THE LOCAL community will have the chance to see the work being done locally between Ulster Wildlife and Fermanagh farmers to protect our precious environment, as part of this week’s Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend.
Three Fermanagh farms will be opening their gates for the event this year – Mullygarry Farm on the Moybane Road in Letterbreen, Dolan’s Social Farm in Garrison, and the CAFRE farm campus in Enniskillen – this weekend, Saturday and Sunday June 17th and 18th. There will also be a pre-registered school day at two of the farms on Friday.
At Dolan’s Social Farm in Garrison, the Ulster Wildlife Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) team – which for the past several years has been helping local farmers protect and maintain priority habitats – will be on hand to take the visiting public on guided tours of the farm.
People will get to see first hand the richness in both plant and insect life on the farm, which exist due to the careful management of the Dolan family.
“In an NI context this farm is quite unique and is a fine example of how sensitive farming is essential to allow nature to flourish,” said Ulster Wildlife’s Peter Gallagher.
“We in the EFS Team here in Fermanagh are proud to support the many local farmers who are doing an excellent job at farming in a High Nature Value fashion that is beneficial to nature and the environment.”
Run by Dr Miriam and Malachy Dolan, along with their three children, Dolan’s Social Farm has been in the family for over 200 years, and is helping lead the farming industry into the future with its modern sustainable techniques.
Open Farm Weekend is led by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), and is aimed celebrating and promoting farmers, and at providing the public with a chance to experience the wonders of farming first hand and engage with the activities of a working farm. This helps promote awareness and understanding of the agriculture industry, as well a fostering a connection between rural and urban communities.
This weekend Dolan’s Social Farm will be open on Saturday, June 17th from 11am-3pm, while the CAFRE Enniskillen Campus will also be open to pre-registered school children on Friday 16 June and to the public on Saturday, June 17th from 10.30am-4pm.
Mullygarry Farm will be open to the public on Saturday, June 17th from 11am-5pm and on Sunday, June 18th from 12pm-5pm.
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