The beautiful valley of Gleann na nGealt near Camp in west Kerry derives its name (‘valley of the mad’) from the belief that a cure for insanity could be found in a well in the valley.
When Thomas and Claire O’Connor gave up their ‘good jobs’ 17 years ago to buy a small farm there, with a mission to grow nutritious food on land dominated by sheep, many would have thought them mad too.
It’s striking to reflect that, before Thomas and Claire arrived, this 25-acre smallholding consisted of four rushy, sheep-shorn fields. Today, viewed from above, it resembles a lush broadleaved forest within which are hidden multiple small fields of flourishing fruit and vegetables.
The enclosing trees providing shelter, nutrients and multiple other benefits to generate the diverse, nutritious produce which the O’Connors sell at their ‘Manna Organic Store’ (www.mannaorganicstore.ie) in Tralee.
It’s all a far cry from Thomas’s previous career as a publican, and Claire’s as a plastics engineer and computer programmer.
Manna
Thomas jokes that the reason he sold his pub was that, as a Kerryman, all he aspired to be was an even better Kerryman, and the best way to do this was to eat the Kerry ground – by growing and consuming food there.
But it really was their concern for the environment – specifically the role that food systems play – that motivated them to take the plunge.
It’s hard to describe Manna Organic farm but suffice it to say that it’s pretty unique: complexity and diversity are certainly celebrated here. There is however, an order to what might seem like chaos.
The farm is divided into a four-acre ‘Manna field’ which produces vegetables, a four-acre permaculture field (fruit), a four-acre Agroforestry field (fruit, timber) and 13 acres of mixed native woodland.
The Manna field is further subdivided into small parcels fringed with willow trees which are regularly hand-coppiced and chipped to create the pathways that separate the linear ‘min-till’ vegetable beds within.
Behind the willows lies a rich array of other native species, including Alders, great for fixing Nitrogen. Thomas uses underground mycelial networks (mushrooms!) to help distribute the deep-lying minerals and nutrients across his growing ‘platform’.
Soil biology
Thomas employs a three-cycle rotation of alliums (onions, leeks, garlic), brassicas (mostly kales) and other plants which are in-demand at their Tralee shop, like lettuces and beetroot. The only ‘external’ nutrients come in the form of haylage from four acres of rented land – carefully treated to neutralise any weed seeds.
He uses natural methods of pest control – including a wonderful pond to boost frog populations which, he reckons, harvest-off a lot of slugs. One of the few compromises is the use (and reuse) of sheets of bought-in ‘fleece’ to protect crops from hares and pigeons.
Soil biology is a subject of much fascination to Thomas: ‘Most of my livestock live under my feet’ he says.
Korean natural farming is an area of interest, as is food sovereignty; he is a strong advocate for seed collection, storage and use (he suggests pea and bean seeds as an easy place to start). Thomas is also adept at ‘air grafting’ to extend the life of favoured trees – he has a healthy mini-nursery of fruit trees grown using this fascinating method.
The highest part of Manna Organic farm is a thriving mixed-species woodland – grown where Thomas was told only conifers would survive.
The woodland currently hosts a family of free-range pigs, kept for domestic consumption, though Thomas previously used pigs to create hillside terraces for growing produce (while warning that excessive pig numbers can lead to soil compaction).
Learning by doing
Thomas confesses to plenty of lessons learned. Chickens previously featured on the farm until a combination of fox, mink and stoat decided otherwise; incorporating blackthorn into a hedge unleashed a flurry of suckers into his permaculture area (composed of a huge variety of fruit trees and shrubs) and so he recommends care in selecting hedgerow species.
Visiting Manna Organic Farm is a bit of a mind-blowing experience, there is so much going on and Thomas is ever-erupting with ideas.
His core message, however, is that nature is naturally complex and self-regulating – when we interfere with it to ‘simplify’ it, we risk generating more problems and associated (often spiralling) costs – economic, environmental and health.
For Claire too it’s been an amazing learning journey, in particular the people she has met through their involvement with Farming for Nature and An Talamh Beo.
She does wish they had more time off but, between the farm, shop and various projects, the pace is relentless.
You really have to admire the couple’s passion, hard graft and commitment which, thankfully, appears undiminished after all these years. In transforming their Gleann na nGealt holding, they bring to mind Seneca’s quote: “There is no great genius without a touch of madness.”
Learn more
For a wonderful six-minute video of Thomas in full flow, follow this link.
Thomas and Claire are part of the An Talamh Beo (www.talamhbeo.ie) – see their recent report from a fascinating EIP on Soil Biodiversity by following this link.
Top tips
Start small and experiment, meet with other like-minded people, and reconnect with your own place.
Farm facts
Name: Thomas and Claire O’ConnorFarm type: vegetables, fruit, trees.Farm size: 10ha. Focus: to grow good food and have a good quality of life – and to make a statement.
