From Restaurant Owner to Organic Farmer

Michael Foggarty co-owned a restaurant with a small market garden. Over time, he realized that his customers had no idea where their food came from. He felt called to step into farming as a way to boost food literacy and bridge the gap between consumers and the land.

Once Michael decided to become a farmer, it felt like the universe was on his side. As he explains, “I did a short organic crop production course, which enabled me to lease a 0.4-hectare field. The owner of that also owned the 1.6-hectare organic farm across from us, which was leased to someone else. Four months into our tenancy, that farm became available, and we were offered the opportunity to take it over. We said yes! In just six months, we went from 0.4 hectares to 2 hectares. That was some learning curve!”

This marked the serendipitous start of his farming journey and the beginning of Dún Déagh.

Fortune Favors the Brave

Dún Déagh’s proximity to Dublin is a cornerstone of the farm’s success, providing a reliable market. Michael sells seasonal fruit and vegetables directly to chefs, at farmers markets, and through more novel distribution channels, such as a climate hub called the Bohemians, which is also a local football club.

As so often happens when leasing land, the owner decided to sell the plot Michael had spent years regenerating. “It was a devastating blow,” Michael recalls. “All of a sudden, we had to start over. All of our customers are in the Dublin area, and I didn’t think it would be possible to find suitable land so close to Dublin again.”

However, luck remained on his side. When all seemed lost, a customer came to the rescue.

“One of our customers owned land. They understood the vision and offered us a tenancy,” Michael explains. “We got very lucky. Dún Déagh’s new location had been unused for a number of years. It offered a fresh start. When the land was sold, I could have given up farming, but that’s not in my nature. We’re back to the early stages of regenerating, but everything is in place, and it feels right.”

Using the Farm to Encourage Food Literacy

Michael strongly believes in the importance of educating others about food—where it comes from and how it’s grown. His vision includes Dún Déagh feeding the community while also serving as a resource for learning and connection.

“The quicker we get people learning about the food system, the quicker we can fix it,” he explains. “Supermarkets in Ireland sell onions from New Zealand—that has to stop, but we can only achieve that through education.”

Michael currently runs educational talks and tours for local secondary schools. Members of their CSA can also participate in volunteer days. “We will never say no to someone who wants to understand what we do. High schools regularly visit us to discover that the vegetables they eat don’t grow on a supermarket shelf,” he shares proudly.

A former student of Ireland’s agricultural college, Michael also frequently hosts horticultural students at Dún Déagh. “Most of these courses don’t mention the business side of horticulture, so when we do farm tours for students, we spend a lot of time talking about finances, the ups and downs, and the reality of running a farm.” He sees this as key to helping the next generation take the step into agriculture.

Farms as Educational Hubs

Michael’s passion for food literacy led him into farming, and he also sees it as the future of Dún Déagh. “In Ireland, we need more small-scale farms growing for the local community. We have a strong business plan for how Dún Déagh can serve as a model for reconnecting consumers to their food sources,” he shares. “Our long-term goal is to buy our own land. This will give us greater freedom to invest and build infrastructure to educate people.”

For him, Top 50 Farmers is an opportunity to connect with others who share a similar passion and ambition. “Farming can be a hard and lonely job,” he says honestly. “Sometimes you want to talk to someone who’s in the same boat. That’s why this community is so valuable to us.”

Written by Natasha Page-Wood