Helen and Mark McManus, the proprietors of Coole Farm near Ardee where they grow salad leaves, rocket and kale, have just been announced as one of the 45 food producers nationally to be admitted to the SuperValu Food Academy.
They produce their crops without using artificial pesticides or fertilisers, which the gardeners among us will know is a damn difficult thing to do. Those pesky slugs and snails are very persistent but who wants to eat lettuce that has been poisoned with slug pellets and other chemical products?
“It’s been an exciting year for us so far” said Helen. “To be included in Supervalu’s Food Academy family is an amazing achievement, we are just thrilled.”
Now in its eighth year, Food Academy is a unique food business development programme between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices. Participants in the programme receive training in food safety, market research and branding, marketing, finance, sustainability, and business development.
Helen explains: “Mark is a fourth generation farmer and has been working on the land since childhood. Over the past 10 years, he’s been increasingly drawn to more natural methods of farming.
“He realised that our naturally fertile limestone soil, creates the perfect growing environment for salad leaves. So we started growing, harvesting and selling salad leaves in 2019 and we have enjoyed a steady growth in our business ever since.”
Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, Mark is continually studying and learning about best practice when growing produce free from artificial pesticides and fertilisers. He is currently completing a Masters in Organic Farming via the University of Glasgow.
Coole Farm salads are currently stocked in 16 different stores around Louth and Meath. Hopefully we’ll be seeing them in more SuperValu stores soon with the support of the Food Academy programme.
For more information Mark, Helen and their salad leaves see www.coolefarm.ie
