#FollowStarfieldsFarm
This weeks featured #Follow brings us to Starfields Farm, a destination experience for those interested in Stargazing, Astro Tourism or having a meaningful, low carbon holiday to rest, revive and reset on the Wild Atlantic Way on the edge of Mayo's Atlantic coast. #Founder Bernadette Shanahan offers the carbon conscious traveller a chance to unwind in the middle of Ireland's Internationally renowned Gold Tier Dark Skies Park. Starfields Farm is located in The Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park and offers pristine uninterrupted views of the Milky Way.
Bernadette is part of the cohort 1 of our #SheGenerate programme and applied when Starfields Farm was an idea and is now in the early stages of fruition. Joining #AwakenHub as a nascent female founder can be hugely empowering to find guidance, experience and likeminded entrepreneurs.
To get us started - how would you describe yourself?
Mother, Maker, sustainability conscious-organic small holder and Stargazer.
What prompted you to start your business?
Why? We live in a Dark Sky Park, where there is no accommodation for star gazers. The Dark Skies is my unique selling point. I have a small farm but in order to make it economically viable I would have to farm it intensively which is against my belief in farming for nature. As a result of the pandemic I know people wish to get back to nature and be kind to nature so I saw a gap for low carbon footprint breaks using my property as a base for a stargazing experience.
Tell us a little bit more about you?
I am a homemaker wife to Conor and mother of 3 boys. A primary Teacher by training but have worked in the retail and charity sectors also. The pandemic pushed me to make my wish come to fruition and to choose the 'Founder Life'. My passions are nature and making. I love to craft and create art from natural materials, for example sea glass pictures, drift wood sculptures. I love to find something on the shore and see what new life I can breathe into it. I enjoy working with my community trying to create a place that is easy to live in regardless of our extreme rural location. I am a director of my local Community Council a not for profit registered charity that advocates for our rural community. As a family we love the outdoors and want to care for our land in the most gentle way possible while still managing to make a living. I feel that I can educate people about the benefits of sustainable living, enjoying what the earth provides us with and how to do that in tandem with nature instead of against it.
Fill us in on your female founder journey.
So far my experience has 'felt' daunting and frightening. I have had very positive reactions from those I've approached about it, the Mayo Co.Co and micro finance.
How did you hear about AwakenHub and what prompted you to apply for SheGenerate?
I heard about it online and also by word of mouth.
What have you gotten out of the SheGenerate process?
The SheGenerate process is bringing my business to fruition.
What does success look like to you - in 12 months and in 5 years?
In 12 months I hope to have a fully insured camping/shepherd hut area on our property as well as a functioning mini/ self sufficient organic farm with the capacity to feed any guests and have day trippers come and learn about the values of organic plant based food production. I also hope to have a 'pumpkin patch' event this October. In 5 years I hope to have the original 1800s forge refurbished and developed into an education space (workshops by crafters-talks by older farmers on the original 'gentle farming' skills and processes and possibly an organic food outlet i.e picnic supplier for visitors and supplier of herbs, salads to local businesses.
SheGenerate is only a small part of AwakenHub - now that you have the community's attention - what can we/they do for you?
At present my specific ask is about insurance and the legal side of my undertaking. I know my strength is with people but I am very weak on the finance and legal sides and as a result tend to bury my head and get no where.
As a founder - what are your non-negotiables?
I know for sure that this can and will work. I know if I utilise the resources I have i.e the dark skies Park, the rural location, the scenery and the buildings on my property to their full potential I will have an amazing product in my hands. I want to keep it as authentic and true to the sustainable, low carbon/ Organic blue print as possible. I live by ''be always good and you'll be always happy'' and this is what I want for Starfields, somewhere you can be calm, at one with yourself and nature and most importantly have a happy experience. My father and Mother inspire me, they have always respected the land that's been in my paternal family for 4 generations, never over burdening the land or animals they kept on it despite not making as much of an income they could if they'd treated it differently. I now live on Starfields farm that has been in my maternal family for 6 generations. They've always seen the bigger picture that nature is bigger than all of us and that happiness and contentment is there if we use what we have in front of us.
#FollowStarfieldsFarm
