We are always seeking ways to “advance the climate action, energy management, and sustainability agenda in our role as an education and training provider to our learners” (Donegal ETB Climate Action Roadmap 2025, p.29). Training to enable cultural change is key, and over the last two years, our Further Education and Training (FET) Service (Enterprise Engagement) has been working with Síolta Chroí to deliver regenerative agriculture training to farmers in the county. But what is regenerative agriculture, why is it needed, and what are the benefits of this training? In this month’s blog, Gareth Conlon, Director of Síolta Chroí, explains.
Regenerative agriculture is a sustainable method of farming that focuses on soil health. It is “an agricultural system that puts more back into the environment and society than it takes out. By naturally reintroducing carbon and nutrient resources back into the land, this approach can support ecosystem health, mitigate climate change, and support farmers and their livelihoods through more reliable growing yields.” (Bord Bia*)
As both a local and global community, we are facing enormous challenges in terms of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.
Our current industrial agricultural system is a major contributor to these issues. In Ireland, the agriculture sector accounts for 38% of national greenhouse gas emissions. Despite being a food-producing nation, we export 90% of what we grow and import over 80% of what we eat.
And farmers themselves are suffering. Many are pushed into debt, forced to take second jobs, or pitted against one another in a race to the bottom, while the system around them continues to extract more than it gives. But what if another way was possible?
Education as a Catalyst for Transformation
At its heart, education is about supporting people to transform themselves and their communities into something better. Regenerative agriculture offers exactly that kind of possibility.
What if farmers became the heroes of climate action and biodiversity restoration? What if farming could provide nutrient-rich food for local communities while giving farmers a fair and resilient livelihood? What if how we manage the land helped protect our towns and villages from flooding (think of the devastation in Inishowen in 2017), and increased our resilience to the climate change already underway?
With this in mind, Siolta Chroí reached out to Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB) in 2024 with a simple idea: what if we ran a six-week course for farmers in Donegal on regenerative agriculture? We had no idea what that one email would set in motion.
Since then, we’ve delivered four regenerative agriculture courses across Donegal in Buncrana, Carrowmenagh, Letterkenny, and Portnoo, connecting with farmers who are eager to farm in ways that restore their land, their livelihoods, and their communities. In the last two years, 51 farmers from across Donegal have taken part in this course.
It has grown into other work as well. With the delivery of an accredited City & Guild Level 3 unit, Undertaking Farm Habitat Management, farmers have been empowered with the skills and confidence to steward their land for biodiversity, soil health, and long-term resilience.
A Shared Island project has also been developed. The Farmers of Ulster is a partnership between Donegal ETB, Cavan–Monaghan ETB, Talamh Beo, and GrowIN in Northern Ireland. Together, we supported farmers across Ulster to take their next steps in regenerative agriculture, exchange knowledge, and visit each other’s farms throughout 2025.
Farmers across Donegal, working alongside Donegal ETB and Síolta Chroí, are proving that a different agricultural future is not only possible, but already happening. The feedback we have received from Donegal farmers who have completed this course has been very positive.
Charlie Cavanagh from Greencastle, who completed the Undertaking Farm Habitat Management course, said: “I very much enjoyed my participation in the Farm Habitat Management course; the knowledge of the various lecturers and guest speakers was excellent. Our practical field and farm visits were very hands-on and informative. The course covered a broad range of subject matter, which kept it interesting. The assignments pushed you to research different topics and learn new skills. The knowledge exchange from everyone involved, including fellow participants, was invaluable, and friendships built during the course have extended beyond the course. Looking forward to the next course opportunity.”
Elena, who travelled from Laois for the same course, said: “I really loved the ‘Undertaking Farm Habitat Management’ module at Donegal ETB. It was very well structured, and the blended approach, combining farm visits with lab sessions at the Letterkenny [Training] centre, worked brilliantly.”
Mervin Norris in Carrowmenagh, who completed the Regenerative Agriculture course, told us, “I really enjoyed this course. [It was a] very enlightening and well-presented course [that] really challenged conventional farming methods. [It] helped to overcome my deep-seated conventional agriculture mindset and start moving towards systems that are more wholesome and less expensive to run.”
Luke Cape from Portnoo said, “A fantastic and varied course that laid out the basics and practicalities of regenerative agriculture. It was a great way to meet people and learn through presentations, discussions, field trips, and hands-on activities. Much recommended!”
Niall McCarron from Buncrana, simply said, “Yes, a great course – I didn’t realise there was so much going on 6 inches below. Would recommend the course to anyone.”
This is a future where farming benefits the farmer, the wider natural world, the local community, and generations yet to come. We are incredibly excited about this collaboration and the momentum it has gathered, and look forward to running these and more courses around Donegal throughout 2026 and beyond.
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* https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/insights/global-sustainability-insights/environment-planet/regenerative-agriculture/, accessed 05 December 2025
If you are interested in a regenerative agriculture course, contact our Enterprise Engagement Officer Donna McDade on 086 6069381 or apply for our next courses here:
– Undertaking Farm Habitat Management: https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=493670
– Introduction to Regenerative Agriculture: https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=485026
These courses are provided through the Skills to Work initiative under our Adult Literacy programme. Adult literacy is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union / Tá Litearthacht d’Aosaigh arna chomhchistiú ag Rialtas na hÉireann agus an Aontas Eorpach. #EUinMyRegion