The Farm-Forest Alliance: European Innovation Partnership Funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine.
30,000 native trees will be planted across participating farms in the local community. Trees and shrubs will be planted in shelterbelts, copses, and hedgerows. This will improve connectivity between woodland parcels and their resilience into the future.
Farmers will receive support available from a professional ecologist and forester to facilitate the process. These efforts will be concentrated around existing woodlands both native and plantation forests within the catchment. Results will determine which trees are best suited to grow in the local conditions. Predicted benefits to participating farms include increases in biodiversity, shelter for livestock, reduced run-off, improved fencing.
There is a large social element to this project which will be instrumental to its success and scalability. There will be workshops guided by industry professionals, education days for children, and forums for community engagement.
Digital storytelling will be used to document the journey of people participating in the project and inspire informed discussion surrounding changing values in the face of the current global biodiversity crisis.
This project is funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine and the European Innovation Partnership. Similar projects have provided a valuable opportunity for agricultural communities to explore alternative practices which promote biodiversity but do not have the knock-on effect of reducing farm payments. Local autonomy is encouraged which improves the uptake of new practices and peer-to-peer learning. Programmes are tailored to specific locations from the ground up, maximizing suitability and efficacy.
Get in touch with Ray Ó Foghlú —
ray@hometree.ie or +353 87 224 9226
Hometree Charity, Deerpark, Ardnacullia South, Ennistymon, Co. Clare
Registered Charity Number (RCN) 20206254
30,000 Native Trees Across 11 Farms
Hometree’s EIP is the Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance, and it will foster an alliance between landowners committed to enhancing on-farm biodiversity throughout the Glendine Valley in County Clare. In this video Matt Smith, general manager and co-founder of Hometree, talks about the benefits these woodlands will offer to the farmlands taking part in the Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance project.
Woodlands for Biodiversity, Improved Farm Systems, and Connectivity Between Pockets of Existing Woodlands
Hometree’s Engagement and Education officer Ray Ó Foghlú runs the farmer engagement side of the Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance. Hometree is working to support farmers in ways that benefit their farm, but also the broader environment. The idea was built around a complex of small oakwoods near Miltown Malbay.
Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance EIP
Last autumn we got the fantastic news that Hometree has been approved by the Department of Agriculture to receive funding for a year-long European Innovation Partnership (EIP). Hometree’s EIP will be known as the Illuan Farm-Forest Alliance and will foster an alliance between landowners committed to enhancing on-farm biodiversity throughout the Glendine Valley in County Clare.