Earth Day 2022

by Liz Child

The theme for Earth Day this year is ‘Invest in our Planet’ and we couldn’t be more on board with this. Money talks (unfortunately) so the incentive to make the changes necessary to combat climate change must be shown to be a good investment. It is, of course, mind-boggling to think that big corporations and governments will only take action if it benefits the bottom line, but here we are.

Luckily for all of us and for future generations, it is clear that a green future is a prosperous future. More and more investors are seeing the wisdom of investing in green business/technology. Although we live in an era of conspiracy theories and see so much misinformation being shared online, hopefully we can get people on board by showing them that a better world can be made even if they don’t ‘believe in’ climate change. This brilliant cartoon by Joel Pitt has been burned into my brain since the first time I saw it.

How are we Investing in the Planet?

We are in an incredibly fortunate situation where we can take out a bank loan and invest in more solar panels on the roof of our packing shed. We are keen to only use renewable energy and be a carbon neutral business. This investment in the future of our little green business will definitely pay off in the long term.

Another simple but effective way to invest in our planet is to plant trees. We have planted over 7000 so far on our farm and now that we have run out of space we will be donating a portion of our sales to a local tree planting charity. More to come on this once it has been organised. These are investments we are happy to make for the future health of our planet and all its inhabitants. Other ways we invest in our planet are by using compostable packaging, electric delivery vans and of course by farming organically.

How can you Invest in the Planet?

You are investing in our planet every time you choose to buy plastic free, organic fruit and veg and sustainably sourced groceries from us so thank you! Times are tough financially for everyone right now, so choosing to put your hard earned cash towards a greener choice is massively appreciated. We should all be working together towards a greener future – businesses, governments and citizens – so please write to your local authority or TD and ask for positive, environmental change in your area. Write to your favourite brands and businesses and ask for positive change. Could they use more sustainable packaging? Could they source products or ingredients from closer to home? Get together with your community to do litter picks, beach cleans, walk to school schemes, car shares etc. Tell us your ideas for investing in the planet in the comments below or over on our community facebook group. We would love to hear them.

Spring is in the Air

by Kenneth Keavey

Thanks to your generosity last week, we will be donating €900 to The Irish Cancer society.

A sense of possibility and new beginnings is naturally in the air in Spring. On the farm, maybe it is the start of the new plant and seed arrivals that kindles this feeling, but there is a sense that we can do things better this year, that we will try a little harder to get things right, that all will be well in the end.

Nature is waking up, the birds are singing, the daffodils are blooming, the new leaves are beginning to unfurl on the trees. The extra daylight means that life cycles are changing and growth increasing, it is a natural rhythm, and it resonates on a subconscious level, if you let it.

Even our lovely new season salad is responding well to the extra light, and we will be harvesting ours and also Mick and Audrey from Millhouse farm will be delivering their gorgeous salad to us for all the boxes next week.

The sun is higher in the sky and on clear days you can feel the first tendrils of warmth, there is more power too in its rays and from now on the capture of this power to make electricity works well. (We installed a large solar panel array two years ago and it sits on the roof of one of our sheds generating clean renewable energy.)

Frequently now we can see plants growing, hear the birds singing and the insects buzzing well before it is time. This can be symbolic of a world out of sync and it has ramifications for all living systems. Planning a season of vegetable growing on the farm becomes more of a gamble as the natural order we rely on can change unpredictably and dramatically.

Luckily to date here in Ireland we have been spared the worst of the effects of the climate emergency. The climate crisis is a complex global problem but maybe the solutions are also simpler than we think? Down at the level of you and I there is much that can be done. Planting trees is one of the simplest ways to help redress the balance, as farmers we have an obligation to plant trees, and as gardeners there is always space for a tree. Again, thanks to your support, we just recently planted another 1500 trees here on our farm. By supporting local food growers like us and Mick and Audrey you too are doing your bit to tackle the climate crisis.

The prediction of the weather for the year ahead was often associated with a saying closely tied to trees, “ash before oak you are in for a soak, oak before ash you are in for a splash”. It seems this year at least here in Galway that the ash has won the race. Nevertheless, if living and farming in the west of Ireland has taught me one thing it is that the weather is unpredictable. It changes fast and sometimes when you least expect it, it surprises you.

Here is hoping for a lovely, sunny Summer surprise this year.

Kenneth

PS – DON’T FORGET IT IS DELIVERIES AS NORMAL FOR US NEXT WEEK, AND MONDAY IS A BANK HOLIDAY BUT NORMAL ORDERING AND DELVIERES APPLIES!!

We are maintaining the FREE Delivery over €100 next week also!

PPS – You have until Monday evening to grab your place on the Green Fingers course part 1 as we will be sending out seeds and resource packs next week by post!