Brendan Guinan of Fiorbhia Farm in Ballyfin chatted to us in January about his pioneering farm which supplies simple clean local food to consumers.
“There is a food revolution occurring from the grassroots of farmers up, who are disillusioned with the current farming system. We are leading the change by supplying simple clean local food to concerned consumers.”
That’s the perspective of Brendan Guinan, founder of the Fiorbhia Farm in Ballyfin. His comments come in a week in which trailblazing chef, Cúán Greene, announced that he is opening a restaurant, guesthouse and four acre farm in Abbeyleix.
When Brendan bought 26 acres of neglected forestry in Boghlone, Ballyfin, in 2019, with a view to transforming it for the use of regenerative agricultural practices at his Fiorbhia enterprise, people proclaimed he was mad.
However, he had a plan. “It was simple: to prove we could farm with nature and without chemical fertilisers, sprays or antibiotics. We provide minimum processed nutrient-rich and tasty food direct to local families.
“Using forested land in collaboration with nature, our animals contribute to the health of the soil and forest. Our farm captures carbon and increases biodiversity. Our animals forage outdoors all year round. We are committed to 100% chemical-free farming. This means no chemicals on the land, in the animals’ food or in medication,” Brendan said.
“We implemented our plan by using the labour unit of the pigs, cattle and poultry, controlled by electric fences to prune, root and poach the forest floor incorporating 33 years of wild overgrowth.
“This allowed new light into the soil, letting native grasses and herbs grow in abundance. The trees provide natural shelter for the animals from hash winter weather to hot summer days.”
Brendan was born and raised on the family dairy beef and tillage farm in Geashill. “I was always destined to farm. However, I took a long and winding career path before eventually achieving my goal.
“My grandmother, Kathleen Guinan, was a formidable lady and a major influence on me when I was young.
“She was one of the founding members of the Irish Country Markets. She had an annual garden, perennial garden and three glass houses which all fed into the market each Friday in Tullamore.”
He attended Multyfarnham Agriculture College in Westmeath after the Leaving Cert for one year and achieved his level 5 Green Certificate in agriculture.
He qualified in 2023 with a level 9 Master’s of Science from the University of Galway.
While not having organic certification, Brendan said he farms ‘beyond the standard organic regulations.’ “Unfortunately we are unable to register with any official organic organisation because our land is not eligible in the Department of Agriculture’s eyes.
“We are not eligible for any CAP payments, organic payments or environmental payments because we farm through an established forest. Our land is officially exempt from payments due to bureaucracy.
“I have worked with several government ministers to address this problem without success. We are easily 10 years ahead of government policy. The situation has focussed my mind on generating income from sales which is a novel idea for modern farms,” said Brendan.
“We have never used antibiotics, dewormers, chemical fertiliser or lime. 84% of our inputs come from our farm with the only two inputs purchased outside our farm being some organic hay and layers pellets for our laying hens.
“We direct sell all our produce, mainly to families, with a growing demand from high-end restaurants and hotels.
“We sell mainly through our retail website, www.fiorbhiafarm.ie, delivering nationwide. We also have a farm shop which is open every Saturday, nestled quietly in our woods outside Portlaoise.
“Due to unprecedented demand I have partnered with several high welfare regenerative farms who now supply us with their produce. This is where our organic wagyu beef, vegetables and some chickens comes from.”
One of the main principals of regenerative farming is to value your water, according to Brendan.
“To harvest as much water as possible to build resiliency. I have rewetted our land by slowing down the drainage and building several ponds.
I also built a small lake which we have stocked with fish. This has created a completely new ecosystem on our farm from dragonflies, frogs, fish, ducks, swans, heron and much more,” he said.
“The heron teaches you the importance of self-reliance and creating balance in your life. When you experience repeated heron sightings, the heron is there to remind you of the contentment that comes with knowing abundance is at your fingertips. They are a sign of good fortune.”
Brendan also practices social farming. “Social farming provides vulnerable people who use services, with the opportunity for inclusion, to increase self-esteem and to improve health and well-being by taking part in day-to-day farm activities on our farm.
“We operate an open farm where the public is invited in to see how we farm. We run courses too on regenerative farming, helping the public to build resilience and health.”
Despite facing numerous challenges, he remains upbeat. “No obstacle is insurmountable. However, they are wide and varied. Apart from not qualifying for agricultural or environmental grants, there is the issue of financing.
“No bank would finance our operation as it was an unproven model so they would not take the chance. This forced us to create systems which were not capital intensive – the total opposite to the current industrial farming model.
“The third obstacle was who do you turn to for advice. We had to make many decisions based on gut feelings and deep research into natural farming practices, hoping they would yield positive results. Luckily we made more positive decisions than negative ones,” Brendan said.
“The farm has infinite income potential from agri tourism, to freshwater fishing, to foraging walks. We will develop our educational potential for schools, farmers and the general public. Our farm shop could be expanded to multiple days per week.
“We also have potential from an archery festival we hosted last September and food festival we hosted in May to develop further. Our regenerative food production and sales has endless possibilities with demand outstripping supply.”
Laois County Council has been very encouraging. “They love what I do but haven’t yet provided financial support. I also get great support from local people who purchase regularly from me,” Brendan said.
He lives with his family 15 minutes’ drive from the farm in Kilcavan in Laois, just on the Laois/Offaly border.
Married for 21 years to Cliona who is a full-time mother to Caoimhe, 20; Saoirse, 17; Conor, 16; Rian, 13 and Cillian, 11.
“They all work various jobs on the farm when they are free, from manning the farm shop to hosting international tours, to cooking barbeques on the farm to driving machinery, to chopping firewood, to general farm work. Our children have totally different personalities.
“However, they all seem to enjoy one or more areas of our farm. This in my view is the sign of a true diverse farm. The work is inter-generational because as the farm develops, so does the work.”
Brendan said he ended up in Ballyfin because the land ‘found’ him. “I was actively seeking a small plot of land to regenerate using heritage methods. Several plots were of interest. However, none worked out. When I stumbled across this overgrown mess of trees which had been untouched for 30 + years, I saw potential. It was planted commercially but was never maintained or thinned.
“There was trees down everywhere, with eight feet tall briars, nettles and docks bursting through the forest floor. It truly was the armpit of the area.
“The sale went through without a hitch and I started to reclaim the land using pigs, cattle and poultry. We are now starting year five of this project with mind-blowing results. The story continues.”
SEE ALSO – Check out all our top stories from our 2024 Remembered series here
