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LAST UPDATE | 26 Jun
THE STORY OF ‘why’ we embarked on this journey is probably rooted in an appreciation of nature and wild spaces, one that I can trace back to my childhood. So, when my wife Inez and I met in college, we both knew that nature and sustainability would be important to anything we did together in terms of our futures.
I recall, as a very young child, my father showing me things in nature that were in decline, talking about the Corncrake, pointing out a grey partridge in a meadow, which even then, was approaching critically low numbers.
This helped shape my interest in the place we called home, a beautiful part of rural Tipperary, and created a strong bond with the land. I knew that with farming changing as I started out on my own career that I did not just want to farm, but also wanted to develop other aspects; however, holding on to ‘the place’ was never in doubt. Thankfully, Inez also felt this strong connection to ‘place’, and when we married, we both decided that we wanted to establish a tourism experience here.
From the outset, we knew that we needed to be authentic and share the experiences that are unique to our area and ourselves. A focus on local food and food producers was important, treating guests as friends and taking a long-term view was the obvious thing to do, we believed.
I was fortunate to be able to study for a Master’s Degree Rural Development and Rural Tourism at UCD where the wonderful Dr John Feehan planted so many seeds about the need to protect our forests, peatlands as well as the folk history in our field names, settlement patterns and understanding the ‘treasures beneath our feet’.
The 1990s saw EU support programmes for farm diversification, and the development of online communications gave us opportunities to invest in our product and reach a global audience. Shortly after we married, we planted about eight acres of native broadleaf woodland, and this has become a central part of our visitor experience. In particular, the mediation space in the middle of this woodland has become a wonderful oasis of calm and reflection, enjoyed by families, writers and artists.
I think seeing the value in repurposing old buildings, ways of working and understanding the land has given us an appreciation of taking a long-term view of our farm. Having a sense of ‘custodianship’ is central to our thinking, and the Native American belief, of ‘not inheriting the land from our parents, but holding it in trust for our children’ pretty much sums up a lot of our thinking.
In more recent years, we have all become much more aware of the need for climate action and biodiversity loss. We are working on a Regenerative Tourism model where we seek opportunities for guests to really connect with here and the wider community.
We are looking at energy management, reducing water and waste, we have installed solar panels and created a group space, our Haybarn Hub. Connecting with Fáilte Ireland, Tipperary Tourism, and other agencies has helped hone our business offering.
We have partnered with the Trees on the Land environmental charity, and this spring the Natural Hardwood Flooring company sponsored the establishment of a new orchard, the creation of 200 metres of hedgerow and the establishment of pockets of biodiversity with Hares Corner planting in several of the tillage fields.
These initiatives have created a bond between us and a wider group of volunteers, and we are already seeing the benefit in increased beauty for our guests to enjoy.
Our approach is to see the value in the ‘treasures beneath our feet’ and to encourage guests not just to stay here, but to immerse themselves in our space, with nature and the local community.Â
It can be challenging for anyone farming these days, finding the best ways to make the land work for your income and for your family. I would encourage anyone with an interest in changing things to look at alternatives, ways in which we can nurture the land and still make a living. It has most definitely benefited our family and our land over the years.
Our guests have become our friends, and this connection has encouraged us to continue on our journey. We look at all aspects of our business, and this has resulted in actions such as refillable, plant-based shampoos and soaps in the guest bathrooms, biodegradable washing up liquids and cleaning agents in the kitchen, providing EV chargers for guests, use of our bikes for local journeys, etc. All small actions, but important ones!
Some of our guests have contributed to planting a native broadleaf tree in memory of their stay and this act of leaving behind something in nature that can outlive us all, pretty much illustrates what matters to us!
Niall Heenan runs Fuschia Lane Farm in Tipperary, a farm where some of the land has been repurposed for sustainable tourism. More at Fuchsia Lane Farm on LinkedIn and Instagram.Â
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