornhillfarm.com

Dr. Katerina Theodoridou - pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/katerina-theodoridou

Professor Jim McAdam -  www.jim-mcadam.net

This episode is hosted by Catherine Cleary - www.pocketforests.ie

This podcast has been produced by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in association with GrowIn.  It is funded by the Woodland Support Scheme provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.