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Uncle
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Page 8
Thursday, July 16, 2009 SECTION B

Food farming
goes back to
basics

BY
SIOBHÁN
HOLLIMAN
SENDING a vegetarian to a farm doesn’t always have a
successful ending. We tend to ooh and aah at the animals
before being told they’re nearly ready for slaughtering,
which quashes all smiling efforts in an instant.
But I suppose I’m a vegetarian, as a good colleague of mine
would say, with a difference. I don’t eat meat but I’ve no
problem cooking it for others and when I do I prefer to know
that the oink oinks and baa baas had the best life they could
up to their doomsday.
The Friendly Farmer epitomises what rural small-scale
farming and enterprise can really be. Ronan Byrne began his
adventure three years ago on his family’s farm in
Knockbrack, Athenry.

MARIA Holden with Ronan Byrne, the friendly farmer.

afternoon and my diners didn’t proffer any complaints. meat.

Ronan’s chickens also differ greatly from most Just a few steps from Ronan’s back door is a flock of 140 FEEDING time: The Saddleback breed pigs certainly
supermarket offerings in that they are substantially larger geese. These are enjoying roaming the farmland and will be love their food as well as the shady trees above.
and have had a longer life. fattened up six weeks before Christmas. The 350 turkey
“Most supermarket chickens are slaughtered after seven chicks will arrive next week. Again Ronan has chosen farm he is keen to develop.
weeks whereas our chickens get to live nearly twice as long,” traditional breeds and the unusual Norfolk Bronze turkey The front of Ronan’s house isn’t filled with flower beds and
explains The Friendly Farmer. which is reared out in the open farm until Christmas week shrub borders, there’s a fine mix of beetroot, onions, carrots
Ronan looked at hundreds of alternative methods and proved exceptionally popular last year, with queues at the and potatoes which are only sufficient for family use at the
projects related to farming before realising that the simple gate on Christmas Eve. moment but again Ronan hopes to be able to grow more fruit
ideas can work out best. Ronan is developing his farm and his business like his and vegetables for his future farm shop.
“I thought why not produce good wholesome local food for livestock - slow and steadily. His dream is to have a proper Ronan says his customers are very happy. “They see they
the local population. farm shop with additional Friendly Farmer are getting local produce of a high quality
“I’ve reverted to the old way of thinking that if you treat produce such as vegetables, hen and duck and it offers good value for money.
He realised he was never to going to have his own animals well and choose the best methods of farming to suit eggs along with an increased supply of Freezing is making a comeback and
mammoth dairy farm, similar to the type he managed in the local conditions then the result is a far superior poultry, pork, beef, ducks, geese and offers great convienience. People are
Poland a few years ago, but he was determined to make product.” turkeys. buying their food from source and can
farming a successful way of life and business for him. Visitors to Ronan’s farm and farm shop will be met with “People can come here every see where the animals have been
A graduate of Mountbellew Agricultural College and the the wonderful snorting from the fantastic Saddleback pigs. Saturday and stock up, whether raised.”
GMIT, Ronan jokes that he tried “the real world for a while” These enormous pink and black animals roam around their they order half a pig or just go for a There can’t be any better
and worked in marketing but quickly decided that putting all pen enjoying the shade from the abundant few chickens and some sausages. traceability than that.
his effort into promoting someone else’s products wasn’t for leafy cover above. While Ronan It’s all been produced locally and
him. does sell small piglets to in a traditional way,” adds Meet the Friendly Farmer
The challenge he set was to make a sustainable living from individuals who Ronan. To get further information on
an average sized West of Ireland farm. This may be choose to rear He also stocks beef boxes the Friendly Farmer’s range of
considered an impossible task by the majority of the region’s themselves for which contain a selection of produce contact Ronan Byrne on
small farmers who constantly whinge they can’t make ends fattening and cuts which come from his 087-6203765. You can also follow
meet, but Ronan’s self-belief is an overwhelming force. killing, his most herd of Belted Galloways, what’s going on in the farm by
Apparently the average carnivore will chew and chomp popular markets are another area of his reading his blogspot at
their way through 550 chickens in their lifetime - that’s a lot sausages and the ww.thefriendlyfarmer
of wishbones to consider upon - but most of us have little pork products from .blogspot.com.
idea where they flew the coop from or how they ended up a half a pig.
between our gnashers. Taking home half
The chicken coop was unusually quiet at the end of last a pig for your
week when I visited. The pleasing sight of chickens freezer may
scratching around a field, their heads bobbing in and out of initially seem a
the grass wasn’t to be found. The silence had meaning and I little daunting but it
learned that just days before the chuck chucks had a date was quite a common
with their maker and were now neatly nestling in the freezer practice for farming families
ready for the shopping basket. in North Galway who annually
But the key is not to focus on the chickens’ end, it’s how slaughtered lambs and cattle for
they live their short life is important. Being an amateur the freezer.
agriculturally speaking I of course was somewhat It’s a trend that is making a
bewildered as to where all the eggs from the 500 chickens comeback and more people
went. are putting their chest
“They don’t lay eggs,” affirmed Ronan, who brings the and large larder
chickens to Athenry at just a day old. freezers to better use
It seems some chickens are more suited to egg laying than than stockpiling pizzas
the table and chickens destined for the roasting tray aren’t and leftovers that never
roaming the fields long enough to be able to produce even a see another day.
baker’s dozen. “The meat is cut to the
“All our chickens are pasture fed and are out in the fresh customer’s requirements
grass from dawn to dusk. We have Hubbar-cross chickens and can include a selection of
which is a slow maturing old fashioned breed, coloured red sausages, rashers, pork and
and white,” explains Ronan. bacon,” says Ronan, who points
He adds that fresh grass is very important for ensuring lip- out that the Saddleback pigs are
smacking chicken as the birds pick the minerals from it an old breed that are slow
which makes their meat tastier. I can’t confirm this maturing and suited to outdoor
personally but the carcass looked pretty bare on Sunday rearing, giving a better flavour of