Back to the hillsAn innovative idea by a Tipperary farmer may offer a lifeline to beleaguered hill farmers as well as help promote biodiversity in fragile upland areas.
Joe Condon, a certified organic hill farmer from the Knockmealdowns, has received Department of Agriculture funding for his project, Organics with Altitude: Artisan Meat from the Irish Highlands. He aims to develop a formal production protocol based on the principles of his own farming and food business, Omegabeefdirect, which deals with everything from the choice of traditional breeds to butchering, marketing and consumer feedback.
There has been a massive exodus from the hills since the introduction of environmental regulations aimed at preventing over-grazing and water pollution. Farmers say they are now allowed so few animals per acre on these sensitive habitats for such little return that upland farming on commonage isn't worth pursuing. Condon disagrees, arguing that some grazing is vital for keeping bracken and briars at bay and that the restrictive conditions mean upland meat is now being produced in an organic way, and thus deserves a premium. See www.organicswithaltitude.blogspot.com
More power to the wind
Designer, author and world renowned expert on wind power, Hugh Piggott, is leading a six-day course in which participants "can learn as much as they are personally capable of learning" about small wind turbine design and construction. It runs from September 8th-13th at Crann Og, Gort, Co Galway. See www.eirbyte.com/gort
Auditing the energy at home
A comprehensive one-day energy-auditing workshop in October will enable participants to carry out their own energy audits up to the standard used in the Building Regulation Technical Guidance Document L, says workshop leader, Andy Wilson. It will cover a wide range of conventional and alternative building materials, and examine the energy relationship between the different components of a building.
Participants will also examine the influence of draughts and air leaks, and look at ways to estimate the performance of a building when the standard of workmanship is less than best practice - something which Wilson says is not addressed in the recently introduced Building Energy Ratings. The workshop will also look at ways electricity consumption may be reduced, and at off-grid renewable energy. There are only 15 places available for the course on October 19th. See www.easca.ie
Build a house for €20,000
It may seem unlikely, nay impossible, to build an eco-friendly home for €20,000 or less, but the organisers of a day-long workshop in November claim it can be done. Aimed particularly at young people who want to build an ultra-low cost mortgage-free home in a rural area, the workshop will look at simple house design and construction, emphasising the use of natural and recycled materials.
Course leader Andy Wilson hopes that in post-peak oil Ireland, a more enlightened approached to low-impact structures will naturally evolve. Participants will be shown how to produce scaled drawings and encouraged to design and draw their own simple structures. There are only 15 places available. See www.easca.ie.