Tommy Earley Farming For Nature Ambassador 2019

Tommy manages his 100-acre organic Aberdeen Angus suckler farm on the shores of Lough Allen, Co. Leitrim. He has been farming organically on the site since 1996 with a clear focus on nature and habitat conservation. His farm has high natural value with a variety of habitats such as intact raised bog, mature native woodland, species rich acidic grassland, wildflower meadows, lakeshore and river. Additionally, it has a diversity of rare and declining species such as the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, Large Heath Butterfly, Lady’s Tresses Orchid and Mudwort. He has also created wetland habitat on his land to support the populations of breeding and wintering wildfowl and waders such as Curlew. Tommy actively promotes environmental awareness both on the farm and in his local community. He offers personally guided farm walks aimed at educating visitors about local biodiversity, history and farm management. The farm also offers many ecology-based workshops such as moth trapping, conducting butterfly transects and hedge coppicing. Tommy also keeps some ponies for habitat management. He has been involved in a variety of community-based projects such as community public information meetings on sustainable tourism for the Lough Allen region, hosted weekly Social Farming conservation and farming workshops to improve farmer’s self-awareness and empower the participants. Tommy shares knowledge of the environment with the younger generation by promoting and facilitating primary and secondary school farm visits. He has facilitated the awareness of farming for nature among the students by converting part of his property into a lecture room. Tommy has worked to secure funding the floating Tern nest rafts on Lough Allen. He has also promoted, attended and hosted Knowledge Transfer on-farm meetings and events as an organic farmer to share his experiences and advice. Tommy has created new wetland habitat on his farm including a pond and wet grassland for the local Curlew pairs in 2018, and another pond and wetland in 2019. He is also involved in the Raised Bog Project aimed at enhancing and restoring the raised bog on his farm. Additionally, Tommy’s active role in local conservation has inspired others to follow his example in promoting nature on their own lands.