NATIONAL Organic Training Skillnet (NOTS), the not-for-profit network specialising in training for the rapidly expanding organic and regenerative farming sectors, has announced the speaker lineup for its fourth annual five-day Biological Farming Conference – BioFarm 2021. More than 25 renowned Irish and international speakers will present to delegates, including Sean Condon from Co Limerick. Sean is a dairy farmer from from Fanningstown, Crecora, who decided 15 years ago to adopt organic farming practices such as once-a-day milking (OAD) to improve his work-life balance. He had always had an interest in organic farming and is now certified by the Irish Organic Association, after he obtained his full organic symbol in 2007.
Each day of the conference will have a specific theme centered around Biological and Regenerative Farming. The conference will take place from November 8-12 in The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, with both virtual and in-person ticket options available.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue will deliver the opening address.
Sean McGloin, Network Manager at the National Organic Training Skillnet said: “We are packing all five days with quality speakers from both the academic fields as well as working farmers from Ireland and further afield, and we will cover as many aspects of biological, regenerative, and organic farming as we can. We see these practices as central to the future of farming in Ireland, and hopefully we can inspire farmers in Ireland to get on board with these methods. Everything is on the table in agriculture at the moment, especially from a climate change mitigation standpoint. The experts, academics, and farmers at BioFarm 2021 are at the forefront of this thinking.”
The hybrid event will feature live-streamed presentations from leading industry experts, roundtable panel discussions, and interactive question and answer sessions where participants can engage directly with the speakers.
Other speakers include:
– Dr. Christine Jones from Australia, who will be speaking on two days on the topic of Soil Sociobiome.
– Dr. Jim McAdam, renowned for his work on ecosystems, will discuss Agroforestry in Ireland.
– Emma Nayulima a guest speaker from Uganda, who will talk about how to have a Profitable Farm on Less Than 10 Acres.
– Prof. Alan Matthews will discuss the impact of CAP 22 on Irish farmers.
– Klaus Laitenberger will present on the Globalisation of Irish Agriculture.
Each day of the conference will be chaired by a high-profile guest host. On Monday November 8, RTÉ’s Philip Boucher Hayes will kick off the event. Celebrated author and podcast host Manchán Magan is at the helm on Tuesday. Environmental journalist and commentator John Gibbons will ask the tough questions on Wednesday, while Ear to the Ground’s Ella McSweeney will chair the Thursday and Friday sessions.
