A great group of farmers and people interested in the future for farming in the Burren came together in Kilfenora on the 13th July as part of HNV-Link: Innovation for High Nature Value Farming to put forward thoughts and ideas on a vision going forward. Groups considered their future vision for farming in the Burren and the barriers and opportunities that feed into this.
Later in the evening, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed joined to acknowledge the recent LIFE programme award for the Burren Programme. On the night, the Burren farmers also made a presentation in thanks for the work of Brendan Dunford and Sharon Parr over the years.
Speaking on the night, Minister Creed commended the Burren Programme saying “This award acknowledges two significant achievements, including the positive impact which Ireland’s Rural Development Programme, funded and managed by my Department, can make to local farming communities through innovative schemes such as this. Secondly the award is rightly a source of huge pride to the farming community here in the Burren, and the team who have supported and worked with it over the last 15 years. They have created something very special, something which has caused the rest of Europe to sit up and take notice and is consistently pointed out as a model for other communities and indeed Countries to follow.”
Minister Creed also announced the dates for the next Burren Winterage School, organised by BurrenBeo Trust and funded by his Department. This will take place from 26th to 28th October in Ballyvaughan and the theme this year will be “Community-inspired innovation for sustainable farming systems”.
