Host Farm Profiles

The Irish Seed Savers Association is situated in east Clare on a hilly 20-acre site. We grow organic crops for their seeds, which are harvested, processed and packaged on site. The site includes the gardens, the orchards and the buildings used for workshops and seed processing/storage.

The work of the garden team is to sow, plant and maintain these crops (mainly vegetables with some flower and dye plants) until the seed is ready to be harvested. We are looking for an intern who would assist in the hands-on side of this work, including ground prep, sowing, weeding, and other practical tasks, as well as engage with our values of food sovereignty, conservation and sustainability.
irishseedsavers.ie

 

Moy Hill Farm was started in 2015 and has evolved over the years. We now grow on about 1.5 acres, mainly higher value crops. All crops are grown in a no dig system. We also practice KNF (Korean Natural Farming). We have six big tunnels and two small and are building two more new tunnels this season. 

 The garden is part of a mixed farm of 111 acres with Dexter cattle and 400 laying hens on pasture. We have about 300 fruit trees, mainly apples.

moyhillfarm.com

 
Ballymaloe Cookery School is situated on a 100-acre organic farm in East Cork, embracing a sustainable and environmentally conscious ethos. The farm provides fresh produce for the school’s renowned 12-Week Certificate students, with vegetables grown in both outdoor gardens and extensive glasshouses.

The farm is home to free-range livestock, including pigs, beef and dairy cows (Angus, Kerry, Dexter, and Jersey breeds), as well as hens supplying organic eggs. A commitment to organic principles drives continuous experimentation with biodynamic planting, “No Dig” methods, and natural pest control. On-site composting fosters biodiversity, enhancing soil fertility without synthetic inputs.
wwww.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/organic-farm/our-organic-farm

CORK ROOFTOP FARM

Cork City, Co. Cork

 Established in March 2020 during the pandemic as an urban homesteading project, the rooftop farm has grown to become a fully-fledged business, transitioning from a 6000 sq ft rooftop in 2020, to a half-acre market garden in 2021, a 2-acre market garden in 2023. In 2024 we have taken on 60 acres of leased land which is a mixture of field crops, market garden space and indoor production. We sell mainly through our veg box scheme and our two stores, as well as into local restaurants and wholesalers. We try to use innovative farm tools to provide efficiency in both our market gardens and field product.

We place a strong emphasis on biodiversity and nature and have planted upwards of 5000 native trees throughout the farm in the past 2 years, as well as leaving hedges grow. We approach soil management using a min-till philosophy, using deep mulches of compost and hay where possible to protect and nurture plants and suppress weeds.
www.corkrooftopfarm.ie

Established in 2002 we started with one acre and in 2021 grew 50 acres of organic vegetables including over 40 different varieties. We employ 25 full time people including a field work team, packhouse team, office and sales team and delivery driver team. We have 20,000 square foot of polytunnels for protected cropping and propagation of seeds.

We started selling through a box scheme in 2002, moved into farmers markets and then gradually into wholesaling which makes up most of our sales now. We supply farmers market traders, restaurants and other food businesses as well as our own veg box scheme. We use tractors and machinery for precision  seed sowing, and some of the weeding. Doing an internship here will show you the logistical work as well as the physical work involved in large scale commercial organic horticultural production. beechlawnorganicfarm.ie

 

Fáilte go dtí An Garraí Glas. It is a one-acre South Connemara vegetable farm molded in North American small scale organic farming fashion. It is highly productive and independent of machinery and oil for everything (bar transporting the veg to the customers), but we also have an on-farm roadside shop to balance that out. We focus on growing salads and fast-maturing root crops for supermarkets and for restaurants.

We grow about 16 different vegetable crops and through succession sowing and responding to market demands we have very little waste and we manage to have all our land working for us all of the time. We are based in a Gaeltacht area on the west coast of Ireland.
www.instagram.com/angarraiglas/

We are the biggest online retailer of organic produce and products in the country, and we deliver to every corner. We employ over 35 people,  farmers, drivers, marketeers, packers, administrators and more.

You’ll be exposed to a diverse range of production, from polytunnel growing to cutting-edge machinery use. Help us grow over 20 different crops in a sustainable and ethical way, from leeks to tomatoes and everything in between. 10 acres, 7 polytunnels, 2 tractors an array of fantastic machines and great people, that’s our set up.

We need people who are willing to work hard, love the west of Ireland climate for all its diversity. You will also need grit, determination, physical well-being, and we can promise you will be lean and fit at the end of the summer and will have accrued a healthy respect for what it takes to grow food.
greenearthorganics.ie

Mill House Farm

Williamstown, Co. Galway

 

Mill House Farm is a certified organic 2.7 ha farm producing salad crops under cover all year round. We grow and supply quality salad crops to the food service industry and retail outlets in Galway, Roscommon and Athlone. We also supply wholesalers.

The salad crops grown throughout the year vary greatly according to seasonality. Work is busy and challenging but rewarding.

