Sam and Petra Roch-Perks – Woodbine Hill Farm

Sam and Petra Roch-Perks farm around 200 acres overlooking the Blackwater estuary near Ardmore, Co. Waterford. Both engineers by background, they returned to the family farm in 2005 with a strong interest in sustainability and nature restoration. The land had previously been farmed quite intensively, with tillage, beef and dairy enterprises. Gradually and instinctively they began reshaping the farm in ways they felt aligned with their values. Their approach today blends farming, nature restoration and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on learning, experimenting and creating a viable future for the land.

The farm now operates a suckler beef system with significantly reduced stocking levels. Where there were once close to 100 cows, the herd has been reduced to just over 40 cattle, calving once a year and finished on the farm. This shift has allowed them to farm more extensively and reduce reliance on external inputs.

Nature restoration and conservation has always been a central part of how Petra and Sam manage the farm. In recent years they have replanted over three kilometres of hedgerows where old boundaries once stood, established pollinator strips and wild bird cover, and planted many trees across the farm for shelter and biodiversity. Wildlife such as badgers, foxes, owls and otters are regularly seen, while nearby saltmarsh habitat provides important areas for birds. Sam and Peter are also closely connected to the local community in Ardmore, sharing knowledge with neighbouring farmers, working with local ecologists and developing plans for a coastal nature and walking corridor that would link the farm to nearby heritage sites. Through these initiatives they hope the farm can become both a productive landscape and a place where nature, farming and community come together.

Nomination (Emma Hart, Ecologist):
At Woodbine Hill Farm in Co. Waterford, Petra and Sam Roch-Perks manage a diverse farm with a strong and long-term commitment to nature restoration. Over the past 15 years, they have transformed land that was previously intensively managed for tillage and suckler beef by reducing stocking rates, ending continuous tillage, and prioritising soil health, hedgerow regeneration and habitat creation. Petra and Sam are also exploring innovative financial mechanisms to fund nature restoration on Irish farmland, with the ambition of developing Woodbine Hill as an exemplar farm where others can learn from their journey and adapt similar models on their own land. Deeply committed to knowledge sharing, they work closely with NPWS and LEADER, and are keen to engage both fellow farmers and the local Ardmore community, demonstrating how farming and ambitious nature recovery can go hand in hand.