Two Galway women are at the forefront of a new farm safety initiative focused on combatting labour and social isolation concerns on Irish farms.

Irish Rural Link’s Farm Safety Community Champion programme will equip local communities with a representative to act as a Champion for farmer safety and wellbeing by offering rural citizens an opportunity to reach out and offer support.

Two of these newly announced Champions in the initiative funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, are Galway women, Maura Canning and Geraldine Delaney.

Maura Canning was born and reared on a suckler and sheep farm in East Galway. She has been promoting farm safety for years, delivering campaigns around the country at shows, schools, and the National Ploughing Championships, alongside a longstanding relationship with AgriKids.

Maura is a previous chair of the IFA Farm Family Committee and is active in farmer physical wellbeing, with her work with the Irish Heart Foundation and the Green Ribbon campaign.

Geraldine Delaney is an educator based in the Kiltrogue area near Claregalway. She works with Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB), specialising in Adult Education, particularly in Digital Skills, Literacy, and providing homework support in local schools.

Geraldine is actively involved with Irish Rural Link, contributing to various community-focused projects.

The programme consists of the training of nine regionally spread Farm Safety Community Champions from various backgrounds including farming, teaching, and community mentoring.

These champions will develop networks in their regions to connect farmers to their communities, delivering farm safety and well-being talks at local marts and community centres.

To support this, a manual has been created to guide these talks, which will include resources for local individuals to learn more about the programme and the steps they can take to encourage connection with farmers in their society.

To further bolster this initiative and assist with growing workforce concerns, Irish Rural Link is calling on rural communities to organise a ‘Farmer’s Haggart’ as part of this programme.

The Farmer’s Haggart is led by a local Farm Safety Community Champion and will encourage farmers to assist one another in simple tasks on the farm. The goal of this is to foster local connections between farmers to further develop rural farming networks, and support community wellbeing.

“The need for community has never been so important for farmers,” Irish Rural Link CEO, Seamus Boland, said.

With fluctuations in the market, inconsistent weather, and growing isolation, having the Farm Safety Community Champions will help build out our farming networks for a more connected rural society.

“We hope to see local communities take this as an opportunity support, strengthen, and sustain relationships with and between farmers for a more inclusive future.”

More information at farmers4safety.ie.

Pictured: Geraldine Delaney (left) and Maura Canning, who have been announced as Farm Safety Community Champions.