Irish Agroforestry Forum

13/09/2026

🌱 We’re back at the National Ploughing Championships this week!

The Irish Agroforestry Forum is delighted to return to the Organic Village this year.

Whether you're curious about integrating trees into your farming system generally and/or interested in the latest FT8 scheme information, our team will be on hand to answer all your questions.

Stop by our stand to:

Learn how agroforestry can support your farm enterprise financially and practically, improve livestock welfare and protect the environment.

Get direct advice on FT8 grants in combination with Organic supports, BISS and more.

Come say hello, share your ideas, and discover how trees can work for your farm!

📍 Where: The Organic Village, ORGANIC VILLAGE: BLOCK 3 / ROW 9 / STAND 163

We look forward to seeing you there! 🌳🐄

13/09/2026

Agroforestry for Water Quality & Resilience in the Lough Neagh Catchment walk-and-talk events

Farm Walk Series
Hosted by the Irish Agroforestry Forum in collaboration with Trees on the Land, GrowIN, Ulster Wildlife, the Rivers Trust and the Blackwater River Catchment Trust and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

These walks are supported by the Shared Island Fund provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Join us for a series of farm walks exploring how integrating trees onto productive farms can protect and improve water quality, mitigate flooding, and boost farm resilience across the Lough Neagh catchment. These walks offer a practical look at how trees manage nutrient run-off, enhance soil infiltration, and restore waterways. The walk series will include visits to farms to see a newly planted site, farms planning systems and 37 year old established trials at Loughgall. Whether you are a farmer, landowner, advisor, forester or student, these visits will provide valuable information and knowledge on how to integrate trees into farming systems so they provide ecosystem services that will help and support production and the environment. Please wear appropriate footwear -boots/wellingtons and bring a waterproof coat.
Event Details
Dates: 5th – 8th October 2026
Schedule & Locations:
Day 1 (Oct 5th): TBC
Day 2 (Tuesday Oct 6th): Bronagh O’Kane Farm. 33 Lower Kildress Road, Cookstown BT80 9RN. Start Time 11am.
Day 3 (Wednesday Oct 7th): Derek McClement’s Farm. Favour Royal Rd, Aughnacloy BT69 6BR. Start Time 11am
Day 4 (Oct 8th): AFBI Loughgall Research Station. AFBI, Loughgall. AFBI Deerpark farm, Drumilly Road, Loughgall, BT61 8JH. Start Time 10am
All welcome to attend. These walks are suitable for farmers, advisors, students, policy makers, members of the public and anyone interested in how trees can protect and improve water quality.
Registration & Contact: Free to attend, but registration is required to ensure parking availability.

Book: https://www.irishagroforestry.ie/farm-walks

Please share with your networks

Image: Creative Commons Licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

11/09/2026

🌳 Unlocking the Potential of Agroforestry on the Farm 🐄
Agroforestry is transforming land management by integrating trees 🌿 into livestock and crop farm systems to boost land resilience, protect soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.

Learn how trees can be integrated into farming systems to help support the farm enterprise, improve livestock welfare and farm livelihoods.

Want to see how combining native trees with cattle works in practice?

Join us for a practical Agroforestry Training Day hosted on Brian Costello’s farm!

📌 Event Details: 📅 Date: Tuesday, October 13th ⏰ Start Time: 10:00 AM 📍 Location: Brian Costello's Farm, Boyle, Co. Roscommon (Eircode: F52 TC67) 🥪 Lunch: Provided on-site 🎟️ Registration: Essential

What to Expect: This session combines expert-led talks with an interactive walk through active agroforestry plantings on the farm. Get direct, practical insights into: 🌱 Species selection & system design 🐄 Practical livestock integration 📋 FT8 scheme dynamics & whole-farm planning 📈 Implementation strategies

Featured Speakers:
Prof. Jim McAdam – Expert in agroforestry research and development
Noel Kennedy – Teagasc Forestry Advisor
📑 DAFM Inspectorate – Clear guidance on schemes, supports, and regulations
👥 Who should attend? Farmers, foresters, advisors, consultants, and students.
🔗 Register here https://www.irishagroforestry.ie/agroforestry-training-2026

This event is organised in collaboration with National Organic Skillnet and supported by Forestry Skills Training Funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Please note this training is available in person only and will not be available online.

Free Applied Agroforestry Skills Training Course for Advisors, Farmers and Foresters including anyone intending to work in agroforestry.Tuesday October 13th, 2026 Boyle, Co. Rocommon10 AM start time (Lunch will be provided)CPD Points Available for members of the Society of Irish Foresters and the ...

