Margaret Edgill

Location: Daingean, Co. Offaly
Farm Size: 46 hectares
Enterprise Type: Organic suckler beef, foraged products, accommodation, events
Farming Legacy: 7th generation

Can a Farm Be a Home for Wildlife, Food, and People?

For Margaret Edgill, the answer is a wholehearted yes. Since returning to her family’s farm in Co. Offaly in 2014, after a successful career in event management, Margaret has blended her skills in hospitality and interest in ecology to reimagine the future of farming. On her 100-acre organic farm, she’s continuing seven generations of nature-friendly farming and bringing new life to the land through organic beef production, glamping, biodiversity conservation, and farm-based experiences.

How Do You Combine Productive Organic Farming with Rare and Native Breeds?

Margaret farms 70 acres of grassland and 30 acres of forestry, using rotational grazing to ensure consistent pasture for her pedigree herd of 25 cows, which rises to 55–65 including followers in the summer. Focused on hybrid vigour, she has introduced Simmental and Irish Moiled breeds, along with a second Shorthorn bull, building resilience and quality into the herd. The farm has been certified organic since 1998, reflecting a deep, inherited commitment to farming with care for nature.

Can Ancient Trees, Hedgerows, and Cattle Coexist?

Absolutely. The farm’s biodiversity is flourishing, supported by ancient beech trees (250–300 years old), mixed broadleaf copses, and spruce plantations planted through early participation in the REPS scheme. Margaret’s recent hedge-laying of 480 metres in January 2025, alongside coppicing and replanting, reflects her commitment to living, working landscapes. These hedgerows aren’t just habitat, they’re also part of the farm’s diversification, supplying ingredients for her foraged preserves and cordials.

What Happens When You Diversify Around Nature?

For Margaret, diversification isn’t a side project, it’s the future and the basis of her Nuffield scholarship. She offers glamping and self-catering stays, creating immersive, nature-based experiences. Her annual on-farm dining event features dishes almost entirely sourced from her own land, putting into action her philosophy:

“Be of that place, eat of that place.”

Next steps include pigs in agroforestry, charcuterie products, a micro-dairy, and the creation of biodiversity-rich ponds. The farm also hosts a moth monitoring programme, strengthening its role as a hub for local ecology.

Is It Possible to Farm in Harmony with Nature and Still Thrive?

Margaret Edgill shows that it is not only possible, it’s powerful. From barn owls and bats to woodpeckers and pollinators, her farm teems with life. And it’s not by accident. Through careful grazing, tree planting and habitat conservation, she is building a system where food production, biodiversity, and rural enterprise thrive together.

Nominator: Michael Keane, Farming for Nature Ambassador

Nomination:

Margaret Edgill has been running the family farm at Mount Briscoe (a 46ha farm which converted to Organics in 1998) since 2012. The farm is composed of 16ha of mixed forestry and 30ha of grassland. The livestock are a mixture of pedigree Irish Moiled and Shorthorns as well as Hereford and Shorthorn cross cattle along with pedigree Irish Draught horses. Margaret has shown cattle and horses at numerous agricultural shows and prizes won include All Ireland Champion awards. All livestock are fed exclusively off grass. Since taking over the farm, Margaret has diversified the enterprises and despite her background being in the arts she has embraced a wide array of traditional and sustainable techniques for restoring and enhancing the land and the Georgian dwelling house and associated outbuildings. Restoration involves the use of traditional lime mortar in buildings and implementing a structured plan for orchard and hedgerow conservation, hedge laying and use of techniques such as coppicing and grafting programmes to preserve local fruit varieties. Other activities include long term rewilding and native tree planting initiatives as well as replacing the dying ash trees with an agroforestry regime that contains a maximum of 15% fruit and nut trees. Margaret has restored the 2 acre walled garden and 4 acre heritage orchard. To sum up, the farm is a mixture of habitats, traditional orchards, woodlands, mixed forestry, raised bog, wildflower meadows and kitchen garden. In 2023 Margaret was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship with her study topic being Agriulture & Tourism: Paving the Way for Farm Diversification and Rural Prosperity. Under her stewardship, Mount Briscoe has won a number of international and national awards for hospitality. These awards relate to the agritourism initiatives that Margaret commenced in 2017 which include self-catering accommodation and glamping. She also hosts an annual "Farm to Fork" outdoor dining event for 80 people every September. Additionally, Margaret produces a large range of artisan preserves, chutneys, jellies, jams, fruit vinegars, etc., made from forgotten fruits found on the farm, either foraged or grown organically. This produce is sold at a 1 day event held on the farm just before Christmas. Since 2016 Margaret has produced a range of Mount Briscoe Custom Handcrafted Live Edge Cutting Boards, Servers, Platters and Kitchen Accessories. The mixture of habitats which are managed sustainably are very species rich and the grazing regime is designed to promote soil health and biodiversity. Margaret participates in volunteer programmes and Erasmus projects and as part of this welcomes international students keen to learn about regenerative farming, food production and traditional Irish agricultural practices. Margaret hosts events at Halloween as well as for Heritage Week and from 2017-'19 held a Traditional and Rare Breed Show at Mount Briscoe. Workshops relating to the practices undertaken in Mount Briscoe are also held there.