Rena Blake & Lisa Fingleton

Rena Blake & Lisa Fingleton are based just outside Ballybunion, North Kerry where they run a 8 hectare (20 ac) organic farm called The Barna Way. They focus mainly on organic horticulture, growing tomatoes, potatoes, salad leaves, apples and other fruit, in the orchard, polytunnel and gardens. They also keep bees and manage the farm’s native meadows for wildlife and as habitats for ground nesting birds and other creatures.

Nature conservation and attracting wildlife is central to how the farm is run. In 2020 the couple planted 4 hectares (9 ac) of their farm under native woodland – a total of 10,000 native Irish trees were planted with the support of Greenbelt, Supervalu and the Native Irish Woodland Scheme. On the farm there are badgers, foxes, cuckoo, barn owls, ravens, jackdaws, pheasants and so much more.

Rena and Lisa are passionate about community engagement and a lot of their work is geared towards educating people about where their food comes from and empowering people to grow their own food. They run the Local Food Project and are host farmers with the Kerry Social Farming. They are strong advocates for small-scale local producers, food sovereignty, low-impact farming and education

As well as being organic growers Lisa is an artist and Rena is a photographer.

Lisa says “In all our work we are propelled by an accelerated sense of urgency around food insecurity, climate crisis, biodiversity loss and forced migration”.

For the next two years The Barna Way will be a hub for the new Brilliant Ballybunion project funded under the IGNITE, Creative Climate Action Fund, which is managed by Creative Ireland. The project will engage the local community to creatively explore the future for Ballybunion in terms of protecting biodiversity and local food systems. The project works with Ballybunion Community Forum and diverse community collaborators to grow food, protect habitats and create a vision for the future in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Lisa and Rena have travelled extensively and have lived in many countries. They value intercultural exchange and the sharing of knowledge through ‘thinking global and acting local’. They strive to ‘BE the change they wish to see in the world’ though their work in ‘The Barna Way’ and welcome others to join them in their journey

NOMINATOR: Thomas O'Connor, FFN Ambassador
NOMINATION:
Rena and Lisa are exemplary examples of farming for nature. With local food, community and environment at the core of everything they do.
They have a small mixed farm. They are cornerstones of their local food market at Ballybunion, Co Kerry . They have set up and run the "Local Food Project" eating local for a few weeks each year. They have been foundational in the setup and continued development of Social Farming in Kerry. They have played an active role in community organisations and always work hard to farm for nature and their community. . They would make excellent Farming For Nature ambassadors. https://lisafingleton.com/anything-can-happen-down-a-small-boreen/