John Liston
Location: Croom, Co. Limerick
Farm Size: 80 hectares
Enterprise Type: Organic beef
Farming Legacy: 6th generation
John Liston is a dedicated steward of his 80-hectare farm with deep roots in the community, having farmed the land since the late 1970s. Originally a dairy farmer, he made a significant shift to becoming a suckler farmer in recent years.
Resilient Farming - Operating organically since 2002 and part of the REPS scheme, he has championed low-input farming, emphasizing the importance of resilience. Having benefited from creating a profitable system with minimal external feed and fertilizer, he keeps cattle out longer which allows greater flexibility in farm management. He rears 60 Aberdeen Angus suckler cows entirely off grass.
Actions for Nature - All along, he has prioritized environmental stewardship, planting trees, hedgerows and hare's corners that promotes biodiversity and space for nature. Currently, his 4-acre ash plantation is awaiting reconstitution and is in the process of applying for an agroforestry scheme to enhance his mixed-species planting plans. He has chipped one acre of the ash trees affected by dieback to use for bedding and resourcefully spreads it back onto the land, creating a closed-loop system. With a history of farming dating back to the 1700s and five to six generations on this land, he currently supplies the Urban Co-op in Limerick city.
Water Is A Quick Win for Nature and Biodiversity - He has actively engaged with many initiatives for biodiversity and nature over the years. About 20 years ago, he transformed a wet corner of his farm into a pond, which also filters run off from his yard. This action has significantly increased biodiversity, attracting various species of insects, birds, and mammals. He is a strong advocate for wetlands on farms saying they are 'a quick, easy win for nature' . Additionally, he actively creating weirs on farm drains in the summer. This helps retain water on the farm, supporting wildlife during dry spells without impeding drainage. His commitment to conservation includes planting hedgerows and riparian buffers as part of both REPS and ACRES schemes.
His approach demonstrates that traditional beef breeds, primarily grass-fed, can thrive without the need for costly inputs, notably through high-quality silage production every year. John exemplifies a modern-day farmer who blends traditional practices with forward-thinking strategies that prioritize sustainability. Through his actions, he continues to inspire a new generation of farmers to embrace ecological farming while maintaining viable and productive systems.
Nominator: Seán Condon, Farming for Nature Ambassador
Nomination: I think John Liston deserves to be recognised by FFN because of the way he farms with nature. He is an organic suckler farmer farming Angus cattle. He runs an about 60 cows in an extremely low imput system. He buys in no feed from outside the farm and he uses woodchip sourced from his own farm to bed his cows in Winter. John has mostly very dry limestone land so he keeps his stock on grass for most of the year. He sells some of his stock as yearlings and he finishes the remainder on the farm from grass. He supplies the Urban Co op in Limerick with beef and also sells some direct. The remainder is sold to Good herdsman in Cahir.
John has a keen interest in wildlife and trees. He built 2 wildlife ponds on the farm over the years. He received a FFN grant for to build his second pond in 2023. John is currently planning to incorporate approximately 18HA of agro forestry into his farm system. He is awaiting planning permission and hopes to plant this spring.
