An Irish Farmers Diary
Bring on the wolves! Said no one ever.
Hopefully the climate change challenge and the realization that farmers can help work towards its reversal does not get side tracked by daft suggestions like the reintroduction of wolves and car pooling in rural Ireland. But these suggestions would make one wonder. Do the drivers of the debate actually understand what it is like to live and work in a rural area?
But if the wolves did come back we would be ready. Our livestock guardian dogs (see Charlie above) work to keep common predators such as foxes and mink away from our Bronze Turkeys. They patrol the fields at night, using their scent and deep bark, to send out a signal that it is not worth coming around for a look. I haven’t asked Charlie what his opinion on wolves in Ireland is but I would say he would pass on it.
Farmers are one of the key players in reversing climate change. Instead of potentially alienating us with the suggestion of wolves in rural areas, perhaps it is better to gain an insight into what it is actually like to live and work in rural Europe. Only then can policies be drawn up to harness the potential that lies within agriculture to contribute to the climate change challenge.
