Lough Boora Organic Farm - Tony Garahy

Tony Garahy, the fourth generation to farm Lough Boora, runs a mixed organic farm, with livestock (50 suckler cows, 100 ewes), tillage, and forestry which is certified by the Organic Trust Ltd. In 1997 Tony started an organic vegetable box scheme and now has 200 customers contributing €3000 per week to a total turnover for his vegetable business of €70000.

Tony employs 5 staff, one part-time. Despite the complexity of a vegetable box scheme, Tony believes it is a more secure and predictable business than that of trading at farmers markets. He also believes that if a box scheme can be successful in a sparsely populated rural area like Co Offaly, then there is potential for replica businesses elsewhere in Ireland.

Identifying a Gap in the Market

Lough Boora Farm always produced vegetables for home use. Tony believed that there were other people like him who would want fresh, organic fruit and vegetables. He was aware of box schemes elsewhere and liked the concept.

Tony spoke to other organic growers but most were doing farmers markets in larger population centres such as Galway and Temple Bar. He felt that the quality and variety of organic vegetables and fruit available in shops and supermarkets was generally poor and expensive. A box scheme seemed to be an obvious way to sell direct to the consumer as no markets were operating locally at that time.

Identifying the Target Market

The market, from a geographical point of view, is largely rural. Tullamore is a reasonable-sized town 15 mins away. Lough Boora’s market is contained by a (self-imposed) 20-mile radius.

From a sociological perspective, Tony has found that the market for organic box schemes is not necessarily wealthy people, but people concerned about health and wanting the best for their children.

Getting Started

Lough Boora started to grow organic vegetables commercially with one hectare of outdoor crops and one polytunnel in 1997-1998.  This justified one other member of staff – a horticulturalist, while Tony managed packing. 
After consideration, Tony decided against seeking support of Leader/local enterprise bodies - he didn’t want to have to follow any agenda but his own.

Incremental Growth

*  The market has expanded and planted area has increased year on year.
*  Members of staff were taken on as they were needed – now five people (one part-time) are employed.
*  The area under vegetables is now 7 hectares
*  Primarily field crops are grown and there are 5 large polytunnels – in order to extend growing season or grow non-indigenous produce which wouldn’t survive the Irish climate

Concept

A box of mixed vegetables grown at Lough Boora is delivered door-to-door on designated days, direct to customers in the local area who have signed up to the scheme for the medium to long term.
The contents of the box are determined by Lough Boora. They pick what is ripe and available, rather than the customer saying ‘this is what we’d like’.
There is no pressure to produce out of season. Food is picked as it is required and travels less – therefore it is fresher. It cuts out a middleman, so that Lough Boora benefits and growing vegetables is sustainable.

Lough Boora USP’s

Variety: growing 40 different vegetable varieties and different varieties within vegetable type e.g. 6-8 varieties of lettuce. Lough Boora produces all the basics – potatoes, traditional vegetables associated with Ireland, and also rarer vegetables such as Swiss chard, chillies etc. They also provide imported organic fruit.
Organic: certified by the Organic Trust.
Style: Box is actually a basket.
Flexibility: customised to a degree – if a customer doesn’t want cauliflower or celery, he/she doesn’t get those things. If the customer wants garlic every week, he/she gets garlic every week – with other schemes the customer gets what they’re given. However, flexibility is manageable. Approx 80% of the boxes contain prescribed contents, and 20% have a variation. The scheme is also flexible in that customers can cancel their box during the summer when they are on holiday and start again in September.
“The people who’ve been with us the longest are the least demanding – they’ve understood the system from the beginning.”

How It Works

Prospective customers receive a welcome letter, and decide what they want to spend/week - €20/30/40 – and the proportion of veg to fruit e.g. half veg, half fruit or two thirds veg one third fruit etc. One or two shops act as depots.
Tony reviews what is available and ripe, and a menu of vegetables is created for packing. He specifies the contents of boxes of different values. Forty boxes are packed at a time.
Deliveries are made in the evening when people are more likely to be at home.
Payment is cash on delivery. If customers are out, they pay the following week. Some pay by cheque in advance. If so, a larger cheque to cover several weeks is preferred – it is easier to process and bank charges are avoided. People are very reliable and honest.

Farm:Leabeg,
Tullamore,
Co Offaly

Postal:Cloghan
Birr
Co Offaly
Mobile: 086 2668217

Website: Website under construction