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Organic Matters

Podcast by Irish Organic Association

English

Technology & science

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About Organic Matters

Organic Matters Podcast is brought to you every Saturday by the Irish Organic Association. Our host Hannah Quinn-Mulligan will expertly guide you through each episode as we meet organic farmers and food producers from all over Ireland. We have been certifying organic farms and businesses for 40 years and we bring you a flavour of why organic matters now more than ever. Meet some of our fantastic members discussing how organic is central to their business. Tune in every Saturday at 12 noon.

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123 episodes

episode Season 4: Outwintering beef cattle on cover crops and growing crop mixes artwork

Season 4: Outwintering beef cattle on cover crops and growing crop mixes

In the final episode of Season 4 of the Organic Matters Podcast, we meet organic farmers Aoife Gibney and Eamon Campbell on their beef and tillage farm in Co. Meath. The couple are recent converts to organics, becoming full-symbol organic this year. Aiofe and Eamon calve in both the Autumn and the Spring and artificially inseminate their heifers, with a mixture of Sailor, Limousine, Charolais and the odd bit of Angus, making up the herd. They talk about converting their housing to meet the organic spacing requirements, with a combination of slatted and straw-bedded areas. They also speak about some of the reasons they made the move and their experience going organic in recent years, which they have found very stimulating and a new challenge. This has included growing red clover and whole-crop silage for their cattle, as well as outwintering cattle on kale. Typically, cattle have been sold into the local marts, with Aoife and Eamon weighing up different options for the future.

20 Dec 2025 - 16 min
episode Season 4: Switching from sheep to organic beef, cereals and agri-tourism artwork

Season 4: Switching from sheep to organic beef, cereals and agri-tourism

In this week's episode, we meet organic farmer and entrepreneur Richard Ball, farming on the Meath/Westmeath border. Richard and his wife Bairbre switched from lambing a few hundred ewes to a more diversified operation, including agri-tourism, organic beef boxes, more recently oats. Richard talks about the important role the farm plays in supporting his tourism business, Johnsfort, with the Balls hosting farm stays and a range of tours across the island. This includes local tours tapping into what the Boyne Valley and Ireland's Hidden Hearts have to offer. He also touches on his experience reintroducing tillage back onto the farm, producing oats and his herd of Dexters, Angus and Shorthorn cattle, with meat sold direct to consumers, as well as a small herd of Highland cattle.

6 Dec 2025 - 16 min
episode Season 4: Organics helping to save rare breeds and grasslands artwork

Season 4: Organics helping to save rare breeds and grasslands

This week on Organic Matters, we meet cattle and sheep farmer Tom Keane, located on the banks of the Shannon estuary, Co. Limerick. Tom, along with his brother Michael, has been championing native breeds and conservation grazing, and he speaks about how they complement his organic farm. Tom talks about his native Irish Droimeann breeds and how his farming system supports animal health and nature protection. He also keeps Galway pedigree sheep as well as Shropshire and Shetland breeds, with the wool fully utilised for bespoke products. The farm is located in a protected area and part of the Great Grassland Trails of Ireland, and Tom touches on the range of birdlife and wild plants, such as the bee orchid and hairy violet, present on his limestone grasslands.

8 Nov 2025 - 26 min
episode Season 4: Balancing organic tillage, beef, horses and nature artwork

Season 4: Balancing organic tillage, beef, horses and nature

This week on Organic Matters, we meet Philip and Eleanor Cussen, who farm in Co. Tipperary. They blend their love for nature and Irish Cobs, with growing tillage and rearing suckler cattle. They talk about the conversion of the farm over 10 years ago, re-establishing a suckler herd and dipping their toes into organic tillage, producing milling oats, which has become an important element of their enterprise. The Cussens touch on the importance of cooperating and learning from other organic farmers, and how Eleanor’s passion for the Irish cob horse breed is an integral part of their farming story. They also speak about how they have developed a greater appreciation for the wide range of biodiversity on the farm.

25 Oct 2025 - 22 min
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En fantastisk app med et enormt stort udvalg af spændende podcasts. Podimo formår virkelig at lave godt indhold, der takler de lidt mere svære emner. At der så også er lydbøger oveni til en billig pris, gør at det er blevet min favorit app.
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