Jack is blazing a trail for nature-friendly farming
Jack Browne
A THIRD-generation farmer from Tullow is redefining what it means to farm with nature. Since taking over his family’s 40-hectare (100-acre) farm at Downings near Tullow in 2020, Jack Browne, has transformed the once single crop land into a thriving, biodiverse system that integrates agroforestry, permaculture, and organic practices.
The young organic tillage farmer’s most ambitious move came through his participation in an EIP (European Innovation Partnership) project with Trees On The Land, which established his farm as a demonstration site for Silvo arable systems, a pioneering agroforestry practice in Ireland. He has since integrated over 3,000 trees into his tillage system across a 27-hectare field, creating structured alleyways of crops flanked by rows of fruit, nut and native trees, including walnut, hazel, sweet chestnut, apple, plum and elder.
Jack has a full-time job off-farm and he’s keen to experiment as a result. He says: “At this stage of my life, I was willing to let the farm be less profitable in the hope I could figure out a system that will be sustainable. I want to add diversity and complexity to the farm to help mitigate against climate change.”
His approach, described as ‘low input, premium output’, places a strong emphasis on soil health, cover cropping and minimum tillage, now being trialled as part of the ACRES Agri-environment scheme. Jack has also committed around three hectares (seven acres) to native woodland, with species such as oak, birch, alder and Scots pine contributing to a rich ecological habitat.
“I love the biodiversity that comes with farming for nature – so much life and growth. It means there is always much to look at when we go for our daily walks here.”
Nominated by the Irish Organic Association, Jack has recently been awarded the prestigious Farming for Nature Ambassador Award and is now a part of a community of leading farmers who exemplify the balance between productive agriculture and nature conservation.
Jack says: “The Farming for Nature Ambassadors were part of the motivation for me to try something different, but more important was seeing other Irish farmers doing things differently, which gave me the confidence to make changes on my farm. Seeing other Irish farmers exploring non-conventional ideas gave me the confidence. I am proud to be part of a network that is doing so much good stuff.”
In addition to managing his own farm, Jack has opened his gates to others, hosting farm walks, sharing knowledge through media interviews, and inspiring fellow farmers with his passion for working with nature.
Since starting this journey five years ago Jack understands the difficulties of moving away from mainstream agriculture a bit better.
“At the start of the journey, I told myself that I didn’t want to memorise the names of pesticides but rather I wanted my head to be filled with information about trees and plants instead. I know a bit more about birds, too, because the farm has exploded with life. There are buzzards, owls and kestrels around now, an indication of a thriving ecosystem.”
