Meet The Speakers 2026
Meet the Voices of the Festival
Our speakers include farmers, researchers and practitioners sharing real experiences from the field. From soil health and biodiversity to water quality and farm profitability, we will explore what it takes to farm productively with nature — what works and what doesn’t.
Through practical examples, open conversations and lessons learned, the programme highlights how farmers are tackling challenges and finding opportunities on their own farms.
🌿 More inspiring voices will be joining the line-up soon. Stay tuned!
Birgit Braunstein
Winemaker & Farmer
Birgit is a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in Austria and an FFN Ambassador. An award-winning winemaker, she has received the Environmental Award of Burgenland for her commitment to sustainable agriculture and ecological balance. Through her vineyards she promotes regenerative farming.
Darina Allen
Cookery School & Farmer
Darina is co-founder of the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School and a Farming for Nature Ambassador. A leading voice in Ireland’s farm-to-table food movement, she champions local food, farmers’ markets and biodiversity on farms. Darina has written 21 cookbooks and continues to inspire generations of cooks and farmers.
Ella McSweeney
Broadcaster & Journalist
Ella is an award-winning Irish journalist covering food, farming and rural affairs. She presents RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground and contributes regularly to RTÉ Radio’s Countrywide. With a background in zoology and food policy, Ella brings a strong voice to conversations about sustainability and rural communities.
Rupa Marya
Doctor & Researcher
Rupa is a physician and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and currently a visiting professor at Trinity College Dublin where she established the programme Farming is Medicine. Her work explores how human health, food systems and planetary health are deeply interconnected through agroecological approaches.
Steve Collins
Doctor & Farmer
Steve is a medical doctor and nutrition expert, known for developing the community-based treatment for malnutrition now used worldwide as the gold standard. He now focuses on linking nutrition, agriculture and ecological farming at Derry Duff in West Cork.
Thomas O’Connor
Mixed Stock Farmer
Thomas is a FFN Ambassador and organic farmer based in Co. Kerry, where he and his wife Claire run a 25-acre mixed farm focused on local food production, biodiversity and healthy soils. Their farm integrates native woodland and permaculture systems to support biodiversity, healthy soils and community-based food production.
Andrew Bergin
Tillage Farmer
Andrew is a Farming for Nature Ambassador managing a 130-hectare arable farm focused on soil health and biological farming systems. With over 30 years of experience, he uses no-till establishment, cover crops and diverse rotations to strengthen soils, reduce chemical inputs and support biodiversity.
Anke Heydenreich
Finance & Conservationist
Anke works with ReFarm, an initiative supporting farmers to restore biodiversity across Ireland. After more than 25 years in finance and inspired by leading a large-scale native tree planting project in Wicklow, she shifted her focus to advancing nature restoration through practical, farmer-led solutions.
Barry O’ Donoghue
Agroecologist
Barry works with the National Parks & Wildlife Service and grew up farming in the Stack’s Mountains near Tralee. Known for his work on Hen Harriers, he has helped develop major conservation programmes supporting farmers and landowners to protect biodiversity
Brian Dilleen
Poultry & Vegetable Farmer
Brian runs Mad Yolk Farm in east Galway, a regenerative farm producing pasture-raised eggs and vegetables. Established in 2020, the farm integrates agroforestry, native woodland and community spaces, reflecting Brian’s commitment to local food and regenerative farming. Brian is a 2025/26 Farming for Nature Ambassador.
Dr. Cheryl Poole
Dairy Farmer
Cheryl is a Farming for Nature Ambassador who runs Rose Bridge Farm near Gorey, Co. Wexford, balancing productive dairy farming with strong biodiversity measures. With over 20% of the farm dedicated to habitats, Cheryl is passionate about protecting water quality and creating space for wildlife within modern dairy systems.
Clive Bright
Beef Farmer
Clive is a Farming for Nature Ambassador who farms 120 acres of species-rich grassland in Co. Sligo, raising 100% pasture-fed organic livestock. Using holistic planned grazing and silvopasture systems, he works to restore ecological function while producing high-quality food. Alongside farming, Clive is also an illustrator and designer inspired by nature.
Donal Sheehan
Dairy Farmer
Donal is a Farming for Nature Ambassador and dairy farmer from the Bride Valley in Co. Cork. Alongside running a productive dairy farm, he has introduced ponds, pollinator strips and wildlife habitats, and plays a leading role in the BRIDE Project, a farmer-led initiative supporting biodiversity across the River Bride catchment.
Dr. Derek McLoughlin
Ecologist & Researcher
Derek is Project Manager of the Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE Project and has worked in agro-ecology for over two decades. His work focuses on nature restoration, results-based farming schemes and rural development through biodiversity. Derek is particularly interested in how farming communities can lead positive environmental change.
Fergal Smith
Mixed Stock Farmer
Fergal Smith is a Farming for Nature Ambassador working at Moyhill Community Farm, a 49-hectare regenerative agriculture project focused on building resilient local food systems. Through no-dig growing, agroforestry and strong community connections, his work demonstrates how farming can restore landscapes and reconnect people with food and nature.
