Celebrating the potato – a selection of heritage and blight-free varieties on display, including Orla and Golden Wonder which are sold at the Farmer’s Markets. Information on how to choose varieties, plant, grow and store spuds. A mixed organic family farm with suckler cows, sheep, pigs, poultry and veg.

Directions: From Union Hall take left at Catholic church and follow signs to Maria’s school house. Go right up concrete lane at side of Maria’s school house.

Contact: Con Burns on 028 33455

Ideas for producing healthy salad crops through the autumn and winter. Varieties, cultural techniques, protected crops; all you need to know for all year round salads so that you don’t get caught short in the early summer ‘hungry gap’.

Location: Glebe Gardens, Baltimore

Contact: Jean Perry on 028 20232

Email: glebegardens@eircom.net

A 70 acre farm with forest garden and vegetables. Designed using organic and permaculture principles. Kai is a big collector of useful trees, shrubs and perennials. He’s developing a small herd of Aberdeen Angus for meat and has a tropical glass-house.

Directions: From Ballydehob on the N71 to Bantry take the turning to ‘An Sanctoir’. Take the first left (not into An Sanctoir) and go 1.5 miles to farm.

Contact: Kai on 028 37891 - cancelled - phone if you need more info.

A 17-acre hillside farm with cattle, Jacob sheep, goats, hens, ducks and a variety of fruit & vegetables. Quentin, Clare & family live in a recently built straw-bale house with sod roof and a compost toilet. Electricity comes from a wind generator and various solar panels provide hot water. In addition to the garden, greenhouse and polytunnel areas, the walk will include a demonstration of various alternative energy systems and a tour of the house. Contact: Clare and Quenting Tel: 027 52773

Directions / more info at www.ardnashee.com.

From Bantry, heading out the Glengarriff Road, turn right after the Quickpick shop, go past the Drinagh Co-op shop and take the next turn left. Drive for 4.3 miles (it is worth zeroing your trip meter). The road curls to the left, with a yellow cottage close to the road. Opposite this there is a lane with a triangle of grass at the end. If you come to a school, you have gone too far.

Take the lane opposite the old yellow cottage, and follow signposts from there.

Learn about the principles of Permaculture by making an ‘instant’ mulched garden, use perennials, and design a ‘forest garden’ including tree crops, fruit trees and bushes, perennial vegetables and other interesting edible plants.

Location: Coolcaha, Ballydehob

Contact: Graham Strouts on 086 8539900

Email: graham@blackoaktrees.net