Signpost Programme Frequently Asked Questions

What does the programme involve?

There are 5 steps to the programme for participating farmers:

You register here for the Signpost programme
A baseline assessment of the current actions being implemented on your farm is undertaken
You will have the opportunity to see the total emissions figures for your farm – Know Your Number. This is an important starting point. It’s hard to change what you don’t measure.
An action plan for your farm will be developed in conjunction with an advisor – Make My Plan. Creating this action plan will be supported by being able to assess, select and commit to the actions that are most appropriate to your farm.
You will be supported to enable you to make the plan happen through a range of advisory supports, including both group-based and individual follow-up and advice.

What support do I get from this programme?

A farm specific Signpost Action Plan;
One-to-one Climate Action advice from a Teagasc Advisor;
Invitations to Signpost Farms farm walks and seminars;
Support in the implementation of your farm’s Nutrient Management Plan;
Digital newsletters, updates and text messages, including the monthly Signpost e-Newsletter;
Support in interpreting your farm’s GHG emissions and carbon footprint, including the opportunity for benchmarking your farm’s performance against industry targets.

Is there a charge for the service?

No, the service is free of charge to all farmers.

How long will the programme run for?

Participation in the programme will be for 3 years. Farmers will be supported during this 3 year period in adopting the key technologies identified in the Action Plan for their farm.

Where will I get baseline information for my farm?

A basic requirement for change is knowing where you are starting from. You will have access to this information through AgNav. AgNav is the Sustainability Digital Platform which was launched in 2023. This platform recognises the existing actions in place on the farm and establish baseline data for your farm and generates a total emissions figure for your farm. Currently AgNav is available to all Tillage farmers and to beef and dairy farmers who are participating in the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme.

Using AgNav, you can determine the impact of different options and actions on the emissions profile specific to your farm. “Know My Number” is an important starting point for selecting the right actions in order to “Make My Plan” for the farm.

Who will deliver the programme to me?

Teagasc advisors are equipped to provide AgNav support. The service is closely linked to the ongoing advisory support services currently in place. This ensures consistency and good integration into existing advisory programmes.

Will the programme deal with water quality and biodiversity loss?

The main focus of the programme is to achieve our climate action plan targets. There are complementarity benefits to both water quality and biodiversity enhancement. Programmes like ASSAP as well as our ongoing programmes across the range of farm enterprises also complement this programme.

How does this advisory programme link in with the Signpost Demonstration Farm Network?

There are two pillars to the Signpost Programme:

The network of Signpost demonstration farms;
The Signpost Advisory Programme.

The Advisory Programme aims to maximise the reach of the Signpost Programme. The network of 120 demonstration farmers plays two critical roles in this programme:

They are amongst the first to adopt climate mitigation and adaptation technologies, supported by their advisors; and
They are central to farmer-to-farmer learning, sharing their experiences with other farmers through farm walks, events, articles, videos, media etc.

Is the Signpost programme part of a bigger plan by Teagasc to reduce emissions?

The Signpost programme is one component of the Teagasc Climate Action Strategy. The main pillars of the strategy are: