If someone asked you what delicious foodstuff is made in Tandragee, County Armagh the answer might seem obvious. I mean Mr Tayto even has his own castle!
But just a couple of miles away another Northern Irish classic is being lovingly produced. Local farmer Tim McClelland grows 79 acres of Conservation Grade Oats which are transported just two miles to the local ‘Speedicook’ factory to make top quality porridge with minimal 'food miles'.
Better still, Tim grows this vital crop and does fantastic things for wildlife at the same time! In recognition of his efforts, he is in the running to be crowned the UK’s most wildlife friendly farmer. However he needs public votes to help him see off seven other competitors and clinch the coveted title.
Tim’s 270 acre arable farm demonstrates perfectly how a large, commercially successful farm can support a diverse range of birds and wildlife.
He does a range of great work to give nature a home – such as sowing wild bird cover and retaining cereal stubbles after harvest to provide seed-eating birds like the yellowhammer with food during the winter.
Tim has also recently planted almost 500 metres of new hedgerow that will create nesting habitat for farmland birds like the bullfinch.
A vast array of arable wildflowers and flowering shrubs are a real haven for insects and the farm supports other wildlife too, including mammals like the Irish hare and bat species.
This might sound like a lot of work for a farmer who is already very busy making his business successful to support a growing family.
But Tim is adamant that the steps he takes to protect birds and wildlife are not time consuming and, crucially, do not lessen his profits.
He feels it’s important to show consumers that farmers are responsible for than more than just producing food – they are the custodians of the countryside.
To find out more about the amazing work Tim is doing visit www.rspb.org.uk/farmvote.
Voting only takes 30 seconds and every vote will bring Northern Ireland closer to bringing home the UK trophy!