Festival celebrating local food and sustainable agriculture in Tipperary ‘exceeds expectations’

The founder of the Field Exchange festival, Ailbhe Gerrard, has hailed the success of last weekend’s gathering of farmers, artists, agricultural experts and food producers at Brookfield Farm, Tipperary, saying that the three-day event “exceeded all expectations”.

The festival to promote creative approaches to farming and food production took place over three days from September 5-7, and featured specially commissioned art installations, musical and spoken word performances, workshops, and even a lunch made from local produce by celebrity chef Valentine Warner.

Brookfield Farm is an award-winning organic farm, agritourism hub and a conservation area for the Native Irish Honey Bee. The festival is the brainchild of the farmer and teacher who runs Brookfield Farm, Ailbhe Gerrard.

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This year’s festival kicked off with the Fields of Possibility Symposium on Friday, September 5, with contributions from speakers including author Anja Murray, journalist and chef Janine Kennedy, and Artistic Director of the Nenagh Arts Centre Trish Taylor Thompson.

Attendees heard about the benefits of agroecology, agroforestry and how creative approaches to agriculture can be the catalyst for producing thriving rural communities with a deep connection to land and place. Festivalgoers were later treated to a spoken word musical performance from The Company of Trees. The day ended with the launch of a drystone Horseshoe Bench by designers Elements of Action, while artist Gerardine Wisdom presented her Dexter bull sculpture made from Lough Derg rushes, a piece specially commissioned for the Field Exchange festival.

Saturday, September 6, kicked off with craft and sustainable farming workshops, a sensory farm walk, and agroforestry demonstration by the Irish Agroforestry Ireland Forum. Among the stalls showcasing a range of delicious local foods and handmade crafts, there was also a dry stone walling demonstration from the Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland before another performance from The Company of Trees.

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On the final day, Sunday, September 7, celebrity chef Valentine Warner displayed his peerless culinary skills by leading preparations for the Field Exchange Celebration Lunch. Collaborating with Tipperary Food Producers’ Network, Valentine prepared a mouth-watering lunch from local produce.

The success of a pilot version of the festival in 2022 paved the way for the team to secure funding from Creative Ireland’s Creative Climate Action fund to host Field Exchange in 2024 and 2025. The Field Exchange Team is aiming to secure another round of funding to host the festival again in 2026.

Project lead Ailbhe Gerrard, a Farming for Nature Ambassador and An Taisce Climate Ambassador, says:

“The response to this year’s Field Exchange festival exceeded all expectations. The enthusiasm of attendees to Brookfield Farm over the three days demonstrates the increasing public appetite to support progressive agricultural projects and learn more about creative approaches to farming and food production. I’m thankful to Creative Ireland, the Field Exchange team, and all our artists and contributors who made this year’s event such a runaway success.”

Field Exchange was one of 43 Creative Climate Action Fund projects taking place across the country. The projects work with communities using creativity to envision a better future and empower people to make real changes about how they interact with the environment.