Image via ARCZero

ARCZero, a farmer-led European Innovation Project co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has announced it will hold a farm walk on Wednesday 24^th May 2023 on the farm of Patrick Casement, near Ballycastle.

The farm walk will focus on how enhancing biodiversity can also improve a farms carbon footprint.  Amongst the topics being discussed by Patrick Casement (host farmer), Professor John Gilliland (ARCZero Chair) and CAFRE advisors will be regeneration of permanent pasture and multi-species swards, parkland and silvopasture, heritage phosphate and the use of run-off risk maps, as well as tree management and planting, wildlife corridors and hedge laying.

There will be two farm walks, starting at 3pm and 7pm.  Each tour will last around 2 hours.  Everyone is welcome but pre-registration is required and can be done via the ARCZero website: www.arczeroni.org

ARCZero, led by John Gilliland of Brook Hall Estate and Queen’s University, is comprised of seven innovative farmers from across Northern Ireland together with academic and industry partners including Devenish, Queen’s University, AgriSearch and Birnie Consultancy. It has been investigating practical ways to measure, manage and reduce carbon in ruminant farming. ARCZero has created a robust baseline of both emissions and carbon stocks and is now looking at how these farms can further reduce their emissions while increasing their carbon stocks in a manner which will accelerate their journey towards Net Zero.