Programme 13
Biodiversity
Large-scale intensive farming is often seen as being in direct conflict with protecting biodiversity. As the output from every acre of land has to be maximised in order to support more animals, it can sometimes come at the cost of losing hedgerows, ponds, trees and other wildlife habitats.
But is it possible to both expand your herd while at the same time increasing the amount of wildlife on your farm? Darragh Mc Cullough visited the dairy farm Bryan Daniels in Co. Kilkenny. Bryan has increased
his herd by 20 cows each year over the past 5 years, but at the same time has managed to allocate moreland to biodiversity.
Plough Man
Farming techniques have evolved over the years to boost the farmer’s output and make the working day easier. On most Irish farms, machinery has replaced the need for working animals. But for some, the method is just a matter of preference. Ella McSweeney follows a Mayo farmer who is felling and clearing a forest using oxen rather than machinery. Can this traditional but nimble approach minimise environmental impact?
CPO Wexford
It’s every landowner’s fear that they could be faced with a Compulsory Purchase Order and have to give up their land for a public infrastructure project. But for some families who made the sacrifice for the Wexford by-pass last year, they could be facing this situation for a second time. Helen meets two farmers who say they have given enough in the past, and won’t give anymore.