Field Exchange Brookfield Farm | Tipperary - 2024 and 2025

Field Exchange unites farmers, creatives, and experts, creating a collaborative space to share knowledge and devise solutions for the challenges confronting farmers and rural communities in a shifting climate. 

Presented by Ailbhe Gerrard 

Funded by Creative Ireland with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications |  Creative Climate Action Fund

Field Exchange takes place on Brookfield Farm located on the shores of Lough Derg in Co. Tipperary. This two year innovation project, led by farmer and creative climate ambassador Ailbhe Gerrard, with coaching and expertise provided by Davie Philip and Cultivate and contributions from renowned international and Irish artists including Ackroyd and Harvey, Uta Kögelsberger, Gerardine Wisdom, The Company of Trees, designer Esther Gerrard, and others. Field Exchange is further supported by technical partners, the Irish Agroforestry Forum and the Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland.

Field Exchange seeks Creative Farming Ambassadors to share the journey towards sustainability over the next two years. Connect with a supportive network of fellow farmers who share your concerns and cultivate essential skills to address the challenges and seize the opportunities of a changing climate.

Apply here, before 12 Jan 2024:  Creative Farming Ambassador 

Ten farmers are invited to join a dedicated Community of Practice, focused on sustainable farming practices and skill-building, creatively addressing the challenges through a series of Field Exchange Days and Harvest Gatherings. These capacity-building workshops and visits will take place over two years and offer a unique blend of knowledge, creativity, and community, empowering you to implement positive changes on your farm and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient rural future.

Benefits of Participating in the Field Exchange Community of Practice:

• Gain knowledge about sustainable farming practices and explore creative expressions with artists to implement unique and visually appealing strategies on your farm.
• Develop meaningful connections with fellow farmers, rural stakeholders, and artists, creating a dynamic network for ongoing collaboration that integrates creativity into farming practices.
• Strengthen your leadership skills and foster confidence in implementing creative solutions on your farm.
• Make a Positive Impact: Contribute to making a positive impact on your community through the creative implementation of sustainable practices, collaborating with artists to amplify the message and engage the public
• Participation payment offered

Field Exchange Days Include:

• Ecology and Biodiversity: Explore the intricate relationship between farming practices, ecology and sustainability. Engage with artists to incorporate creative expressions that foster a holistic approach to nature. 
• Wellbeing and Resilience: Strengthening personal well-being and community resilience. 
• Agroforestry: Discover successful methods of integrating trees into agricultural practices through the exploration of agroforestry.
• Working with the Local Food System: Learn strategies for effective collaboration within the local food system to enhance sustainability of your farm.
• Creative Imagination for Problem Solving: Cultivate innovative thinking to address challenges faced in sustainable agriculture and rural communities
• Building Dry Stone Walls: Develop essential skills in the craft of Dry Stone Wall construction, contributing to farm infrastructure.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for sustainable agriculture and creative farming.

Field Exchange Harvest Gatherings 

The Field Exchange journey includes two harvest gatherings, designed to provide a transformative learning experience for farmers, food producers, artists, specialists, and the wider community. These gatherings go beyond traditional agricultural events, offering a space where creativity sparks innovative solutions, meaningful connections are nurtured, and a shared vision for a sustainable future takes root.

Engage in a series of workshops, discussions, and hands-on activities that stimulate your imagination and equip you with practical tools to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. Explore where agriculture and creativity intersect, discover sustainable farming practices, forge connections with diverse stakeholders, and harness creativity to transform challenges into opportunities.

Field Exchange engages vision, knowledge and practical action in our communities to come together to solve our urgent challenges in agriculture, biodiversity and climate. 

Art Work 

Ackroyd and Harvey, Uta Kögelsberger, Gerardine Wisdom, The Company of Trees,  designer Esther Gerrard, and others

Technical Partners

Irish Agroforestry Forum

Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland.

Apply here, before 12 Jan 2024:  Creative Farming Ambassador 

To view previous exchanges, view our Field Exchange 2022 Learning Resource, click on images below