Organic News
A growing revolution
Fittingly, after a summer of incessant rain, a group of concerned growers met before the IOFGA conference in an outside courtyard on Jimmy Mulhall's farm - and it wasn't raining.
There were mutterings of revolution, and time to make a stand and other well-worn clichés. We were lucky to have with us Alan Schofield, Chair of the Organic Growers Alliance which was formed two years ago in the UK. He addressed the twenty or so people present telling them how the OGA came about and what they were doing now. It sounded as if our reasons for trying to start something similar were the same as had motivated the OGA.
Alan spoke of needing to re establish a sense of community among growers, a need for recognition and representation, and to encourage the 'young 'uns' who are the future of our sector. The OGA has run farm walks as a way of promoting and informing the sector and now publishes a very comprehensive magazine on a twice yearly basis and has recently launched a new website at www.newoga.org.uk.
Our aspirations are very similar in the long term, and to start with we asked for volunteers to form a working group. It was proposed that we try and build a cross community OT/IOFGA thirty-two county group calling ourselves a producer group if needs be. We will look to have horticulture represented on all the important committees where they are not at the moment. We would try and build a membership by similar means to the OGA and keep regular contact with members by e-mail. Cáit Curran, Siobhan Morris, Padraig Fahey, Laszlo Kenderesi and myself were put forward and subsequently Phillip Draper has agreed to join us. Following an initial meeting in late October we hope to contact all registered growers by e-mail with an outline of what we are intending to do and try and get a membership behind this very important venture.
Subsequent to the setting up the working group, a very successful farm walk was organised by NOTS at Lough Boora Farm in Co. Offaly. Issues concerning growers were discussed and these will be added to the agenda for discussion by the group.
