Type ‘typical Irish farmer’ into your internet browser and an ‘AI-enabled overview’ will describe an older male, usually managing the family farm, often socially isolated, specialising in supplying milk or meat to co-op, mart or factory.
Other than the ‘male’ bit, Clare farmer Fergal Smith is probably as atypical an Irish farmer as they come, and ‘Moy Hill farm’ is, likewise, a very different kind of farm enterprise.
A former professional surfer (so good at it that he was paid to fly around the world to compete!), Fergal bought the first few acres near Lahinch, Co Clare when in his 20s. Today, he direct-sells vegetables, eggs and meat from this ‘farm-come-social-enterprise’, which describes itself as a ‘community that cultivates honesty and reverence, with respectful use of the countryside’.
Chasing waves
Fergal grew up on a farm in Co Mayo; his parents Chris and Brid recently retired from farming and now split their time between Clare and Mayo, helping Fergal, his wife Sally and their three young children.
But this farming foundation doesn’t fully explain Fergal’s unlikely and abrupt career transition, which, as he explains, was driven largely by a sense of purpose.
A newborn Dexter, nesting in the long grass.
“I gave up the surfing dream for something more real and long-lasting. I had a great time chasing waves and travelling, but it didn’t sit right with me to live like that indefinitely, not giving something back to the world in which we live,” he said.
“I grew up growing food and it just feels right; it’s important work that we need to prioritise as a society. The way I looked at it was, if I don’t do this, then who will? Also, it gives me great joy producing healthy food and supplying it to people locally.”
Nourishing
Moy Hill farm produces a huge range of organic vegetables, eggs from 400 hens (plus 500 new additions) and, more recently, beef. Fergal has built a herd of 11 Dexter cows and their followers, nine of which he hopes to finish this year, butcher and sell locally.
His rationale for introducing cattle is beyond economic: “Animals bring life to a farm. While market gardening is a very productive use of land, it’s not managing the landscape and building soil and biodiversity on a wider scale.”
Regenerating soil health is a big focus: vegetables are grown on a compost-based ‘no-till’ system, the cattle help recycle nutrients, while over 25,000 trees help provide shelter and improve water and nutrient cycling on the rushy, salt-laden-wind-swept pastures.
It seems to be paying-off: in 2021, Moy Hill was the first farm in Ireland to be certified by the Savoury Institute’s Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) global monitoring system, confirming its regenerative credentials.
Intention
Moy Hill farm is profitable, largely thanks to the direct, local sale of produce through the farm shop, markets, restaurants, retail outlets and a long-running Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box scheme.
Fergal with intern Grace Butler after a day’s work.
But Fergal views this as just one measure of success: “We need to make it pay, that’s for sure, but we have to tap in to the job satisfaction element. When you are meeting the people you are feeding, then the job becomes more than just a job, you realise what an important role you play in these local families’ lives.”
For Fergal, this is “farming with intention”. The farm’s socio-economic footprint includes a workforce of two full-time and three part-time employees, four interns and two part-time volunteers.
Hundreds of volunteers and 17 full interns have worked there previously, many going on to establish their own farms – such as Brian Dineen of ‘Mad Yolk Farm’ in Galway, who cites time spent at Moy Hill as an inspiration.
While visiting, I met Grace Butler, from a Westmeath sheep farm, weeding vegetable beds alongside Fergal, ‘learning by doing’ as part of her internship. The farm’s raw learning potential is what really excites Fergal.
Ambition
Fergal’s big vision is to create a centre of excellence for training a new generation of farmers to produce healthy food for their communities.
He wants to create a dedicated learning space to share hands-on skills and experience and, even more ambitiously, to help aspiring farmers to navigate obstacles like access to land and capital.
“We need an army of new farmers who can run mixed regenerative farms which sell direct. This is a no-brainer of an idea, everything is telling us to look after soil, biodiversity and human health.”
It’s easy to dismiss this as wishful thinking or just too alternative, but Moy Hill farm continues to flourish a decade on, and its economic, social and environmental performance speaks volumes and ticks so many boxes.
This former surfer is well used to risk-taking, and hopefully his courage, graft and vision will continue to inspire and support a new ‘wave’ of young farmers.
TOP TIP
If possible, sell direct. It’s the farmer’s only way to assert some level of control.
Learn more
Scan the QR code for Moy Hill farm’s website, which includes a beautiful short film.
For a peer-led introduction to regenerative farming and soil health, it’s hard to beat BASE Ireland’s Soil Dependence Open Day on July 4 near Maynooth, Co Kildare. Scan the QR code for more info.
Farm facts
Name: Fergal Smith. Farm type: vegetables, eggs, beef.Farm size: 46ha.Focus: to demonstrate that a mixed farm that looks after the soil, and nourishes as many people as possible, can be a reality and not just a nice idea. Schemes: Organic Farming Scheme.
