Regenerative farming at Moy Hill Farm
The following report was written by Lucy Harding.
For 3 weeks in July 2025, I travelled to the West coast of Ireland to volunteer at Moy Hill Farm, an organic community farm which focuses on regenerative practices and food sovereignty in the community. This was my first ever solo trip, which was incredibly daunting, and included navigating the Dublin-Holyhead ferry, cycling through Dublin (almost onto a motorway!) and across the country of Ireland to the West coast to the farm.
Volunteering at the farm, I spent the weekdays getting stuck in – planting, weeding, picking produce and looking after animals. I learned how the farm actually farms regeneratively, using specific techniques to look after the environment and ensure that the produce being sold was fully organic. These were long days full of hard work, but so enjoyable and rewarding.
I also helped out with cooking and feeding the local community, using the fresh produce from the farm to cook nutritious meals, which is a huge passion of mine – although cooking for 20+ people was daunting to begin with. Weekends were spent at the nearby Lahinch beach, surfing in the Atlantic ocean, as well as finding other secluded beach spots to swim in – even swimming with a dolphin!
I met lots of incredible people who really helped me feel at home on the farm, and I spent time with these lovely folks in the evenings at local pubs listening to folk music, drinking Ireland’s famous Guinness and watching Irish sports such as hurling and Gaelic football. I had an amazing time in Ireland and was so lucky to be able to experience this lifestyle. I have learnt and experienced a completely different way of life, which has helped me contextualise my studies in Geography, especially providing me with hope about the future of farming, food production and environmental protection.
Further, I have used this knowledge in my dissertation as an example of how women are coming into the farming profession and changing archaic attitudes in the profession. This was incredibly inspiring, and has given me truly unique knowledge and experience which I can take forward in my career and life in the future. I am incredibly grateful to Trinity Hall Association for their support which has allowed me to have such a once-in-a-lifetime experience.