Maurice’s farm is located in Roscrea, north west Tipperary where he farms with his father on a mixed farm of tillage and sheep.
In recent years, Maurice has moved away from conventional tillage methods and has, instead, adopted the regenerative agriculture practice of a no-till system. The no-till method means the ground will not be ploughed before planting, which should reduce soil damage and maximise soil nutrient retention.
His sheep graze on a multi-species sward, foraging on a mixture of grasses, herbs and legumes. This grazing method has been shown to eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilisers, produces healthier sheep and heavier lambs, improves the farm’s biodiversity and allows Maurice to adopt a more sustainable method of farming.
Maurice has been nominated as a Farming For Nature Ambassador for 2022.
In 2019, Maurice alongside his brother and two of their friends came together to start a brewery on the farm. The farm had a history of producing barley for Irish maltsters, who in recent years had closed their Irish operations, decimating the livelihoods of the hundreds of barley farmers in north Tipperary, so brewing their own beer was a way for the farm to become more self-sufficient. You can view a short video introducing the brewery here.
Maurice introduces himself, his farm and his interest in the soil biodiversity project in this short clip.
Maurice introduces himself, his farm and his interest in the soil biodiversity project in this short clip.
You can connect with Maurice’s brewery on the Canvas Brewery social platforms, allowing you to follow their story from sow to brew:
I am delighted to see our diverse cover crops protecting the soil and nourishing the soil biology to the grow another year’s malting barley.
EIP Soil Diversity Project
Maurice’s farm at Roscrea consists of a good mix, low cover over limestone to peat.
By participating in the EIP Soil Diversity Project, Maurice has trialled and documented a range of technical innovations (such as bioNutrient meters) and physical innovations. Maurice has experimented with biologically inoculating seeds to kickstart the interaction between seed and soil.
Maurice has been progressing through Nicole Masters’ Integrity Soils educational course and the results of his farm trials are available in his farm reports. At the end of the course, Maurice will be able to diagnose & take action on his soil and plant health..
Maurice’s farm walk took place on the 29th of July, 2022,with a focus on tillage. We learned about heritage grains, multispecies planting, a 400 year old mill and the brewery. Highlights from Maurice’s farm walk can be viewed below.
Maurice’s farm walk took place on the 29th of July, 2022,with a focus on tillage. We learned about heritage grains, multispecies planting, a 400 year old mill and the brewery. Highlights from Maurice’s farm walk can be viewed below.
You can check out Maurice’s course certificates and find out more about his trial plot, experiment and baseline soil test results in his project report.
Watch the highlights from Maurice's farm walk to learn more about heritage grains, multispecies planting, a beautiful 400 year old mill and Maurice's brewery.
The latest news from the EIP Soil Biodiversity Project
Find out more about our project participants and their farms. Follow their journey, see their results and learn how they benefitted from their EIP Soil Biodiversity Project participation.