IFA man among first to graduate with Tirlán

A former head of Westmeath IFA has become one of the first cohort of farm family suppliers to graduate from the Tirlán and Baileys Sustainable Farming Academy.

Kenneth Bray from Delvin, who served as chairman of the IFA in Westmeath from 2015 to 2021 and who supplies to Tirlán, was a member of the first Sustainable Farming Academy class to graduate with the Diploma in Environment, Sustainability and Climate from University College Cork.

The course was intended to provide participants with the most up-to-date knowledge, skills and know-how needed to farm even more sustainably into the future.

The year-long, intensive programme supports farm families to take positive environmental actions to address sustainability challenges. The academy is also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Academic partner, University College Cork, delivered the accredited and fully-funded Level 7 Diploma.

Modules included Earth Science, Climate Change and Sustainable Development as well as Ecology, Applied Geographical Information Systems, Environmental Protection and Practical Environmental Management.

Darren Barcoe, head of global sales at Tirlán, congratulated the first cohort of graduates and said: “Our farm family suppliers that are graduating with their diplomas once again demonstrate the willingness of our suppliers to adapt to the sustainability challenges.

“We’re proud to support Irish farming communities in addressing environmental, economic and social challenges. Our farm families remain committed to their on-farm sustainability journey, as part of our co-op wide Living Proof sustainability strategy.”

Robert Murphy, global supply director for Baileys, said: “We’re proud Tirlán partners since 1974 and it makes sense that we would work together to upskill and educate farmers in sustainable farming practices, so that together we can drive positive change and shape the future of farming in Ireland.

“We believe the Sustainable Farming Academy can drive fundamental changes in farming practices and we are immensely proud to support this initiative and to acknowledge this first class of graduates. Together, we are working for change.”

Belinda Gascoigne, ACE centre manager and programme director for UCC, said that a unique aspect of the programme was that the ACE at UCC team undertook an RPL (recognition of prior learning) process which evaluated their existing knowledge and experience, and, as a result, Tirlán Co-op members were granted exemptions towards the diploma. That allowed them to graduate with a diploma in a way that best matched their needs and interests, and enabled them to continue to meet their full-time, on-farm responsibilities.