Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
“I was noticing more and more pests and diseases, and the chemical cures were eating away at the margin,” Nigel explained. “I became disillusioned and wanted to try something else.”
A meeting with a member of BASE Ireland gave him the spark to learn more. One fact in particular hit home: every insecticide spray kills not just its target species but thousands of beneficial insects as well, while also building resistance. “When I learned that, I immediately stopped using them,” he said.
Since then, Nigel has been on a journey using the principles of conservation agriculture. Overtime he has dropped his use of pesticides and nitrogen year on year, and now he is now in organic conversion.
The means he has used to achieve this includes the use of home-saved seed dressed with biological mixes, careful soil sampling, melting urea and the use of biological stimulants to produce resilient crops of barley, wheat, beans and oats. Amongst other things.
For more info about Nigel's methods - sign up to his 'Ask the Farmer' online Q&A Tues 23rd Sept 2025 at 8pm
Registration essential: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UFQHgW5sQoKt6_s6zB9y7w#/registration
More info about Nigel's farm https://www.farmingfornature.ie/nominees/nigel-gillis/
Farming for Nature is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Parks and Wildlife Service
“I was noticing more and more pests and diseases, and the chemical cures were eating away at the margin,” Nigel explained. “I became disillusioned and wanted to try something else.”
A meeting with a member of BASE Ireland gave him the spark to learn more. One fact in particular hit home: every insecticide spray kills not just its target species but thousands of beneficial insects as well, while also building resistance. “When I learned that, I immediately stopped using them,” he said.
Since then, Nigel has been on a journey using the principles of conservation agriculture. Overtime he has dropped his use of pesticides and nitrogen year on year, and now he is now in organic conversion.
The means he has used to achieve this includes the use of home-saved seed dressed with biological mixes, careful soil sampling, melting urea and the use of biological stimulants to produce resilient crops of barley, wheat, beans and oats. Amongst other things.
For more info about Nigel's methods - sign up to his 'Ask the Farmer' online Q&A Tues 23rd Sept 2025 at 8pm
Registration essential: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UFQHgW5sQoKt6_s6zB9y7w#/registration
More info about Nigel's farm https://www.farmingfornature.ie/nominees/nigel-gillis/
Farming for Nature is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Parks and Wildlife Service
