Farm walk & practical actions for nature with Farming for Nature Ambassador Bruce Thompson - “Improving soil fertility and reducing the parasite burden using dung beetles on an intensive dairy farm”

The Farming for Nature (FFN) farm walks are an opportunity for FFN Ambassadors to showcase their contribution to nature and good farming practices on their land.

Bruce Thompson is an conventional dairy farmer in Co. Laois. He believes that Ireland is a fantastic place to produce good clean food and our reputation of "Clean, Green" is something to take pride in. However he also believes we can't take that for granted. Bruce takes a lot of pride in the environment around his farm, getting excited to show off his buzzards, red squirrels and pine martins. Bruce has a particular interest in reducing animal remedies through prevention, with a focus on animal wormers. He has made dramatic reductions in his wormer usage by making use of his farm microscope for diagnosis and pioneering new grazing strategies. He is confident that by making some changes, the conventional system can be made more environmentally friendly and still have the same production output. He gives a lot of credit to his beloved dung beetles in achieving this. He is currently researching the relationship between dung beetles and wormers as a Nuffield Scholar.

WHAT ARE THE FARM WALKS:

• This will be a 2.5 hour (approximately) visit to the farm and will include a walk around with the farmer/farm family, a look at some of the habitats and species present, as well as the livestock and/or crops, and a discussion with the farmer about how he/she/they manage the land in support of nature.
• These walks are for farmers and people with an interest in farming for nature. They are meant to be an interactive knowledge exchange between people with a real interest in farming and nature. They are not suitable for children, or for people/groups looking for an ‘organised walk’ in the countryside.
• These walks are non-profit but a booking fee is necessary to minimise the frustrating level of no-shows. It costs €10 to register and all funds are circulated back into the farming community.
• Please wear suitable footwear for uneven and potentially muddy conditions.
• We would ask that you please respect these farmers, their land and livestock when visiting. Dogs are not welcome. You will be turned away if you arrive with one.
• The exact location of the farm walk will be sent via email to ticket holders on the week of the walk (keep an eye on your email & your spam folder as sometimes the emails end up in spam).
• Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the walk commences.

Thank you to the NPWS and the DAFM for supporting these farm walks.
For more info on FFN events, resources, programmes - go to www.farmingfornature.ie