Where Farming Meets Forestry - with Andy Dunne
Download MP3Today I speak with Andy Dunne. Andy's an agricultural consultant based in Portlaoise, Ireland. He's also a forest owner and a member of the Laois Offaly Farm Forestry Group. Andy explains how he manages his own forest and his experience working with adjoining forest owners using a Continuous Cover Forestry approach.
Then we talk about his role as an Agricultural Consultant and his experience advising farmers on their options under the current forestry programme. He highlights the way forestry has been marginalised outside of farming and how this affects the attitudes of land holders to it. Finally he explains with clear examples how current restrictions around afforestation rarely result in the best outcome for nature.
Then we talk about his role as an Agricultural Consultant and his experience advising farmers on their options under the current forestry programme. He highlights the way forestry has been marginalised outside of farming and how this affects the attitudes of land holders to it. Finally he explains with clear examples how current restrictions around afforestation rarely result in the best outcome for nature.
Key Points:
How Andy made the decision to plant land and why it worked for him.
Collaborative forestry management including approaches to roads and felling licences.
State support (or lack thereof) and lack of a holistic created siloed thinking between farming and forestry.
Encouraging landowners to plant given regulations and land designations.
Recognising the inevitable environmental trade offs inherent with the Irish forestry system.
Impact of designations on current land value.
Shifting attitudes towards forestry.
How Andy made the decision to plant land and why it worked for him.
Collaborative forestry management including approaches to roads and felling licences.
State support (or lack thereof) and lack of a holistic created siloed thinking between farming and forestry.
Encouraging landowners to plant given regulations and land designations.
Recognising the inevitable environmental trade offs inherent with the Irish forestry system.
Impact of designations on current land value.
Shifting attitudes towards forestry.
Quotes:
"When I planted it was simple - it's not simple anymore..."
"When I planted it was simple - it's not simple anymore..."
"If we integrate (forestry) at an institutional level, we start to get the farmer integrating his thinking around it as well."
"If you impose any burden, and a designation (environmental) is a burden... it's restricting what you can and can't do with the land... it will affect the value."
"The dairy farmer up the road will reclaim it for me, and he'll give me 350 euros an acre for it..."
"The dairy farmer up the road will reclaim it for me, and he'll give me 350 euros an acre for it..."
Links:
Andy Dunne's Agri Consultants: https://www.facebook.com/eaecltd/
Andy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andy-dunne-72b07718Andy's profile at the Agricultural Consultants' Association
Farm Forest Season 2 Episode 5 - Andy Dunne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ELMJDC3Mc4
[0:03:34] – Collaborative Management with Adjoining Owners.
[0:05:37] – Shared Infrastructure and Rights of Way.
[0:07:45] – Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) and Wind Stability.
[0:11:35] – Storm Impacts and Species Suitability.
[0:15:18] – Administrative Challenges for Small Owners.
[0:20:37] – The Marginalization of Forestry in Farming.
[0:22:38] – Integrating Forestry as a Farm Enterprise.
[0:30:40] – Bureaucratic Hurdles and Environmental Screening.
[0:37:12] – Valuing Ecosystem Services, Land Value and "Payment for Environmental Services" (PES).
