Inside the Gate: Brookfield Farm, Co. Tipperary

This Inside the Gate Open Farm Day is organised by Farming For Nature and is an opportunity to visit a farm and see the important work that farmers do for nature in your local community. This event is open to families, and will be held on different farms across the country on Sunday August 30th. You must purchase a ticket to attend as numbers are limited (first come, first served). Adult tickets cost €5 and kids (under 16 y/o) go free!

What to expect

Ailbhe’s dedication to sustainable agriculture is reflected in her diverse farming operations, which include an organically certified sheep enterprise, native woodlands, beekeeping for honey production, and cultivation of tillage crops. At Brookfield farm she enhances biodiversity through arable margins, bee boxes, bird and bat boxes, and wild bird cover. 

Brookfield Farm will offer a guided “meet the farmer” walk linking visitors directly with farming, nature, food production and farmland habitats. Meet our friendly sheep and farm dog! A key part of the visit would be looking at the heritage and organic grain crops grown on the farm, including barley, wheat and rye. Depending on the season, visitors could see crops still standing and ready for harvest, as well as harvested grain, straw and seed. This would offer a clear connection between the living field and the food system — showing how grain is grown, ripened, harvested, dried, stored and eventually used. The varieties grown at Brookfield Farm are distinctive and carefully chosen, linking visitors with the importance of seed diversity, heritage crops, soil fertility and resilient farming.

A simple seasonal activity may also be included, such as picking blackberries, tasting edible hedgerow plants where appropriate, or gathering herbs and flowers from the garden. This would help visitors notice the richness of farmland habitats — hedges, margins, meadows, ponds and field edges — not only as boundaries, but as places of food, shelter, insects, birds and seasonal abundance.

The event may also include a short food-production demonstration, such as honey tasting. 

Some highlights may include:

• Meet the farmer and tour the farm.
• Pick blackberries or other edibles. 
• Pick apples or other fruit.
• Meet the animals.
• Learn about the various farmland habitats.
• Taste honey.

Other information:

• Brookfield Farm may have a small farm-gate selection available to purchase on the day, depending on stock and season. Please bring cash. 
• We have a suitable place for a picnic so bring some if you wish. 
• There will be a toilet available in the farmyard but not on the farm. 
• This event is suitable for buggies around the farm yard only. 
• No dogs allowed.
• Please wear suitable clothing and footwear (this is a working farm). Dress for the weather.

FFN is a non-profit organisation and any money raised is circulated back into the farming community. FFN is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Parks and Wildlife Services.

You have to book a ticket in order to get the location and car parking details.