Brian McCarthy founded innovative urban farming project Cork Rooftop Farm during the first covid lockdown in March 2020. Situated on a rooftop in Cork city centre, the farm started off as a personal project to grow fruit and vegetables. But Brian started to see the potential for something much bigger and, today,  Cork Rooftop Farm is a thriving business and a poster child for how urban farming can play a major role in addressing food security, sustainability, and community health

In this episode of Food Matters, Brian shares his inspiring journey from a tech career to becoming one of Ireland’s leading urban farmers. In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Brian talks about the challenges and successes of transforming a rooftop into a farm, the importance of urban agriculture, and its potential to shape the future of food.

Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips are on a mission to get kids growing, cooking, and eating more plant-powered food. Having previously worked in the arts, Darryl and Ella have brought all of that creativity into what they do today: growing interesting veg in their urban garden, running cookery workshops and pop-up dining experiences, and packing as much flavour as possible into vegan dishes. 

In this episode of Food Matters, they tell Mick Kelly of GIY about their experience of adopting a plant-based diet, the impact on their health and wellbeing, and how they infuse their food with Caribbean flavours. They also talk about their ever-expanding allotment in London, the power of letting kids get messy in the garden, and why food is a “magical time capsule” for stories and traditions.  

Check out Darryl and Ella’s new book, From Plant to Plate: Turn Home-Grown Ingredients Into Healthy Meals!

Did you know that Ireland is very well-suited for growing apples, but despite that, we import over 95% of the apples we eat? Irish apples can sometimes be difficult to buy, but when you do find them, there’s a good chance they were grown by Con Traas. Con has 40,000 apple trees on ‘The Apple Farm’ in Co Tipperary and he sells the fruit directly from his on-site farm shop and also produces apple juice, cider, crisps, vinegar, jams and jellies. 

In this episode of Food Matters, Con joins Mick Kelly of GIY to share the story of taking over the farm from his parents and how he has scaled and diversified the business since. They also talk about the challenges of fruit production in Ireland, Con’s positive experience with major retailers, and the impending threats of climate change. 

In 2004, David and Stephen Flynn, aka The Happy Pear, opened a small fruit and veg shop in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, with a dream of helping people eat more veg. Now, two decades later, The Happy Pear is one of the best-known and loved brands in Ireland, and has scaled into a highly successful business comprising over 80 products, online courses, best-selling books, a coffee roastery, a farm and more.   

In this episode of Food Matters, Dave and Steve join Mick Kelly in Grow HQ to share the highs and lows of their 20-year journey building The Happy Pear. They talk about how it all started, how the business and their approach to life has evolved, navigating difficult times professionally and personally, our obsession with protein and neglect of fibre, and lots more.   

So is it possible that digging your garden is a total waste of your time? According to our guest on this episode, it may be time to put down that shovel and spend those precious hours doing something way more productive.  

Charles Dowding is best known as the ‘No-Dig Guru. He trained as a horticulturalist and became very interested in the links between soil and nutrition. During his studies, he discovered that we can have healthier soil by leaving it undisturbed, and just feeding it with compost from above. 

On this episode of Food Matters Charles reveals the science behind his revolutionary approach to gardening and food production. It’s a wide-ranging conversation touching on topics like soil health, the nutritional density of fruit and veg and the global food system. And its packed full of practical knowledge and advice to help you to become the best version of your best home-grower self. 

Lynsay Orton always had a passion for growing rare and exotic fruit and veg until unexpected family circumstances turned that passion into a very niche and successful business. Operating out of just six polytunnels on Ross Hazel Farm, Lynsay grows over 1500 plants exclusively for chefs that cook for some of the world’s biggest companies.

On this episode of Food Matters, Lynsay Orton shares the story of how her love of growing suddenly became a full-time career. In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Lynsay also talks about how she organises her growing year and some of the tips and tricks she has learned about successfully cultivating an array of rare and interesting produce, something that will be of interest to any home grower.

Click here to catch a glimpse of what Lynsay and Mick were up to during the interview’

Pete Russell was running a 12m dollar-a-year food company when, suddenly, he had a “road to Damascus” moment.  Pete realised that he was a part of a broken food system that was loaded against small food producers, and he knew that he wanted to be part of the solution rather than the problem. 

