Guided by a lifelong belief that farming should protect the planet while feeding people, Kenneth Keavey has transformed his grandfather’s land in Co Galway into a thriving organic enterprise. Together with his wife Jenny, he converted the farm to organic production in 2004 and launched Green Earth Organics two years later.
A vital EU-supported grant in 2018 helped the couple expand and restructure the business into what it is today: a flourishing farm employing 45 people, producing a wide variety of crops on 40 acres of certified land, supported by six polytunnels. Ten further acres are dedicated to biodiversity, including a native woodland with 7,000 trees, red clover grassland, and a wildlife area.
Just eight miles from Galway city, Green Earth Organics is now one of only 60 commercial growers of field-scale vegetables remaining in Ireland – a sharp decline from the 400 operating in 1998.
Circularity at the core
The farm operates on a principle of circularity, with every decision guided by the health of the soil, the planet, and the people it serves. Solar power, rainwater harvesting, composting of food waste, and reuse of delivery boxes are part of everyday practice. The farm also avoids plastic where possible, instead using recycled and FSC-certified materials.
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Food waste is tackled head-on: produce that isn’t perfectly shaped is never discarded. Instead, it is offered as discounted Class II vegetables, featured in rescue boxes, sold in the farm shop, shared with staff, or used to feed the farm’s pigs – affectionately described as its “living recycling machines.”
Reaching households across Ireland
Green Earth Organics delivers fresh produce boxes directly to customers across Ireland through its online platform. The home delivery model began with a simple goal: to produce food in an ecological, sustainable, and ethical way, while connecting directly with consumers.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many customers remarking that the flavour of Green Earth Organics’ vegetables reminds them of the taste of produce decades ago – a sign of the quality achieved through organic farming methods.
Sustainability in practice
For Kenneth and Jenny, farming is about more than producing food; it is about doing so with respect for the land and for the people who depend on it. Their work demonstrates how high-quality, healthy produce and sustainability can go hand in hand.
This holistic approach mirrors the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic, and social – which are also reflected in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Tailored to each member state, CAP includes measures such as the Organic Farming Scheme, which supports farmers in moving from conventional to organic systems. Thanks to this support, farms like Green Earth Organics are thriving examples of how EU policy can help sustainable agriculture take root and grow.
To learn more about organic and circular farming, visit the EU marquee at the National Ploughing Championships (Block 3, Row 9, Stand 199).