Type ‘typical Irish farmer’ into your internet browser and an ‘AI-enabled overview’ will describe an older male, usually managing the family farm, often socially isolated, specialising in supplying milk or meat to co-op, mart or factory.
Other than the ‘male’ bit, Clare farmer Fergal Smith is probably as atypical an Irish farmer as they come, and ‘Moy Hill farm’ is, likewise, a very different kind of farm enterprise.
A former professional surfer (so good at it that he was paid to fly around the world to compete!), Fergal bought the first few acres near Lahinch, Co Clare when in his 20s. Today, he direct-sells vegetables, eggs and meat from this ‘farm-come-social-enterprise’, which describes itself as a ‘community that cultivates honesty and reverence, with respectful use of the countryside’.
Chasing waves
Fergal grew up on a farm in Co Mayo; his parents Chris and Brid recently retired from farming and now split their time between Clare and Mayo, helping Fergal, his wife Sally and their three young children.
But this farming foundation doesn’t fully explain Fergal’s unlikely and abrupt career transition, which, as he explains, was driven largely by a sense of purpose.
A newborn Dexter, nesting in the long grass.
“I gave up the surfing dream for something more real and long-lasting. I had a great time chasing waves and travelling, but it didn’t sit right with me to live like that indefinitely, not giving something back to the world in which we live,” he said.
“I grew up growing food and it just feels right; it’s important work that we need to prioritise as a society. The way I looked at it was, if I don’t do this, then who will? Also, it gives me great joy producing healthy food and supplying it to people locally.”
Nourishing
Moy Hill farm produces a huge range of organic vegetables, eggs from 400 hens (plus 500 new additions) and, more recently, beef. Fergal has built a herd of 11 Dexter cows and their followers, nine of which he hopes to finish this year, butcher and sell locally.
His rationale for introducing cattle is beyond economic: “Animals bring life to a farm. While market gardening is a very productive use of land, it’s not managing the landscape and building soil and biodiversity on a wider scale.”
Regenerating soil health is a big focus: vegetables are grown on a compost-based ‘no-till’ system, the cattle help recycle nutrients, while over 25,000 trees help provide shelter and improve water and nutrient cycling on the rushy, salt-laden-wind-swept pastures.
It seems to be paying-off: in 2021, Moy Hill was the first farm in Ireland to be certified by the Savoury Institute’s Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) global monitoring system, confirming its regenerative credentials.
Intention
Moy Hill farm is profitable, largely thanks to the direct, local sale of produce through the farm shop, markets, restaurants, retail outlets and a long-running Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box scheme.
Fergal with intern Grace Butler after a day’s work.
But Fergal views this as just one measure of success: “We need to make it pay, that’s for sure, but we have to tap in to the job satisfaction element. When you are meeting the people you are feeding, then the job becomes more than just a job, you realise what an important role you play in these local families’ lives.”
For Fergal, this is “farming with intention”. The farm’s socio-economic footprint includes a workforce of two full-time and three part-time employees, four interns and two part-time volunteers.
Hundreds of volunteers and 17 full interns have worked there previously, many going on to establish their own farms – such as Brian Dineen of ‘Mad Yolk Farm’ in Galway, who cites time spent at Moy Hill as an inspiration.
While visiting, I met Grace Butler, from a Westmeath sheep farm, weeding vegetable beds alongside Fergal, ‘learning by doing’ as part of her internship. The farm’s raw learning potential is what really excites Fergal.
Ambition
Fergal’s big vision is to create a centre of excellence for training a new generation of farmers to produce healthy food for their communities.
He wants to create a dedicated learning space to share hands-on skills and experience and, even more ambitiously, to help aspiring farmers to navigate obstacles like access to land and capital.
“We need an army of new farmers who can run mixed regenerative farms which sell direct. This is a no-brainer of an idea, everything is telling us to look after soil, biodiversity and human health.”
It’s easy to dismiss this as wishful thinking or just too alternative, but Moy Hill farm continues to flourish a decade on, and its economic, social and environmental performance speaks volumes and ticks so many boxes.
This former surfer is well used to risk-taking, and hopefully his courage, graft and vision will continue to inspire and support a new ‘wave’ of young farmers.
TOP TIP
If possible, sell direct. It’s the farmer’s only way to assert some level of control.
Learn more
Scan the QR code for Moy Hill farm’s website, which includes a beautiful short film.
For a peer-led introduction to regenerative farming and soil health, it’s hard to beat BASE Ireland’s Soil Dependence Open Day on July 4 near Maynooth, Co Kildare. Scan the QR code for more info.
Farm facts
Name: Fergal Smith. Farm type: vegetables, eggs, beef.Farm size: 46ha.Focus: to demonstrate that a mixed farm that looks after the soil, and nourishes as many people as possible, can be a reality and not just a nice idea. Schemes: Organic Farming Scheme. 
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