This is an opportunity for an interested candidate to come onboard as part of the team to fully learn all aspects of the business and develop their role as a full-time member of staff with a long term future at Mill House Farm.
millhousefarm.ie

We are a nine-acre organic horticulture enterprise dedicated to growing and supplying high-quality vegetables to award-winning restaurants, farmers’ markets, specialty food stores and wholesale clients. Established in 2019 and certified organic in 2022, the farm continues to evolve year on year. Currently, we grow a diverse range of approximately 30 crops, utilizing a combination of field-scale plots and two 9 x 33m polytunnels to achieve high production. The farm is led by Dermot Carey, who brings a lifetime of horticultural experience to the business.

This is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in organic farming under the guidance of a mentor with decades of industry experience. Whether you are an aspiring horticulturist eager to learn or an experienced grower looking to refine your skills, you will gain practical insights and invaluable expertise in a supportive yet challenging environment.
www.instagram.com/dermot.carey/

The farm is approximately 13.5 acres.  We actively farm about 5 acres at a time with the rest in green manure ley. We grow approximately 18 different crops outside and in tunnels.  The farm is owned and run by Liam with the support of two other employees (both former interns), and we host volunteers through wwoof.ie all year round.

We sell direct at our home farm shop on Fridays and at Carlow Farmers Market every Saturday and do a small amount of wholesaling.  There are no farmed animals on the holding. We are certified by the IOA and have had full organic status since 2006.
www.facebook.com/moyleabbeyorganicfarm

The organic business on our farm was set up to fulfill a demand and the constant requests from the supermarkets that we supply with conventional broccoli. It is different from most organic farms in that the only vegetable produced is broccoli. Other crops grown in rotation are oats grass and, in some years, a protein crop.

There is a propagation unit dedicated to the production of organic plants required on site. The approach is different than a lot of organic farms in that it is very specialized and cutting-edge technology is used to keep costs to a minimum. The approach is very businesslike with detailed analysis of costings kept at all stages of production.

Modern machinery is used, and we have the most modern broccoli packing facility in the country. We are seed to customer – the nursery produces almost 600,000 organic broccoli transplants for our own use. There is a great opportunity for someone to upskill in organic production in a highly commercial environment.
www.paulbrophyproduce.ie

Ellan Farm is a 20-acre holding in Ballyneety, 10 minutes from Limerick City. The farm is owned & managed by Master Chefs, a catering company with a substantial national portfolio. Its sole purpose is to supply Master Chefs with year-round produce. The range of produce currently growing includes all root veg, brassicas, fruits & berries, salads, herbs, garlic etc.

From 2025 all our produce will be processed onsite in our 5,000 sq ft processing plant at the farm & distributed through our own refrigerated transport to our outlets nationwide. Within this facility there will also be a demonstration & training kitchen for our chefs, meeting rooms & full commercial scale vegetable processing equipment.

The farm is managed by Shirley Morrow and her partner Anthony Hartnett, both certified organic specialists with many years’ experience. The intern will not only learn from two organic growing experts but will also get exposure to vegetable processing for the end user from the Master Chefs team.
www.masterchefs.ie/ellan-farm

 Glasraí is a 7-acre organic vegetable farm growing a wide range of fruit and vegetables. We keep chickens also for eggs. Our main focus is on soil health and the sustainability of small farms. We use a combination of minimal soil disturbance and continual cover cropping to protect soils and build microbiology and fertility. We make our own compost using biodynamic preparations. The farm is constantly evolving and improving. There are 8 people working here (most part time, including ourselves). We are a great team and plan together, eat together and weed together.

We save seeds from certain crops and experiment with plant feeds, ground cover etc to create a natural and healthy closed loop system farm (as much as practical). We are invested in seeing small ecological farms succeed in supporting families and communities, and in a way that is healthy for everyone who works there.
www.glasrai.ie

Slieve Bloom Organics was set up in 2023 as a continuation of a long-standing veg box scheme run at Lough Boora Farm since 1997. Our ethos is to respect everyone and the environment.

We have seven polytunnels and a two hectare field where we grow a wide range of vegetables, potatoes, herbs and a small amount of fruit. Most of the sales are packed and delivered straight to private customers’ houses but we also wholesale. We start all of our own plants from seed.

There is a mix of manual and mechanised work. With two tunnels of tomatoes planned for 2025, much of that going to supermarkets, this would be a good placement for anyone interested in tomato production.
www.slievebloomorganics.ie

 

Grow It Yourself is a not-for-profit social enterprise that encourages people, in Ireland and abroad, to grow some of their own food. One aspect of this is the growing of our own organic vegetables and fruit to supply our on-site restaurant. The garden has had organic status for a number of years and is becoming established as a visitor garden and is used for training and group tours.

We now also have a walled garden of c.10 acres in-conversion that supplies vegetables, pork and eggs to our restaurant, shop and a box scheme.
giy.ie