The beautiful valley of Gleann na nGealt near Camp in west Kerry derives its name (‘valley of the mad’) from the belief that a cure for insanity could be found in a well in the valley.
When Thomas and Claire O’Connor gave up their ‘good jobs’ 17 years ago to buy a small farm there, with a mission to grow nutritious food on land dominated by sheep, many would have thought them mad too.
It’s striking to reflect that, before Thomas and Claire arrived, this 25-acre smallholding consisted of four rushy, sheep-shorn fields. Today, viewed from above, it resembles a lush broadleaved forest within which are hidden multiple small fields of flourishing fruit and vegetables.
The enclosing trees providing shelter, nutrients and multiple other benefits to generate the diverse, nutritious produce which the O’Connors sell at their ‘Manna Organic Store’ (www.mannaorganicstore.ie) in Tralee.
It’s all a far cry from Thomas’s previous career as a publican, and Claire’s as a plastics engineer and computer programmer.
Manna
Thomas jokes that the reason he sold his pub was that, as a Kerryman, all he aspired to be was an even better Kerryman, and the best way to do this was to eat the Kerry ground – by growing and consuming food there.
But it really was their concern for the environment – specifically the role that food systems play – that motivated them to take the plunge.
It’s hard to describe Manna Organic farm but suffice it to say that it’s pretty unique: complexity and diversity are certainly celebrated here. There is however, an order to what might seem like chaos.
The farm is divided into a four-acre ‘Manna field’ which produces vegetables, a four-acre permaculture field (fruit), a four-acre Agroforestry field (fruit, timber) and 13 acres of mixed native woodland.
The Manna field is further subdivided into small parcels fringed with willow trees which are regularly hand-coppiced and chipped to create the pathways that separate the linear ‘min-till’ vegetable beds within.
Behind the willows lies a rich array of other native species, including Alders, great for fixing Nitrogen. Thomas uses underground mycelial networks (mushrooms!) to help distribute the deep-lying minerals and nutrients across his growing ‘platform’.
Soil biology
Thomas employs a three-cycle rotation of alliums (onions, leeks, garlic), brassicas (mostly kales) and other plants which are in-demand at their Tralee shop, like lettuces and beetroot. The only ‘external’ nutrients come in the form of haylage from four acres of rented land – carefully treated to neutralise any weed seeds.
He uses natural methods of pest control – including a wonderful pond to boost frog populations which, he reckons, harvest-off a lot of slugs. One of the few compromises is the use (and reuse) of sheets of bought-in ‘fleece’ to protect crops from hares and pigeons.
Soil biology is a subject of much fascination to Thomas: ‘Most of my livestock live under my feet’ he says.
Korean natural farming is an area of interest, as is food sovereignty; he is a strong advocate for seed collection, storage and use (he suggests pea and bean seeds as an easy place to start). Thomas is also adept at ‘air grafting’ to extend the life of favoured trees – he has a healthy mini-nursery of fruit trees grown using this fascinating method.
The highest part of Manna Organic farm is a thriving mixed-species woodland – grown where Thomas was told only conifers would survive.
The woodland currently hosts a family of free-range pigs, kept for domestic consumption, though Thomas previously used pigs to create hillside terraces for growing produce (while warning that excessive pig numbers can lead to soil compaction).
Learning by doing
Thomas confesses to plenty of lessons learned. Chickens previously featured on the farm until a combination of fox, mink and stoat decided otherwise; incorporating blackthorn into a hedge unleashed a flurry of suckers into his permaculture area (composed of a huge variety of fruit trees and shrubs) and so he recommends care in selecting hedgerow species.
Visiting Manna Organic Farm is a bit of a mind-blowing experience, there is so much going on and Thomas is ever-erupting with ideas.
His core message, however, is that nature is naturally complex and self-regulating – when we interfere with it to ‘simplify’ it, we risk generating more problems and associated (often spiralling) costs – economic, environmental and health.
For Claire too it’s been an amazing learning journey, in particular the people she has met through their involvement with Farming for Nature and An Talamh Beo.
She does wish they had more time off but, between the farm, shop and various projects, the pace is relentless.
You really have to admire the couple’s passion, hard graft and commitment which, thankfully, appears undiminished after all these years. In transforming their Gleann na nGealt holding, they bring to mind Seneca’s quote: “There is no great genius without a touch of madness.”
Learn more
For a wonderful six-minute video of Thomas in full flow, follow this link.
Thomas and Claire are part of the An Talamh Beo (www.talamhbeo.ie) – see their recent report from a fascinating EIP on Soil Biodiversity by following this link.
Top tips
Start small and experiment, meet with other like-minded people, and reconnect with your own place.
Farm facts
Name: Thomas and Claire O’ConnorFarm type: vegetables, fruit, trees.Farm size: 10ha. Focus: to grow good food and have a good quality of life – and to make a statement. 
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