Support for farmers in Mayo to take positive actions for climate
On the 21st June, the Signpost Advisory Programme was launched by Teagasc in the Mayo Region. This new advisory programme will complement existing advisory services and programmes already being provided to farmers in the region. The programme is designed to support and enable farmers to farm more sustainably with an emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their individual farms, thus contributing to the overall national effort by the agricultural and food sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
The programme will be an extension to the existing Signpost (Farmers for Climate Action) Programme that has established a network of more than 120 demonstration farms around the country, including 4 in Mayo, in collaboration with 65 Industry Partners. The Signpost Advisory Programme will add significantly to this programme by providing individual farmers greater access to support and tools to help them to adopt the appropriate practices and technologies on their farms that will impact on the emissions from their farm.
This is a free advisory service and available to all farmers across all enterprises. The overall aim of the programme is to give all farmers the confidence to adopt new and existing technologies and production systems that will allow them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining and improving farm profitability. The programme will utilise an exciting new sustainability digital platform (to be known as AgNav), being developed collaboratively by Teagasc, ICBF and Bord Bia. This new AgNav platform will allow farmers to “Know My Number” by calculating and assessing the sources of emissions on their individual farms. The AgNav platform will also provide a way of comparing the impacts of different technology and farm practice options on reducing these emissions and for a farm to “Make My Plan” by selecting actions that can be implemented on the farm in the future that will reduce emissions.
Speaking at the launch, Teagasc regional manager, Vivian Silke highlighted, “It’s great that we have an experienced Signpost Advisor to provide free support to farmers to make their own plans for cutting both emissions and costs. Good management of soils and nutrients will be the foundation of every plan and, with the advisors’ help, farmers can choose the right components to build on this and make a plan that suits their farm.”
Cathal Irwin from Ballyheane just outside Castlebar is one of the Signpost Programme Demonstration farms in the Mayo Region. HE is one of the farmers already seeing the benefits of adopting new practices that are positive for climate and sustainability. HE shared his experiences of getting involved in the programme pointing out that “Knowing my Number” (his carbon emissions figure) is key to making progress. “You can’t change what you don’t measure”. Continuing he said, “He is looking foward to completing the Signpost Advisory Programme workshop I will know the most important steps that I can take to reduce my carbon footprint and play my part in the whole sector achieving its target to reduce emissions by 25% by 2030’.
The Signpost advisor having been appointed in the Teagasc Mayo region to directly support this new programme. Enda Geoghegan, began his career as a Reps planner in Crossmolina in 2001 before transitioning to a B&T Drystock advisor role in Ballina, Co. Mayo in 2009. Hailing from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, he comes from a farming background. Enda Geoghegan has also stressed the importance of getting signed up for the programme.
To sign up for the Signpost Advisory Programme click on: Sign up or contact your local Teagasc advisor or advisory office.