South East Technological University (SETU) PhD candidate Grace Maher led an organic farm walk in County Carlow yesterday, showcasing her innovative research on the potential of heritage wheat for organic cultivation in Ireland.
South East Technological University (SETU) PhD candidate Grace Maher led an organic farm walk in County Carlow recently, where she shared findings from her innovative research into the potential of heritage wheat for organic cultivation in Ireland.
An opportunity for discourse
Grace is carrying out her doctoral research at enviroCORE, SETU’s environmental research group, under the supervision of Dr Stephen Whelan and Dr John Carroll. Her study explores the performance of various heritage wheat cultivars—traditional varieties that predate modern breeding techniques, through field trials on organic farms in Carlow, Meath and Tipperary.
The Carlow farm walk was part of an Irish Grain Network event and included visits to Little Mill and Shankill Castle. Attendees took part in wide-ranging discussions on regenerative agriculture, heritage grain cultivation, baking, and nutrition, with sessions chaired by John Geraghty from SETU’s Department of Land Sciences.
A viable alternative for Ireland's organic sector
Grace’s research takes a whole-of-supply-chain approach. In addition to analysing agronomic traits such as yield and protein content, each wheat cultivar is assessed for its suitability in milling, baking, and consumer preferences. The heritage wheats are benchmarked against a conventional wheat cultivar, offering insights into their potential as viable alternatives for Ireland’s growing organic sector.
"The research takes place on commercial organic farms as we felt it was important to have farmer engagement from the outset."
Grace Maher, SETU PhD candidate
Interactive discussions
The event provided a valuable opportunity to share early findings and gather stakeholder feedback. Attendees included farmers, bakers, grain industry representatives, researchers and agricultural advisors. Alongside Dr Saoirse Cummins, SETU’s Engaged Research and Impact Officer, Grace facilitated interactive discussions focused on stakeholder experiences with Irish-grown organic and heritage grains, and explored key barriers, drivers and opportunities across the supply chain.
Speaking about her research, Grace said, “My research is focused on exploring if organically grown heritage wheat varieties can meet industry specifications for milling to make artisan sourdough breads. The research takes place on commercial organic farms as we felt it was important to have farmer engagement from the outset. The demand for Irish grown flour is growing as informed bakers look to shorten their supply chains and source flour locally rather than importing it. Bringing the farmers, millers and bakers together at an event like this is important to allow the network to fully understand the possibilities and limitations of the supply chains. It offers the opportunity to collectively move forwards and build relationships to increase the supply of Irish-grown grains to local businesses.”
The event was supported by the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI) and EPA Research through the Grassroots Scheme. Grace’s PhD is funded by Research Ireland and the National Organic Training Skillnet.
Through this research, SETU is contributing to the future of organic grain production in Ireland—supporting sustainable agriculture, strengthening regional innovation, and forging stronger connections between growers, processors and consumers.
