#FollowWindrushFarm
Windrush Farm is a 45 acre family farm near Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, comprising of arable farmland and a variety of natural habitats intentionally set aside for biodiversity and carbon sequestration. The Nicol family have resided there for three generations, using regenerative agricultural methods, and on their arable land they breed and produce Connemara ponies and pedigree rare breed Zwartbles sheep and grow sustainable crops such as willow. We spoke to Sophie Nicol to see how she has managed to diversify the farm to share it with others and create a new business venture.
To get us started - how would you describe yourself in 6 words or less?
Farmer, Ecologist, Mum, Educator, Entrepreneur, Silversmith
What prompted you to start your business?
I decided to start this business as a way to diversify and expand on my farming activities, to ensure long-term viability for our family farm. I was also hugely motivated by my passion for the environment, the landscape and craft, and wanting to find a way to share these with other people. Blending my passions, experience and existing farming activities into a business was a dream come true. I use our natural environment, the native plants and wildlife, animals reared on the farm and by-products from my farming activities as the ‘raw ingredients’ to create a unique experience. Windrush Farm is a ‘living, learning landscape’, where visitors are encouraged to unplug, recharge and connect with nature in a beautiful rural location, engaging their senses and personal creativity. Our eco-friendly hands-on craft experiences give people the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, spend time immersed in the beauty of nature, unlock their creativity, and take away something they’ve made with their own hands as a keepsake of their wonderful experience. My customers will be national and international tourists and anyone looking for a fun, unique experience in nature!
Tell us a little bit more about you?
I live on our family farm in Co. Wicklow with my husband Gary, young son Luke and my mum Lucy. My mum Lucy, a farmer and painter, grew up on a dairy farm in Co. Dublin, which was run by my grandmother Penny, so I am a third generation female farmer. I've been farming alongside my mum for over 20 years and took over running the farm in 2019, when I began to diversify and expand our existing agricultural activities. We use regenerative agricultural methods, which aims to improve the land, benefit the environment and farm in harmony with nature. On our arable land we breed and produce Irish native Connemara ponies, pedigree rare breed Zwartbles sheep, and also grow hay and silage. I have added sustainable crops such as willow, which we use for basket making and sell to local artisans.
An childhood spent outside in nature led me to a BSc in Environmental Biology and a PhD in Ecology. I have a huge passion for education and helping people of all ages connect with the natural environment. Previous to starting this business, I worked as an Environmental Educator for over 10 years. I was the Education Coordinator for the National Ecology Centre and Global Action Plan, and worked freelance as a consultant for numerous local authorities and national organisations such as SEAI, developing and delivering educational programmes. More recently I ran the operations of a large-scale national youth education programme for Coillte and managed Ireland’s first Nature Kindergarten in Co. Wicklow. When my son came along, and then the pandemic hit, I decided to take a leap and start a business that could blend all of this experience with my passion for nature and craft. This business accentuates my existing farm activities and pivots them towards a growing, viable market in agri-tourism.
My other interests (when I get time for them!) are horse-riding and silversmithing. I’ve ridden since I was a young child and have been making silver jewellery since 2015.
Fill us in on your female founder journey.
One of the reasons I decided to start my female founder journey was to have the ability to raise my son alongside working, and it’s been absolutely amazing (although at times very challenging!) to be able to do this. I also feel incredibly lucky to be building something myself, that I am incredibly passionate about, and that I have found a way to share our beautiful farm with others. But it hasn’t all been rainbows, in fact, until I was accepted into the SheGenerate programme, female founder life was quite lonely and challenging. There was so much to do to get my business through the start-up stage and I was overwhelmed on how to turn my business idea into a proper business, and to be totally honest I didn’t even know half of what I didn’t know! AwakenHub has given me so much more than I ever expected. Not only did the SheGenerate programme give me knowledge, skills and guidance I never would have gained so quickly on my own, but by learning from and connecting in with other female founders, I also feel supported and empowered. There’s many, many days as a founder where you question if your business can work, and how on Earth you will get it to succeed. But having a community of people in the same boat, has been life-changing. I have learned so much, from the fact that everyone experiences imposter syndrome, to the importance of celebrating the wins no matter how small. I’ve learned the importance of building up a network, of building up each other, and of building something you believe in. My approach towards the business has changed too. I’m more strategic, I have created a roadmap for the business which I refer to often, and always come back to the ‘why’ when I hit a wall. I also ask for help more readily and try to offer help to my fellow female founders where I can. Being a female founder is hard work, and I'm really proud at how far I've developed, alongside my business, in the last six months thanks to AwakenHub.
How did you hear about AwakenHub and what prompted you to apply for SheGenerate?
I saw the SheGenerate programme advertised on Instagram and I loved the idea of meeting, supporting and learning from other female entrepreneurs in the same boat as me!
What have you gotten out of the SheGenerate process?
The SheGenerate programme has given me the tools, knowledge, confidence and motivation to turn my business plan into a reality. It has connected me with an amazing group of female founders throughout the island of Ireland, who support, challenge and cheerlead one another to succeed in a huge diversity of businesses. The AwakenHub mentors have been inspiring role models, who created a tailored, responsive accelerator programme that is suited to all of the participants regardless of their business idea or stage of development. The monthly workshops and AwakenHub events have been invaluable opportunities to network and learn key skills, which I was able to immediately apply to improve my business. My business is immensely better off for me having participated in this programme, and I'm really excited to go off solo(ish) now and bring it to the launch date in July.
What does success look like to you - in 12 months and in 5 years?
Success in 12 months would be getting my business off the ground and honing how to reach and engage my target market, and in 5 years I hope to be employing a few more people and turning over €130,000+ a year.
SheGenerate is only a small part of AwakenHub - now that you have the community's attention - what can we/they do for you?
I would love to make a few key contacts in national tourism agencies, to help me market my craft experiences to international tourists. And if the AwakenHubbers could spread the word about my business as we begin to unveil it in the coming weeks, that would be amazing also!
As a founder - what are your non-negotiables…
Non-negotiables: My business needs to be environmentally focussed, and this will underpin all practices, and guide future planning. It also needs to be flexible to allow me to raise a family alongside running the business. And it needs to keep a relaxed, fun and friendly atmosphere while being extremely professional! Guiding words/phrases: Stay Proactive, Just Keep Swimming!
#FollowWindrushFarm
