Ballyhooly native Andrew Shinnick, with his brother John, is a third generation beekeeper. When they’re not beekeeping, Andrew is a senior Army Officer and John, a full-time dairy farmer. Together the brothers run the award-winning Blackwater Honey. Andrew is also on the board of directors of the Irish Beekeepers Association […]

Another Christmas has slipped gently by and here we are in 2022. As always I enjoyed Christmas. I love that business takes a break and there’s time to enjoy family and friends, even if it means meeting outside to avoid the dreaded virus. We shared lots of family dinners, taking […]

Another January and another opportunity for resolutions. Recently I listened to a podcast interview with Patrick Holden of The Sustainable Food Trust talking to Andy Cato, an inspiring regenerative farmer. The subject was climate change and how our food choices could help in redressing the situation. It was suggested that […]

Farm life is relatively straightforward at the moment. The cows are getting a combination of hay, silage or straw over a week. It sounds more complicated than it actually is. They get a bale of silage in front of them, which usually lasts a pen four to five days and […]

Categories