Developing an organic food business across the midlands

What looks like a normal residential street in Ballinasloe masks a hidden world. Behind a new white eco-bungalow is a hive of organic vegetable growing and farming activity on 13 acres. This is Beechlawn Organic Farm, the brainchild of husband and wife team Úna Ní Bhroinn and Padraig Fahy, who have turned a half-acre vegetable garden into a thriving business venture supplying a huge selection of organic fruit and vegetables all over the Midlands and West. They sell their produce by a mix of box delivery scheme, at markets and through some local supermarkets and shops. Over a decade ago, the seeds were sown for Úna, a Dubliner, when illness led her to try out organic vegetables in the Dublin Food Co-Op, ensuring she met farmers there on a regular basis. With her interest in the subject piqued, participation in an organic farm walk changed the direction of her life completely after earlier completing an Arts Degree in Maynooth. "I fell in love with the organic farms and I thought I'd like to study this," a busy Úna, who describes herself as an environmentalist, told the Westmeath Independent this week, as she walked around the holding overseeing the harvesting of the broccoli and the labelling of onions by volunteer workers. She points out everything from french beans, lettuce, courgettes, cucumber to cherry tomatoes, potatoes and broccoli growing in the fields and polytunnels along the way. Excessive rain has proved a problem this year with a red onion crop falling foul of the weather, she adds and weeds are a constant challenge on the growing side, she smiles as "they are always one step ahead". Úna later met Padraig, whose family were conventional farmers at The Organic College in Drumcollogher in Limerick, where they both gained a Diploma in Organic Horticulture. After the birth of their first child, the couple moved back to Ballinasloe and grew half an acre of vegetables for themselves, family and friends. Then in 2002, they made the big decision to grow commercially, starting with just two acres and building gradually year on year, to their current impressive Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) certified organic enterprise. "Our selling point is that we grow as wide a variety of vegetables and fruits as possible," Una enthused, and when stocks are not sufficient to meet the demands of customers, they do purchase from other organic farmers around the country, and when they are not available they import from Europe to make it practically a year around business. This counters the so-called "hungry gap" from March to May when Úna explains that the spring sowings are not big enough to eat and last year's harvest is almost gone to seed. While she admits one of the major challenges is still getting out to the customer with some old market trading laws in some areas proving an obstacle, they are working to solve the problem. The home delivery box scheme has played a significant part in countering this since the beginning Úna explains. Those signed up the scheme phone, text or email their order on a Monday and have their vegetables delivered free to their door the following day. "We are very flexible generally, once someone joins the scheme they stay," she explained. "Some describe what they want in the box, say a €20 or €25 box and others take a seasonal box every week. It really keeps us going. Some customers in the Athlone area have been with us for over seven years, they are very loyal." The scheme covers the Ballinasloe, Taughmaconnell, Athlone, Kiltoom, Ballykeeran and Glasson areas. That steady income has been augmented this year by an organic trial with Supervalu to supply six supermarkets in Galway but the couple are already looking to the future for other sale avenues. Although the economic climate has proved a major challenge for the business, just like many others, Úna says they have lowered their prices in a bid to keep trade up and use "cashflow forecasts" to try and predict what cash will be brought in and what bills need to be paid. "The project for this year is a Farm Shop. We have started Farm Gate Sales. We are open 9am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday but we do need a building and that is the hope for this year," she said. People choose organic produce for a variety of reasons and the recent controversial study claiming that organic food has no difference in nutritional value has not made a whit of difference to them, Úna says, simply because customers don't believe it and neither does she. "Anyone already an organic consumer will not go back to the conventional because of the taste difference. It's so much better. We firmly believe organic is more nutritious and we don't actually believe that study because there is other scientific data that shows it is nutritionally better. Customers are also buying it because is environmentally friendly, better for the climate and biodiversity," she highlights. Despite the hard work the couple have no regrets and Beechlawn Organic Farm is certainly here to stay. "We find it a struggle but we wouldn't have it any other way because it's a such a passion for us. It's a lifestyle choice rather than a career choice. We strongly believe in the organic movement as the way forward," she concluded. If you want to find out more or try the produce from Beechlawn Organic Farm you can do so at their stall every Saturday from 10am to 2pm beside Athlone Castle. To coincide with National Organic Week, Beechlawn Organic Farm will host a Farm Tour and Bring Your Own Picnic event on Sunday, September 13 from 12pm-5pm. Everyone is welcome to come along. On Thursday, September 17, a Teagasc Farm Walk and Tour for growers will take place at 6pm. For further information call Úna on 086 1799007 or email:info@beechlawn famr.org or check www.beechlawnfarm.org