Latest news with #FieldExchange
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Field Exchange agri-food festival to return in September
Agri-food festival, the Field Exchange, is set to return for a second year, bringing together artists and farmers to celebrate sustainable agriculture and local food. The festival will be hosted on the shores of Lough Derg, at Brookfield Farm, Co Tipperary, from September 5-7. The three-day programme features art installations, musical performances, expert speakers, and lunch designed by acclaimed chef Valentine Warner. Brookfield Farm is an award-winning organic farm, agri-tourism hub and a conservation area for the native Irish honey bee, run by farmer and teacher Ailbhe Gerrard. A pilot version of the festival ran in 2022 and was supported by Sabina Higgins, wife of President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, former government minister Catherine Martin, and others. The team subsequently secured funding from Creative Ireland's Creative Climate Action fund to host Field Exchange in 2024 and again this year. Day one of the festival kicks off with the 'Fields of Possibility' symposium, with speakers including author Anja Murray, journalist and chef Janine Kennedy, Artistic Director of the Nenagh Arts Centre Trish Taylor Thompson and food policy specialist Ruth Hegarty. Attendees will hear how agriculture can be re-imagined as a creative, cultural and ecological act which enables rural communities to thrive by fostering wellbeing and cultivating a deeper connection with the land and place. Specific topics covered include the benefits of agro-ecology and agro-forestry – agricultural approaches which emphasise the connections between plants, animals and humans – and the role of creativity in regenerative agriculture. Attendees can also connect with a growing Community of Practice working at the intersections of farming, creativity and climate. Visitors can take part in craft workshops with CELT, sensory farm walks, and sustainable agriculture workshops. They can engage and contribute to agro-forestry demonstrations by the Irish Agroforestry Ireland Forum (IAF) and try their hand at dry stone walling with the Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland (DSWAI). There will be music and poetry performances, local handmade craft stalls and a range of delicious local food. Visitors can also engage with sustainability advocates such as the Tipperary Food Producers' Network and Talamh Beo. Project lead Ailbhe Gerrard, a Farming for Nature Ambassador and An Taisce climate ambassador, said: 'We're delighted to bring back Field Exchange for another year of events designed to promote the role that the arts can play in tackling the crises in climate and biodiversity, while developing a more complete understanding of food production and supply with knowledge sharing on sustainable and organic practices. 'This year, we're welcoming back our expert speakers and contributors, including food systems specialist Ruth Hegarty and journalist and chef Janine Kennedy. 'The concepts from the symposium are brought to life on day two at the family agri-food festival, part-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and The Arts Council. 'Building on the success of last year, we've moved to make this year's festival a three-day event. We welcome Valentine Warner, who will be working with the Tipperary Food Producers' Network to prepare a long table lunch from local produce, and we're all excited to taste the mouth-watering fare.'
Agriland
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Field Exchange festival returns to Tipperary's Brookfield Farm
Brookfield Farm on the shores of Lough Derg, Co. Tipperary, will once again host the Field Exchange festival, a three-day celebration of sustainable farming, creativity, and local food from September 5-7. Building on the success of last year's event, Field Exchange has expanded into a full weekend of talks; workshops; art; craft, and food experiences that bring together farmers, artists, food producers, and community changemakers. Supported by Creative Ireland's creative climate action fund, the festival aims to highlight how creativity and collaboration can drive positive change in farming and rural communities. The festival will open at Brookfield Farm, Coolbawn, Nenagh, on Friday, September 5, with a symposium titled 'Fields of Possibility' bringing together expert speakers including: author Anja Murray; chef and journalist Janine Kennedy; Nenagh Arts Centre's Trish Taylor Thomson; and international artists Ackroyd + Harvey. Topics will include agroforestry, creativity on the land, and the importance of local food systems in building resilient communities. The day will conclude with a live performance by The Company of Trees, a blend of music and spoken word, and the unveiling of an art installation by Gerardine Wisdom. Ailbhe Gerrard on Brookfield Farm by the shores of Lough Derg. Source: Marc O'Sullivan. The weekend will culminate on Sunday, September 7, with a sold out celebration lunch prepared by acclaimed chef, Valentine Warner, in collaboration with the Tipperary Food Producers' Network, showcasing local, sustainable produce. Owned by Ailbhe Gerrard, Brookfield Farm is an award-winning diverse organic farm, and a nature-friendly place for wildlife. The 84ac farm incorporates broadleaf trees, meadows for organic hay, organic arable crops - including oats and barley - bee hives, and a sheep enterprise. The farm is a conservation area for the native Irish honey bee and hosts farm experiences including craft demonstrations making bees wax candles and farm walks. After a career in project management for construction, Ailbhe bought Brookfield Farm - which is located beside her family home - in 2010. With aslew of qualifications in her arsenal including sustainable development and organic farming, she transformed the farm, which had been in tillage and was rented out long-term. Both a climate ambassador and a Farming for Nature ambassador, she has now farmed at Brookfield for over 14 years, converting it to organic and operating under regenerative principles. She has promoted biodiversity and soil health, developed new ideas, and collaborated with farmers, artists, and agricultural experts. Ailbhe said: "At the heart of Field Exchange is the belief that creativity is not exclusive to artists. It's a quality inherent in everyone, including farmers. Ken Curran from DSWAI (Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland) tutoring Creative Farming ambassadors, Margaret Edgill and Declan Houlihan, constructing a stone bench on Brookfield Farm. Horseshoe stone viewing bench - Lough Derg 180, designed by Elements of Action. Source: Kerry Kissane "Traditionally, farming is seen through a lens of productivity and high inputs, a path that has led to significant environmental and social challenges, including pollution and declines in welfare. "The festival seeks to redirect this focus towards the creative possibilities with land and food production, encouraging farmers to use this creativity to envision and implement changes to improve wellbeing on farm and off. "The Field Exchange festival is an invitation to connect with the land, celebrate local creativity, and explore how farming can become a cultural and ecological act," the Tipperary woman said. Looking to the future, she plans to stay at the forefront of creative agriculture, dedicated to environmentally responsible agriculture and craft production. Tickets for the first day of the symposium range in price from €30-€75. Admission to the Agrifood festival on the second day costs €20 per adult, while accompanying children up to age 18 go free.
