Organic Consultancy for Growers in Ireland

organic consultancy

organic field school facilitation, training, mentoring, teaching, conversion plans for growers

My background
I completed my MSc. in Organic Farming in June 2010 after submitting a thesis on the benefits of Farmer Field Schools for organic growers in Ireland. At the moment I am currently teaching a class in Commercial Organic Vegetable Production @ the Nano Nagle Centre, Killavullen, nr Mallow. I have also started a project with the allotment holders in Shannon Allotments. It is 19 years since I first became involved in growing commercially and now I feel it is time to try and pass on some of the techniques and systems that have worked best for me over those years.

Services on offer to growers

Facilitation of Field Schools
Organization, facilitation and day to day running of Field Schools. Working with small groups using participatory techniques where all members contribute and learn from each other and the group as a whole. This is a powerful cost effective and very empowering tool using hands on learning in the field.

Training
Using classroom and field to train growers in the use of machinery, tools, systems and practices that will enable them to run their operations more efficiently and if necessary scale up their production

Mentoring
Maintaining a long term contact with a grower over at least one season so that problems can be dealt with as they arise. This can be very useful for growers in the initial phase of establishing an operation where they are trying to put into practice on a commercial basis theoretical knowledge they have learned in a college or through training

Teaching
The classroom still has a place especially for growers that are completely new to organic growing. It is important that the basic ground rules are established before more practical exercises are attempted. Marketing , technical issues, crop planning, standards issues and systems analysis are all better dealt with in the classroom.

Conversion plans
Faced with a mountain of paperwork and trying to work out an efficient system for a new enterprise can be a daunting task in the first instance. A step by step approach guided by someone familiar with the process will help. It will also give the client a better chance of succeeding in making the enterprise a success in those first important years.