Angela Healy Irwin
Innovator
Elly Bay Farm
Ireland
Economic
Farming
Remote rural areas
The innovation journey
Angela Healy Irwin, a native of Erris, County Mayo, has a passion for sustainable food production and environmental regeneration. Over the past decade, Angela has focused intensely on organic agriculture and aquaculture and has become a certified organic farmer. She now runs Elly Bay Organic Farm from Clogher Co. Mayo. This passion has resulted in an organic farm that produces organic eggs, seasonal vegetables and meat. She, alongside her husband, also harvests seaweed and has established the brand ‘Dúlra Seaweed’.
The innovation impact
A sustainable seaweed harvesting method is employed to grow, harvest and process the seaweed into seaweed flakes. They produce Winged Kelp and Sugar Kelp flakes. The seaweed is line-gown in Blacksod Bay, Mayo, a special area of conservation and the ropes are lined with locally sourced species to ensure no negative impact on sensitive habitats. Seaweed has an amazing carbon dioxide uptake and storage capacity; kelp takes in 5 times more carbon than most land-based plants.
Angela established a farm shop, to sell their farm produce along with offerings of tea and coffee and homemade baked treats. An online store allows a wider market reach. Dúlra Seaweed is also stocked in other local shops. Through the Farm Shop, Angela collaborates with other local food producers including fishers and bakers. She uses the Farm’s Facebook page to publish stock availability and upcoming butchery plans for lab and beef boxes. Through this, she engages with the wider public, generates orders and promotes the values of organic farming. When the farm shop is not open, Angela offers produce through an ‘honesty box’ system – making sustainable and organic produce accessible to all. Angela believes:
“Small farms and nature are in a symbiotic relationship. Not farming for nature or against it, just with it” (Angela Healy Irwin).