Autumn Events 2025

Autumn Events - EP, Ploughing, Feeding Ourselves & more

Electric Picnic

The annual gathering that is Electric Picnic took place on the last weekend of August, and within it, the vibrant Global Green area once again became home to the Talamh Beo crew. Thomas O’Connor represented us in a number of talks at the event stage, and we connected with a wonderful array of visitors — not least presidential candidate Catherine Connolly, who was well informed, and very supportive of, our work.

Left: Global Green Stage: Davie Philips, Thomas O’Connor, EvonneBoland, Rupa Marya and Ollie Moore

Right: Jenny Watkins, Janet Power, Joanne Butler, Catherine Connolly & Brid Brophy

The Ploughing Championships

Talamh Beo returned to the midlands in force for the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, Co. Offaly. The Ploughing is a unique opportunity to make direct contact with political representatives from across all parties and perspectives. We used the occasion to share our Local Food Policy, Methane Matters submission, and targeted food producer projects with political figures and the public. Through consistent and focused outreach over the three days, we are confident that we significantly raised Talamh Beo’s profile and impact.

Sean O’Farrell, Allison Roberts, Malcom Noonan, Milo Butler, Rose Hogan and Kevin Handy

Feeding Ourselves Local Food Symposium

A spectacular event took place in Trinity on October 30th — the Feeding Ourselves: Local Food Symposium, for which Talamh Beo were proud collaborators. Farmers, researchers, academics and community organisers came together to chart a democratic, cooperative food future for Ireland. Discussions connected Basic Income for food producers, local procurement, and Community Wealth Building as key tools for advancing food sovereignty and climate justice. From Bohemians FC’s cooperative model to emerging plans for hospital kitchens sourcing Irish food, the event showcased how local producers and committed community activists are shaping national policy and cultural change — placing care, solidarity, and shared prosperity at the heart of the transition.

Fergal Anderson moderating a panel with John Gibbons, Caroline Whyte and Rupa Marya.

Talamh Beo in Brussels

Talamh Beo representatives were in Brussels on two occasions recently. The first trip was part of an advocacy trip with several environmental NGO members of Irish Environmental Network (IEN). More recently, we returned to present our Methane Matters to the Methane Matters Coalition partners.

Presenting the Methane Matters position paper at the annual Methane Matters coalition conference. Read more about Thomas & Milo’s trip to Brussels here.

IEN Advocacy trip – group photo in front of European Commission

FAO ‘TAPE’ tool comes to Ireland

Talamh Beo organised the first demonstration workshop in Ireland of the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) at Joe Nolan’s organic tillage and sheep farm in County Carlow on November 3rd.

Rémi Cluset, Senior Agriculture Advisor at the FAO gave an introduction to the tool to participants from Teagasc, Regen Ireland EIP, 3LM Network, Biofiltro, Bioregioning South East Ireland, Talamh Beo and members of Joe’s family. We will be following on with more information about this tool and its application in the Irish context and we will keep you informed.

Guiding the group through steps 0 and 1 of the TAPE process on a farm walk. The group then scored the questions on the web based interactive tool. The process then immediately generated the agroecology performance score for the farm.