CAFRE Uplands Open Day showcases innovation in upland farming and conservation in Glenwherry

Beef cattle grazing at the Hill Farm is managed using virtual fence technology.

More than 260 visitors braved wet weather to attend the Uplands Open Day at CAFRE’s Hill Farm in Glenwherry, exploring how science and innovation are shaping the future of upland farming, habitat management and climate action.

Organised jointly by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and Teagasc, the event on Wednesday, 3 September brought together farmers, researchers, conservationists and policymakers from across Ireland.

Attendees were taken on a four-stop farm tour that highlighted cutting-edge work in livestock management, carbon balance, peatland restoration and the use of hill cattle in biodiversity recovery.

Science and farming on the hill

Michael Gottstein (Sheep Specialist, Teagasc) and Dr Eileen McCloskey (Senior Livestock Technologist, CAFRE) discussed hill system systems at the Uplands Open Day.

The event opened at Glenwherry with a focus on hill sheep and habitat management.

Dr Eileen McCloskey, Senior Livestock Technologist at CAFRE, explained how different sheep systems are being tested and adapted to match the landscape.

“The grazing behaviour of hill sheep plays a crucial role in managing and improving the landscape,” she told attendees. “By aligning grazing patterns with habitat goals, significant adjustments can be made that benefit both the sheep enterprise and the surrounding environment.”

Michael Gottstein, Sheep Specialist at Teagasc, added that understanding how sheep use upland areas allows farmers to harness their natural behaviours to support biodiversity, while Merlin Becker from the Irish Grouse Conservation Trust stressed that such practices also benefit ground-nesting birds.

Marlin Becker, Irish Grouse Conservation Trust talks habitat management at the CAFRE Hill Farm.

Controlled grazing, vegetation management and predator control, he said, had created conditions that help threatened species like grouse recover.

Measuring carbon in practice

The second stop shifted focus to carbon emissions and peatland management, one of the most pressing challenges facing upland agriculture.

Dr Elizabeth Earle, Senior Carbon Technologist at CAFRE, shared data from the Hill Farm’s carbon monitoring programme.

Dr Elizabeth Earle (Senior Carbon Technologist) discussed the carbon coring project at the Uplands Open Day.

She revealed how baseline and current figures had been carefully measured, showing how restoration projects were already lowering emissions.

“These results provide a transparent view of the farm’s climate impact and highlight the positive changes achieved through restoration,” she said.

PhD researcher Hannah Thompson, from Ulster University, explained how Glenwherry has become a living laboratory, with detailed monitoring of soil, vegetation and hydrology feeding into improved carbon accounting at a national level.

Carbon balance was discussed at the Uplands Open Day by Dr Elizabeth Earle (Senior Carbon Technologist), Hannah Thompson, a PhD student at Ulster University and Dr Aaron Fox, Carbon Researcher at Teagasc.

Dr Aaron Fox, Carbon Researcher at Teagasc, said the Glenwherry site was part of a wider network of studies across Ireland, demonstrating how farms can act as “active participants in climate action” through collaboration and science-led decision-making.

Restoring peatland for climate and biodiversity

The third stop looked at peatland restoration, moving from theory to practice.

Patrick Browne and Carolyn Patterson, Advisers from Teagasc joined Nicola Warden (Senior Biodiversity Technologist, CAFRE) and Simon Gray, Head of Peatland Recovery, Ulster Wildlife at the peatland restoration stop.

Nicola Warden, Senior Biodiversity Technologist at CAFRE, showcased projects at Glenwherry such as a forest-to-bog initiative and efforts to raise the water table to re-establish natural hydrology.

“Restoration is not just about reducing emissions; it also brings significant biodiversity gains,” she explained, citing examples of native plants and wildlife returning to previously degraded areas.

Simon Gray, Head of Peatland Recovery at Ulster Wildlife, outlined the steps required for successful long-term recovery, stressing the importance of tailoring interventions to site-specific conditions and involving local communities in the process.

Attendees take a closer look at the peatland recovery measures outcomes at the CAFRE Hill Farm.

Teagasc advisers Patrick Browne and Carolyn Patterson linked the discussion to the Republic of Ireland’s Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), explaining how landowners south of the border can access support for similar restoration projects.

Hill cattle and breeding waders

The final stop examined how hill cattle are being used in habitat recovery, particularly for breeding waders such as curlew and lapwing.

Stephen Magennis (Conservation Officer, RSPB) and Martin Kirk (Livestock Technologist, CAFRE) provided an insight into the role cattle play in habitat recovery on the CAFRE Hill Farm.

Martin Kirk, Beef and Sheep Technologist at CAFRE, described how virtual fencing technology allows a quarter of the farm’s suckler herd to graze specific areas during winter. This targeted approach creates the open vegetation structures required by waders while still producing commercially viable cattle for market.

“The dual benefits of this approach are clear,” said Mr Kirk. “It supports processor demands for high-quality cattle while contributing directly to upland habitat management.”

Stephen Magennis, Conservation Officer with the RSPB, reported “clear improvements in the breeding wader habitat,” with increased sightings and nesting success since the initiative began. He said the project demonstrated how farming and conservation can work together to deliver measurable results.

Policy, practice and collaboration

Ivan Kelly (Environment Specialist, Teagasc) and Mark Scott (Head of Sustainable Land Management, CAFRE) welcome DAERA Minister Muir to the Uplands Open Day hosted at the CAFRE Hill Farm Centre, Glenwherry.

DAERA Minister Muir attended the event at the CAFRE Hill Farm. He spent time engaging with stakeholders in the display area and chatted to local farmers David McBride and Matthew McBride at the Uplands Open Day.

After the tour, delegates gathered at the Hill Farm Centre to discuss the findings with researchers and practitioners. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir also visited the event, meeting with exhibitors and learning more about the latest research.

CAFRE extended thanks to participants, saying:

“We are especially grateful to all those who attended, despite the inclement weather conditions, to explore the latest developments in livestock and habitat management on the farm.”

The Open Day demonstrated how farming and conservation need not be in conflict. Instead, through careful planning, collaboration and science-based innovation, upland farms like Glenwherry are showing how agriculture can play a central role in climate action, biodiversity recovery and sustainable rural livelihoods.