Manna Organic Store
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AgroBRIDGES Good Practice Recording Template |
| Manna Organic Farm and Store | |
| Author(s) | Jennifer Attard |
| Insert photo or any visual image or diagram e.g. /Word or Image Collage | |
| Choose a primary theme that the Good Practice adheres to (three themes can be considered: | Mutual benefits between primary producers and consumers |
| If relevant choose a secondary theme that the Good Practice adheres to | Education and awareness raising practices |
| If relevant choose a tertiary theme that the Good Practice adheres to | |
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EIP Practice Abstract Format:
Short summary for practitioners in English on the (final or expected) outcomes (1000-1500 characters, word count – no spaces).This summary should be as interesting as possible for farmers/end-users, using a direct and easy understandable language and pointing out entrepreneurial elements which are particularly relevant for practitioners. Research oriented aspects which do not help the understanding of the practice itself should be avoided. |
Short description of the ‘Good Practice’: Manna Organic Store can be found on the Island of Geese, Strand Street, Tralee. It is owned and managed by Claire and Thomas O’Connor. It is a fully certified Organic Shop, selling a wide range of delicious organic fruit, vegetables and organic wholefoods. With produce from their own farm, and other local organic farms, Manna is a shop with a difference. It is ALL about the taste. At Manna they sell all kinds of organic fruit and vegetables, some depending on the season. They bring in as much stock as possible from the local organic farms, including their own. And they have a buying policy to get their non-Irish stock from as close to Ireland as possible. They want to eat food that is grown and raised ethically and organically. They want their friends, family and everyone to eat food that is grown and raised ethically and organically. At Manna, they believe that everyone should have access to safe, healthy, nutritious and delicious food. So they set up their organic farm to grow nutritionally dense and tasty vegetables, and then set up their own shop to sell them. At Manna, they spend their spare time working with local and national organic, environmental and community groups. They have been involved with Transition Kerry since its start in 2008. They have also spent time working with IOFGA, Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association and the OGI, the Organic Growers of Ireland. Organic food and caring for the environment they live in is not just a job for them – it is their life, they live it every day – on the farm, in the shop and at home. The farm has full organic certification (licence 5720) with IOFGA (Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association). All farm waste organic material and that from the shop (also fully certified – licence number 4799) is recycled as compost or as animal or poultry feed. They use the tried and tested methods of rotations, fertilizing with organic manure and seaweed. They make liquid feeds from nettles and comfrey and also re-mineralise the soil with Sea-90, de-hydrated sea-water that contains all 90 minerals and elements necessary for life and growth. |
| Main results/outcomes of the activity (expected or final): The farm and shop are successful because of the fantastic story they are able to tell. The business is family-owned and run and their website and social media is also run by themselves. They both are heavily involved in the community through community groups and projects (including education and replication projects), creating a large audience and connecting them to all their customers and potential customers. | |
| The main practical recommendation(s): The end used has complete information on the products, where it comes from and what is used to grow it. Farm walks are common because Thomas is keen to share the good work he is doing. Therefore there is complete transparency. They are aiming to imcrease this knowledge communication further through new projects. | |
| Further information/Reference: http://mannaorganicstore.ie | |
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Short summary for practitioners in native language on the (final or expected) outcomes (1000-1500 characters, word count – no spaces).
This summary should be as interesting as possible for farmers/end-users, using a direct and easy understandable language and pointing out entrepreneurial elements which are particularly relevant for practitioners. Research oriented aspects which do not help the understanding of the practice itself should be avoided. |
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| Pearls, Puzzles, Proposals? | Pearls: The owners are a married couple, one is the farmer and one runs the shop and social media / marketing so they are complete in the skill they need for a SFSC. They are also strong educators in holistic farming. Puzzles: Will customers still shop there if they exclude exotic products like pineapples and avocados? Proposals: To only sell their own produce or other local produce. |
| What needs did the ‘good practice’ respond to? | It is rare that a small-scale farmer is able to market himself |
| Methodology Used: | one-on-one interview (x1) and follow-up e-mail |
| Sector | Vegetables |
| Actors/Stakeholders involved. Who are key actors in the supply chain AND who are key enablers of the process? | Owners (farmer, shop manager, marketer), other local farmers, Dutch farmers, consumers. |
| Is the good practice supported by an IT application? If yes please describe and collect the TRL |
Yes, website, social media, youtube workshops, other online workshops and courses.
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| Optional: What supports were provided by public sector bodies/policy instruments? | Unknown |
| Media attachment (e.g. video link) or other attachment describing/depicting the Good Pratice | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCXRlSmOhR0 |
| Key words | farmer, local shop, organic fruit and vegetables, farm to shop |
| Additonal infromation for reporting purposes | |
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000788 |
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