Farming for the Future at Fernwood

Fernwood is built on a simple belief: that farming and nature can thrive together when the land is understood, respected, and given time.

Simon’s background is in ecology, conservation and environmental science, and for over 30 years he has been involved in local and national environmental work. This has included hands-on conservation with groups such as Save Our Sea Trout and Salmon Watch Ireland, maintaining wild salmon spawning beds, clearing invasive rhododendron, and managing native woodland to allow natural regeneration.

Together, Anne and Simon have always lived close to the outdoors, travelling, climbing, and spending much of their time in, on or around the sea. This shared connection to nature ultimately shaped their vision for Fernwood.

A rare landscape

Fernwood spans a diverse and fragile landscape. Forty acres are native woodland, a precious remnant of Ireland’s temperate rainforest. These woods are protected, allowing native species to thrive and regenerate naturally.

The remaining land is blanket bog, an ecosystem of enormous ecological value. We work with Wild Atlantic Nature as part of their pilot bog re-wetting programme in Ireland. Restoration works, including reprofiling cut bog, building small dams, and laying hessian blankets, help restore natural water levels, support biodiversity, and lock carbon back into the land.

Farming with care

From the beginning, our focus has been on balancing environmental restoration with farming that is both viable and sensitive to place.

We chose to farm organically and selected livestock suited to the land. Native Irish Dexter cattle are hardy, low-impact, well adapted to outdoor living year-round and are fantastic conservation grazers. When carefully managed, cattle can play a positive role in maintaining habitats and encouraging wildflowers.

At Fernwood, grazing is controlled using a virtual no-fence system, allowing us to limit livestock access to woodland and the bog at various time of the year. This approach protects sensitive areas while still allowing the land to be farmed.

Expanding the vision at Killary Harbour

In 2024, we took on 350 acres of upland overlooking Killary Harbour. This land includes a remarkable strip of temperate rainforest hidden within a steep mountain gully. Protected from grazing for decades due to its inaccessibility, it holds a living seed bank in an otherwise heavily overgrazed landscape.

The land was purchased as a working sheep farm, and our challenge is to restore biodiversity while maintaining a viable farming system. We began by engaging closely with local farmers and reducing the inherited flock by half. Within 18 months, improvements in grass diversity were already visible.

In summer 2025, we introduced our Dexter cattle to the uplands in a return to traditional summer grazing. Both the cattle and the land responded positively. An ecologist now monitors changes across the site, helping guide future decisions.

The next step is fencing selected gullies to allow native woodland regeneration with planting planned for 2026.

Looking ahead

Our long-term vision is a landscape shaped by mixed grazing, regenerating woodland, and thriving habitats. By 2030, we aim to further reduce sheep numbers while continuing to farm organically and sustainably.

A stay at Fernwood is more than time away. It is a direct investment in the land and the local environment. At a time when global challenges can feel overwhelming, we focus on what we can do well at home, restoring habitats, producing food, and caring for the place we love.

The knowledge to do this is not new. It exists in the farming practices of previous generations, rooted in diversity, balance, and respect for nature. At Fernwood, we believe the future lies in rediscovering that connection to the land and nurturing it for those who come after us.