Articles

Famed for her passion for natural food, sustainabilty and biodiversity, Darina Allen is always an inspiration – and this month, with war on waste to the fore, she’s on a mission to finish up all those half-used store cupboard items and prove how many good things you can enjoy with hardly a trip to the shops.
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Ever hungry to increase her extensive knowledge on the best ways to farm and eat healthily in harmony with nature - especially in view of the new Ballymaloe Organic Farming School that she is establishing to build on the Sustainable Food Production Courses initiated at Ballymaloe Cookery School before Covid – Darina has been travelling far and wide to learn more about sustainable farming systems and biodiversity. This month she shares some fascinating insights from a visit to Tuscany in the autumn – inspiration for us all to do more for the environment and to eat better food as we head into a new year.
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Darina’s endless research into the most interesting and sustainably produced foods continues, with a recent trip to Canada a big hit – and of particular interest there, in view of her new venture, the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School, was a visit to the Downsview Park urban farm project in Toronto
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A Welsh farm we visited this summer is an example of what, in an ideal world, all farms could be - rich mixed pastures, abundant hedgerows filled with birdsong and wildlife, a pond teaming with fish and pollinating insects. A striking example of farming with nature.
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From very intensive conventional farmers to organic and biodynamic, even some small holders with just a couple of acres to landowners with 6000 plus acre estates. All had a common purpose, at the Groundswell Regenerative Agricultural Festival.
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Darina shares some highlights from the recent ‘Celebrate Our Producers Day’ at Ballymaloe, where the link between the cook or chef and the producers who make their job possible has been treasured for many decades
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Sustainable continues to be quite the buzzword with many awards being meted out to establishments and companies who are making strides in this area. Yet Ireland with its clean, green image still ranks very poorly on the (SDG's) Sustainable Development Goals. Having said that, we have apparently moved from 11th out of 15 comparable countries in the EU in 2022 to 10th out of 14 this year on the Sustainable Progress Index. Confusing or what...
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I recently spent an action-packed weekend in Belfast and I can tell you the city is rocking. The food scene is exploding, and I certainly couldn't manage to fit all my 'must do's into my available meal slots, I'll have to go back for more...
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Darina was not surprised by the recent fresh produce supply problems in our shops, she had seen it coming for years and warns (yet again) that we must support our growers. And cooking her delicious recipes using seasonal Irish produce are a good place to start.
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Romance is not just for Valentines, a date night treat is for any time... For a celebratory experience that's truly special, nothing quite tops a special home-cooked meal that's designed to be delicious, comforting and chic.
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