Louth farmer makes national sustainability awards shortlist

Louth tillage farmer, Gareth Culligan, and Oriel Marine Extracts in Clogherhead, have been shortlisted in the RDS Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Awards, which are set to take place on Wednesday 9 April as part of the Finding Common Ground festival in the RDS in Dublin.

The awards celebrate the work of individuals, farm families and organisations who are enhancing the economic, environmental and social development of Irish agriculture and rural communities. The ‘Finding Common Ground’ festival, which takes place over two days in the RDS in Ballsbridge, is being delivered as one of the RDS Foundation social impact programmes.

Gareth Culligan has been shortlisted in the Sustainable Farming Award category, which celebrates the efforts made by an individual or farm family who are sustainably developing their on-farm activities through entrepreneurship, new product development, marketing and improved efficiencies. Gareth is a tillage farmer who is growing wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas and more on a farm consisting of 600 acres.

He explained, “in 2001, I made the change to Conservation Agriculture (CA) or Regenerative Agriculture on the farm. This has been a massive learning curve for me over the years as there was no blueprint for CA in Ireland. We have had failures and success with the move to CA, but all the time learning how to make it work on my farm.”

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Oriel Marine Extracts has been shortlisted in the Sustainable Rural Innovation Award category, which recognises individuals and organisations who have applied science and technology to help deliver the principles of climate-smart agriculture, such as greater efficiency, reduced waste and increased profitability. 

Oriel Marine Extracts harvest liquid magnesium, minerals and trace elements directly from EU protected seawater in Co. Louth, through a sustainable, renewable and organic process. Transformed using patented technology, these 100% natural products deliver science-proven benefits across nutrition, skincare and supplementation.

The Finding Common Ground festival will bring together scientists, researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, practitioners, advocates and RDS Members to explore how Ireland can harness the benefits of our natural resources and the circular economy with a view to creating increased awareness, education and identification of solutions.

A series of talks and panel discussions will focus on the latest advancements and challenges in areas such as land use, forestry and the bioeconomy. The broad programme will also explore topics such as decarbonising construction, how to use the arts to engage with environmental societal change and primary science education.

The winners of the RDS Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Awards will be announced on Wednesday 9 April.