So he launched Ooooby, a platform that connects small food producers directly with consumers, making it easier for people to access locally-grown produce while supporting sustainable farming practices. In this episode of Food Matters, Pete shares the story of leaving the world of mass food production to level the playing field for small scale family farms and artisan food producers.

They also talk about:

 ·       How Pete built a $12m dollar-per-year business in Australia and what it taught him about the global food system.

·       The process of change – what drove him to leave it all behind and focus on a system build on fairness and food sustainability. 

·       His first encounter with the iphone and why he knew it was to change how we shop forever.

·       Why understanding that price and convenience are what people want is key to really changing the food system.

·       The highs and lows of building Ooooby, and what the future holds. 

GIY are proud to align our mission, vision and impact with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, and in line with the UN Decade of Action, our ambition at GIY is to inspire 100 million people around the world to grow some of their own food by 2030.

Join the GIY movement by following our social channels and signing up to our newsletter on GIY.ie 

When we work with, rather than against nature, great things can happen: soil is healthier, biodiversity richer, and crop yields higher. Perrine Hervé-Gruyer learned this first-hand when she and her husband created The Bec Hellouin farm in Normandy, France in 2006. Determined to work in harmony with nature, and with no previous farming experience, they gave up their successful careers to build a market garden based on the principles of permaculture. And the results have been ground-breaking.

In this episode of Food Matters, Perrine joins host Mick Kelly of GIY to talk about this fascinating 20-yr journey of creating one of Europe’s most renowned market gardens, how she overcame some of the unique challenges that she faced along the way, and how we can all work a little more closely with nature when it comes to our own growing practices. They also discuss:

·      The sceptical reception they received from their new neighbours due to their unorthodox farming practices, and what happened next. 

·      Some of the practical ways in which they created a more harmonious relationship with nature. 

·      How their by-hand approach achieves yields of up to ten times those of mechanised farming. 

·      The critical role that animals have played in the success of The Bec Hellouin farm.

·      Why she believes permaculture is the key to true food sustainability 

GIY are proud to align our mission, vision and impact with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, and in line with the UN Decade of Action, our ambition at GIY is to inspire 100 million people around the world to grow some of their own food by 2030.

Join the GIY movement by following our social channels and signing up to our newsletter on GIY.ie 

Mark Diacono found his life’s purpose and direction through food and he has dedicated his life to growing, cooking and writing about it. Having been involved in the early days of River Cottage, Mark went on to pursue his dream of creating his own farm, turning two blank fields in southwest England into 17-acres of diverse fruit and veg plots, orchards and forest gardens. 

In this episode of Food Matters, Mark shares his incredible life story with GIY founder Mick Kelly, along with his thoughts on modern diets, food sustainability, and the transformational power of quality homegrown produce. 

They also talk about:

• Mark's love of writing books and all about his latest one, called ‘Vegetables’. 
• How to get creative with growing and cooking vegetables while also making sure you’re also getting all the nutrition you need. 
• His memories of River Cottage and the valuable lessons he learned during his time there. 
• Why tasting a mulberry change his life.
• The biggest mistake most of us make when growing courgettes. 
•  Why he feels people in Ireland and the UK spend so little on quality food, and what needs to happen to change it.

Cork-born Karen O'Donoghue is a woman with a mission: to improve people's gut health through the bread she bakes at The Happy Tummy Co. in Westport, Co Mayo. Her baked goods are the culmination of a long and sometimes painful journey involving the loss of her mother to cancer, years spent suffering through poor mental and physical health, and ultimately teaching herself all about optimum nutrition. 

In this episode of Food Matters, Karen shares the fascinating story of how she healed herself and found happiness through food. In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Karen also talks about:

 ·       The critical importance of eating the right amount of fibre.

·       Discovering Teff and why it is the most important grain in the world.

·       Why she feels capitalism is at the root of poor diets. 

·       Building a business on a €25 loaf of bread - a product packed with sustainable, regenerative ingredients.  

·       Her lifelong mission to help everyone to heal themselves through food. 

GIY are proud to align our mission, vision and impact with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, and in line with the UN Decade of Action, our ambition at GIY is to inspire 100 million people around the world to grow some of their own food by 2030.

Join the GIY movement by following our social channels and signing up to our newsletter on GIY.ie