Mary Regan

NOMINATION DESCRIPTION
Regan Organic is a small family farm based business near Enniscorthy. It is owned and managed by Mary Regan having inherited it from her late father Tom. From a very young age she had a passion for animals and nature and was constantly at her fathers heels. The farm has been fully organic since 2006. The ethos of the business is to try and farm and rear the animals in harmony with nature. The organic meat chickens are free range and free to roam and feed on indigenous weeds, grasses, clover, herbs and grubs. They are fed on an organic feed , get no antibiotics and live on the farm for a minimum of 81 days. Trees and hedging have been planted over the last number of years to provide both shelter and shade for animals in the future as well as habitats for flora and fauna. The rare breed pigs, Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot are also reared outdoors with pig arcs used to provide shelter. The rotation practiced is to, move the mobile sheds on after batches of chickens and then at the end of the year to move the sheds to a different field and allow the pigs to clean up the remaining vegetation and grub up the ground and weeds. The earth is naturally fertilised by the animals and a cereal such as oats or wheat is sown. The straw from this is used for bedding for the animals and the cereal either sold or used as feeding for the animals. She also keeps some ducks, a small few Angus cattle and some laying hens. And does christmas turkeys and geese. She grows organic fruit and vegetables, an area that has expanded to running a mobile shop selling all organic produce from the farm at various locations including Carlow farmer market each week.. The pigs mop up any unused vegetables. Her husband, and two sisters help in the business along with one full time staff member and three part time staff who help with the processing of chickens on a weekly basis in the on farm abattoir and processing facility. Mary has a honesty farm shop, runs farm tours and runs butchery courses with The Hunting and Homestead Butchers. She is a board member of the Wexford food family. Having such a range of animals and crops leads to great biodiversity on the farm. Her hedgerows and fields are bursting with life. Marys farm is a fine example of farming with nature and for nature . Her passion for it is infectious.
Nominator: John Griffin, Wildlife Ranger, NPWS