Situated 2km inland, Shy By Nature Farm is a 16 acre farm in Inver, south Donegal, just off the Wild Atlantic Way on a green hill with views to Donegal Bay and the Bluestack Mountains - almost equidistant between Donegal town, Killybegs and Ardara.
The home of the McNern family since the late 1800s, and most recently farmed by our uncle Hugh Augustin, the farm is now being taken on by Ronan and Gareth - sons of Hugh’s brother Louis who lives in Letterkenny with his wife Evelyn.
We aim to create a regenerative farm ecosystem that’s good for community, nature and our family for generations to come.
Ronan is a social and environmental campaigner with experience of growing vegetables, now returning home to Donegal to become a farmer after time working and living in the UK and Spain.
Given the combined crises we face - from the cost of living crisis to the biodiversity and climate emergency, Ronan feels that the best way we can face into these is by coming together, creating community resilience, connecting to nature and finding joy along the way.
Gareth, an engineer who has worked across the UK and Ireland, is based in Letterkenny with his family. Passionate about making a positive and lasting change for his home county and family farm, he believes that we need to reimagine what the land is for, put farmers at the centre of the regenerative story and in turn, become part of the solution.
“Care of the soil and care of the soul are not separate things”
Satish Kumar
Regenerative Agriculture is a systems approach that, starting with the living soil, creates farm ecosystems that work in harmony with nature, improving life quality for every creature - from soil microorganisms, flora and fauna, to farmers and community. The microbiome of the soil is intrinsically linked with the microbiome of our stomachs, degenerative food is not only causing harm to the soils of the world, but to our health and wellbeing. So it makes sense to start with the soil.
The term regenerative agriculture was coined by Robert Rodale, but its origin is in Indigenous agriculture practiced around the world for thousands of years. It isn’t a specific practice, but a variety of techniques combined, based on philosophies like permaculture, agroecology, agroforestry, restoration ecology, keyline design, and holistic management.
With advocates including people like Gabe Brown and Richard Perkins, to grassroots groups and organisations such as the UN FAO and IPCC, if taken up on a large scale, regenerative agriculture can change the planet.
“Integrated farming systems and integrated cropping systems can vastly increase our adaptive capacity through protecting soil, water and other resources.”
Donegal Climate Ready 2019-24
Putting community at the heart of the farm, we are keen to explore how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) might work in south Donegal. That’s why we are looking to try this out for our 2023 vegetable box pilot scheme.
Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between farmers and the local community, in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared. Consumers subscribe to the harvest from the farm, creating a direct connection between farmer and community, fostering community resilience.
By purchasing a CSA subscription from us, you are helping to provide the working capital needed prior to the start of the season, allowing the farm to focus on the planning and growing for the season. In return, CSA members receive best quality, freshly-harvested produce throughout the growing season, which in the first 2023 is expected to be 22 weeks, June to October.
Developed in the 1960’s in Japan as well as by Black American professor of agriculture Booker T. Whatley, CSA projects can be found all over the world - particularly in the US, UK and Europe - with uptake growing fast given the pandemic and cost of living crisis. We believe that the scalability of model holds powerful potential to address food security and sovereignty, alongside complementary models. We are deeply inspired by the work of members of CSA Network Ireland, CSA UK & URGENCI.
