Ear to the Ground

On episode 1, a visit to Millstreet Dairy Show with 13-year-old Gearoid Long; problems with Blackgrass, a highly aggressive weed; and a visit to a North County Dublin pumpkin farm.

Ella on an ambitious new project to try and eradicate the American Mink from Ireland; Darragh joins some alpacas on a visit to a Wicklow nursing home; and Stephen joins the Hobson family as they brought in the first of their season's crops -  their Winter Barley.

This week, a look at the laws around trespass and how farmers are affected; the proposed cut in the EU's mackeral quota; and a Cork man who has spent the last 40 years scanning cattle for pregnancy, who is now meeting AI head-on.

Ella McSweeney travels to Mayo to meet a farmer Civil Defence volunteer, and Stephen Robb visits two farmers in Wicklow who have leased their farmland to a 60 acre solar plant. Also, Darragh McCullough heads to County Sligo to help round up sheep for shearing.

Darragh McCullough travels to Athlone as 10,000 farmers protest the Mercosur deal; Stephen Robb visits community-based physical activity classes for farmers in Donegal; and Ella McSweeney meets a wagyu beef farmer in the Burren.

In Ep 1 Stephen Robb spends the day with a truck driver delivering animal feed to farms in Tipperary; Darragh McCullough sees some classic early combine harvesters; and Ella McSweeney visits farmers in Sligo to see how they are recording and preserving unconsecrated graves on their lands. 

From Syria to Inishowen, a beekeeper story. A day in the life of a chicken at the Noone Family Farm. Saving the Irish Grey Partridge.

This week, a dispersal sale of pedigree Limousin beef in Sligo; a Dublin Farmer who calls ADHD his "superpower"; and a farm in Tipperary combating every potato growers nightmare.

This week Stephen is spends a day with a Mobile Sheep Dipper. Darragh visits the Hazel House Cafe and Ella learns about the SlowWaters Project.

Darragh visits The Winter Fair in Carrick-on-Shannon. Ella spends the day at Merlin Rock Blanket Bog to see how it is being restored. Stephen goes to Gubbeen Farm in Cork.

Ella visits Ciara Flavin, a butcher and farmer from Limerick. In Kerry, Darragh meets with a dedicated group of dairy farmers. Stephen checks in on the white-tailed sea eagles

This week on Ear to The Ground, the importance of community in rural Ireland; in search of a murmuration of starlings in Westmeath; and a Louth family who are milking their cows over the winter.

Ella is in Roscommon with a farmer who has made the heartbreaking decision to sell his prized sheep flock.Darragh is in Meath where one farmer is giving away over 100,000 trees.Stephen gets a lesson in hammer throwing from a Cork Olympian.

Darragh is in Cork finding out about the efforts to reduce methane in the national dairy herd. Ella helps to get hundreds of oysters from Kerry to their new home in Dublin Bay. Stephen is in Fermanagh to meet one of nature's most extraordinary looking pig breeds.

Stephen is in County Down exploring a new way of managing the environmental impact of slurry. Ella meets a farmer from Limerick who has a passion for rare breeds. Darragh is also in Limerick, meeting some very special horses that are doing some very special work/

Ella is in clover in Co Cork, Stephen looks at the new scheme for small scale renewable electricity users, and Darragh finds out about the cost of the recent storms.

This week, how farmers are dealing with new slurry-spreading regulations; a visit to a young farmer in Kilkenny during one of the busiest periods of the year; and helping release young trout into Lough Corrib. 

Maeve visits a farming TikToker, Darragh meets a dairy farmer whose herd has tested positive for TB and Ella meets a competitor at the All Ireland Hedge Laying Championships.

This week Maeve observes a Dispersal Sale, Darragh visits Freeway Poultry and Ella is in Galway.