Hannah Quinn Mulligan
Hannah runs an organic dairy and beef farm and farm shop, Tory Hill House, with her mother and grandmother in Co. Limerick. She regularly appears as a reporter and presenter on RTÉ programmes including Countrywide and Heated, and has written extensively for The Irish Times on agricultural issues such as feed shortages and water quality.
Helen Keys
Helen farms 50 acres in rural Tyrone with her husband Charlie, producing fibre flax as part of a diverse crop rotation. She works on farming innovation through the Growing Innovation Network and collaborates with farmers and ecologists to develop practical solutions for improving farming systems and keeping nutrients on farms.
Dr. James Moran
Researcher
James is a lecturer in ecology and biology at Atlantic Technological University, specialising in sustainable agricultural systems. His research focuses on biodiversity, rural development and agri-environment policy. James works closely with farmers and policymakers to improve land-use practices and strengthen nature-friendly farming systems.
Janet Power
Smallholder
Janet is a Farming For Nature Ambassador who co-runs Gorse Farm near Bunclody, Co. Carlow, an organic market garden producing salads and leafy greens for local shops and restaurants. Using organic and no-dig principles, the farm focuses on soil health, biodiversity and natural fertility through composting, green manures and native hedgerows.
Dr. Jane Shackleton
Sheep Farmer & Researcher
Jane is a Farming For Nature Ambassador who runs a 250-acre organic suckler-to-beef farm in Co. Cavan combining productive agriculture with rich habitats including woodlands, wetlands and hay meadows. Alongside farming, her research in grassland science explores multispecies grazing systems that support both productivity and biodiversity.
Jonny Blair
Beef Farmer
Jonny Blair runs a 300-acre suckler beef farm near Limavady, focusing on soil health, mob grazing and multispecies swards to improve herd resilience and reduce farm costs. More recently, he has integrated trees into the landscape to strengthen soil structure and increase the farm’s resilience to floods and drought.
Liam Hennessy
Dairy Farmer
Liam comes from an agricultural advisory and finance background, with experience in agri-business development and expertise in land economics and agricultural policy. As Nature Finance Project Lead, he works to unlock landscape-scale opportunities for nature restoration and community development.
Knocknarea Farm
Market Gardener
Rob and Sean run a mixed farm in Strandhill, Co. Sligo, producing vegetables, pasture-raised eggs and grass-fed beef. Selling directly through their farm shop and local outlets, they focus on profitable farming while enhancing soil health and biodiversity. They are Farming for Nature Ambassadors.
Tommy Earley
Beef Farmer
Tommy Earley is a Farming for Nature Ambassador farming organically on the shores of Lough Allen in Co. Roscommon, managing a landscape rich in rare habitats and wildlife. His farm includes raised bog, native woodland and species-rich grasslands, and he actively shares his knowledge through farm visits, community gardening and biodiversity projects.
Nigel Gillis
Tillage Farmer
Nigel is a Farming for Nature Ambassador and arable farmer near Grangecon, West Wicklow. Over the past 15 years he has transitioned from a high-input conventional system to low-input and organic farming, focusing on building soil fertility while protecting pollinators and wildlife.
James Ashmore
Mixed Systems Farmer
James runs a 110 ha mixed farm with arable, beef and sheep. He focuses on building soil health through min-till systems, direct drilling, diverse rotations, cover crops and the use of organic manures while reducing synthetic inputs.
Professor Jim McAdam
Academic & Researcher
Jim has spent his career researching sustainable agriculture and agroforestry at Queen’s University Belfast and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute. He is a leading advocate for integrating trees into farming systems and continues to support projects promoting agroforestry and climate-resilient landscapes.
Neil Fuller
Soil Health Advisor
Neil Fuller is an agricultural consultant specialising in soil health and regenerative farming systems. His work focuses on improving soil biology and farm resilience, and he regularly leads workshops and field sessions helping farmers understand the links between soil, food and climate.
Owen Murphy
Ecologist
Owen is a wildlife management consultant specialising in ornithology and the conservation of ground-nesting birds. He is Project Manager of the Breeding Wader EIP and Programme Director of the Midlands Mink Eradication Programme, where he works with conservation detection dog Lorg to help tackle invasive species.
Paul Moorhead
Tillage Farmer
Paul is a stockless organic cereal farmer at Newtowngirley Farm, producing oats, barley and diverse intercrops. He focuses on building a self-sustaining ecosystem, avoiding synthetic inputs through biological mixes and biodynamic principles.
Robbie Byrne
Farm Advisor
Robbie is a BASE Ireland farmer and advisor in biological and regenerative farming systems, supporting farmers and advisors to improve soil health through practices such as cover crops, companion cropping and reducing compaction to encourage soil biology and biodiversity.
Tim Butter
Ecologist
Tim Butter is the Farmer Moth Monitoring Officer for Ireland with the National Biodiversity Data Centre. He works with farmers across the country to record moth species on their farms, helping to reveal the richness of farmland biodiversity and the role insects play in healthy ecosystems.
Kim McCall
Beef Farmer
Kim is a mentor in the “Horse’s Mouth” programme, where Farming for Nature Ambassadors walk farmers’ land to share practical experience and advice. Kim farms in Calverstown, Co. Kildare, where he and his wife Mireille manage a 230-acre mixed livestock farm supporting wetlands, ponds, woodlands and species-rich grasslands without artificial fertilisers or pesticides.