This is the time of year for reflection and for a word of buiochas to all our friends and supporters in the local and national organic community.
The past year has been eventful and full of changes, with new courses new modules, a great variety of field trips, visiting speakers and an improved growing season, for that we give a special buiochas. New links were made with UCC, with Cork Institute of Technology C.I.T. and we’re glad to have more graduates progressing to further study in these colleges up to Masters Level in Organic Horticulture. Our hope is that Limerick University and L.I.T. will follow and take Organic and Sustainable horticulture seriously in their course provision in the years ahead,
Tours into the college have never been as active, with specialist programmes now developed for half or full-day activities and provided to transition year students and schools all year round.
We participated in a variety of Adult Education events including the AONTAS Festival where we were shortlisted for a STAR Award for innovation in adult learning.
The Siopa Glas and weekly markets on Fridays, as well as the open days and Christmas fair have all grown in the past year because of the interest and commitment of the college community.
We presented our produce for the first time at the annual Newcastle west and Limerick Agricultural Shows wining a number of first second and third prizes for fruit and vegetables and making the organic system known to a whole new generation of growers.
The I.T facilities have been improved in the college to provide internet access and live streaming for the first time to all classrooms.
A hive of activity!
A dedicated group of students have renovated the Bee Room from floor to ceiling. This room, which is in sight of the Apiary, allows direct access to the gardens and will be a major support for what is another first for Dromcollogher, in providing the first, full year course in Beekeeping, Nationally Certified by FETAC/QQI at level 5. Our thanks to all who have helped us in building up the apiary and in putting the course together particularly our local expert Andy Burke and the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations FIBKA.
Garrai Glas 2014.
We were glad to be involved again with TG4 in the coming series with emphasis on “Garrai and Lia” the healing garden. The June recording featured the college’s plant evolution area and herb gardens, as well as the Broadford Arboretum. Food for the day was described by the crew as “Bia den scoth”, with a newly developed Sailéid don croí briste, a salad for a broken heart. Learners who have developed this guarantee its authenticity and power of this salad which must be home made and taken over a period for greatest effect. The new series of Garraí Glas starts later in spring.
The bigger picture.
As we face a year of anniversaries, of the Great War a hundred years ago, the Battle of Clontarf a thousand years ago there will be further reflections and discussions in the coming months. Limerick is also affirming itself as a city of culture. In the midst of this, it is perhaps legitimate to ask where our food, farming and sustainability culture is going and who is looking after this?
A visit to Seed savers in Scarriff just before Christmas reminded us of the priceless work of this organisation and just how vulnerable it is at present. The account below by learner Ciara Williams and her presentation of the student’s contribution to ISSA outlines the need to get our priorities right on food sovereignty and sustainability. The great irony of celebrating Clare’s Brian Boru, winning sovereignty at Clontarf, would be if we are lose our seed and food sovereignty and the most valuable Bank in Ireland.. Our seed bank in Scarriff.
For this to happen in a year which celebrates financial freedom, having invested nearly seventy billion in bailing out dubious organisations calling themselves banks must surely be unthinkable.
Immediate responsibility for protecting food sovereignty in Ireland is everyone’s but must finally rest with the Minister for Agriculture and Food Simon Coveney T.D. As well as directly supporting the ISSA as they ask on their website we urge all our friends to lobby the minister directly at Agriculture House in Kildare St Dublin to ensure that our seed and plant heritage is actively supported and the work of ISSA is funded and enhanced in the years ahead.
Re-envisioning in 2014.
Like all dynamic organisations the college has in the past year begun the process of reviewing its courses and 
programmes to match the changing demands in organic producers, our graduates and the needs of our learners. This process will continue in the months ahead and we welcome proposals from friends and past learners as well as current ones towards renewing our vision and our mission.
The Organic Co-operative.
This is just one of the proposals which has come from our listening process in the past year and following a number of meetings last September we visited the Scarriff community co-operative. This multi-purpose organisation serves the local community with open gardens, a book and coffee shop as well as a drop in centre for a range of health and education services. On revisiting in December we noted co-operative has started to build a community food processing facility which will add value to local quality food produce and give small food business a place to start up. The success of Scarriff and other models makes particular sense in Dromcollogher which can claim the first co-operative creamery in these islands started here in 1989. Our next meeting of graduates and interested parties in the organic co-operative takes place at the end of January.
Finally we want to say a special word of thanks to all our learners, day and distance learners for coming to join and participate with us on the organic journey, to our staff and supporters who not only keep the college clean, warm and bright, but make it a dynamic place which values diversity and innovation in all its forms. To our colleagues in Hazelwood College, TUS and the VEC, now the newly established LCETB, we thank you for your ongoing support.
We have major challenges in 2014 requiring substantial investment in modernising our field-scale machinery, in upgrading the college’s heating system and library. Your interest and support for us has been priceless in the past year and more than ever we need to reaffirm our strength is in our coming together. Tá ár neart as cur le céile!
Jim Mc Namara 01/01/2014.