Kilcullen's positive farming climate change story

A family farm outside Kilcullen which has concentrated on biodiversity and sustainable production through three generations is today an exemplar of how small farms can be climate-friendly and successful, writes Brian Byrne.

The farm at Grangebeg was initially bought by Barney O'Sullivan's grandfather in 1962 and developed from there by Barney's father who 'had a great interest in the environment'. For Barney himself, an early appreciation of what climate change would do got him working out ways of compensating for the impact of his farm in terms of greenhouse gas emissions with techniques and practices that ran against the policies and trends of industrial-scale dairy production. 

Today, with the farm now managed by Barney and Dorly O'Sullivan's daughter Rachel and her husband James Creighton, it was recently recognised as one of the top four dairy farms in the country demonstrating 'exceptional commitment to biodiversity, conservation and environmental stewardship'.

The family's story is told in full detail by Noel Clare in the current July-August issue of The Bridge. For that piece alone, uplifting in these times of climate change worry, it's worth looking up a copy in any of the usual Kilcullen outlets for the magazine.

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