The beautiful Comeragh Mountains look out across the bioregion, yet the marginal agricultural returns mean traditional hill-farming and communities are challenged. How can young people be encouraged to chose this lifestyle, and what changes in financial flows can be made to and give holistic, sustainable returns?
The Comeragh Upland Community project was awarded EIP funding to work with learning, education, communications and community. This has just ended with outputs that include a guide to the flora and fauna and a report. The intangible outcomes of increased knowledge of local nature and heritage, as well as social bonds, were of as much importance. The drawing shows the learning and knowledge exchange between farms and educational institutions.
Building on the outcomes of the EIP project, there is a need and desire to experiment deeper and wider about capacity building and learning for more sustainable and robust initiatives (financial, social and nature). How will the communities link to the farms and the schools of the future? How will rural hubs play a role in building local enterprises and linking farms with knowledge? Could the Aronia Berry example be explored more to see if local farmers wanted to experiment with this new cash crop? Applying for next round of EIP might be the way to go?
A long-term financial mechanism is needed to invest in the whole ecosystem – and the returns they are generating on nature and social dimensions. Financial flows will be within this system, supporting local communities, but also from major national and international institutions beyond the region.
Concept holder: Owen Carter