06/09/2026

05/09/2026

As well as our three speaker tents we will have mini-talks and Q&As

The Lodge:

💬Josiah Meldrum - Hodmedods
💬CAFRE Horticulture Scheme - David Dowds
💬Why liming is your biggest bang for your buck with Kilwaughter Lime
💬James Beecher - Manager of the Real Farming Twinning Programme, which pairs agroecological farms with social justice organisations such as food banks

Horticulture Tent
🌿Mid Ulster Beekeepers

Demonstrations
🌿Wood turning - Green woodworking
🌿Stone masonry demo with Nathan Morrow
🌿Willow weaving

PLUS
⭐Field Walk with Joel Williams (meet by Riverside Tent)
⭐Agroforestry demonstration with Prof Jim McAdam and Fred Farrelly
⭐Soil Health Tent with KPM Soils microscopy and Soil Bio Lab compost extract and Ryan Harkin showing Korean Natural Farming techniques.

All the details are on our website, and you will find QR codes to the full programme at the gate.

05/09/2026

Returning on 5th September 2026, Fields Good is a festival rethinking the regular agriculture conference. Focused on learning all about soil health and its wider impact on farm profits.

21/08/2026

Great farm visit to Pollards Organic Farm yesterday to discuss the benefits of trees for dairy cows and how FT8 could work on the farm as well as other potential supports. Thanks to Farm Manager Kevin O'Hanlon for hosting and to farmers and colleagues from SETU, Teagasc and DAFM Agriculture. Discussions around agroforestry and forestry supports, agri-environment schemes, nutritional and medicinal benefits of trees, tree/grass/crop management, multispecies swards, biodiversity, soil and water quality, succession, land designation, the financial viability of agroforestry systems, role of co-ops, good hedgerow management, whole farm planning, marketing and the future viability of the family farm as well as the potential for supports for ecosystem services and more.... Farm walk part-funded with forestry support funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

19/08/2026

Farm Walk Tomorrow August 20th

Pollards Organic Farm

Wexford.

Start Time 10.30am. No dogs allowed.

Thinking about agroforestry for Dairy cows?

As weather extremes become more common, integrating trees into the dairy system will be important for animal welfare, herd health, soil health, and farm productivity and profitability in a changing climate. Far from taking valuable land out of production, strategic tree planting creates a multi-layered ecosystem that supports livestock throughout the grazing season. The event will be hosted at an organic dairy farm in Ballywilliam, Co. Wexford, managed by Kevin O’Hanlon on behalf of Marie Pascale-Pollard. Having fully converted to organic dairying with a herd of 155 cows, the farm serves as an inspiring practical model for reducing chemical fertiliser and meal inputs while maintaining strong net margins and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Kevin will share the farm story, use of multi-species swards, biodiversity measures, and animal welfare and plans for future tree planting.

Book

Agroforestry Farm Walk Clare August 14th 2026This walk is part-funded by forestry promotion funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Join us for an Agroforestry Farm Walk in Co Clare on Friday, August 14th. Start time 11am. We are visiting the Earls’ Family Farm. Thi...

17/08/2026

Take out membership here. https://www.irishagroforestry.ie/join

What you gain as a IAF Member:

Peer-to-Peer Learning: Direct access to experienced agroforesters, and researchers and the latest in agroforestry research. We always try and get you the information you need.

Exclusive Events & Farm Walks: Free or discounted entry to our events

Policy & Advocacy Voice: Support our work representing agroforestry interests.

Member Network & Mentorship: Connect with other people interested in agroforestry to gain insights, and practical advice.

Regular Updates: Receive technical updates, policy updates and newsletters.

Membership of the European Agroforestry Federation

Your membership directly supports the Forum's work across the island of Ireland and our collaboration with other stakeholders, researchers and NGOS in the EU and United States.

Whether you are establishing agroforestry under forestry or agricultural schemes or it is self funded, there is a place for you in our network.

14/08/2026

Great farm walk and talk today at Earls Family Farm in Co Clare today. This is an organic beef farm with native woodland, ACRES tree planting, Agroforestry FT8 and commercial forestry. Plans for a sheep enterprise with the agroforestry FT8. Sean shared the family's reasons for planting agroforestry on the farm, environmental and financial and their experience of the application process, farm payments and how they have managed their forestry and agroforestry within the farm succession plan. Thanks to Forester John Paul Fahy for sharing his knowledge and experience designing these systems. Lots of discussion on tree guards and designing with farm safety in mind.