Cúlra Créafóige

In 2017, Cill Ulta began the process of bidding to realise a 5 year EIP-AGRI project - funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) and the EU - called Cúlra Créafóige.  This project will run from 2019 to 2023.  It looks at abandoned land parcels in the parish which were once in cultivation but which have fallen into disuse as local farming practices became more and more focused on cattle and sheep production and as many of the local landowners moved to larger cities or to other countries seeking employment opportunities which are not available in the region. 

Cúlra Créafóige works in conjunction with these landowners to investigate the crop and market potential of growing on these lands  once more.  However, as sustainability is essential to this project, Cúlra Créafóige uses modern, scientific versions of heritage practices so that all farming activities are carried out in support of local biodiversity. 

Cúlra Créafóige is working very closely with a panel of internationally renowned ecologists and national bodies to monitor indicator species throughout the duration of the project.  Additionally, all participants are provided with a series of training in sustainable agriculture practices, biodiversity monitoring methods, and cottage enterprise so that, at the end of the project, they will be sufficiently prepared to continue sustainable cultivation on their land.