The Barna Way

 

The Barna Way is an eco-social arts project, organic farm and woodland near Ballybunion Co Kerry. It is co-ordintated by photographer Rena Blake and artist Lisa Fingleton. The house and lands are steeped in history, song and tradition. Both Rena’s mother and grandmother were born here.

The Barna Way has been featured on many programmes including RTE Nationwide, Homegrown and Food Matters for its creative climate action, food and biodiversity initiatives. Lisa and Rena are the current Farming for Nature Ambassodors and are also members of Talamh Beo. A new woodland was established in 2020 with over over 10,000 trees (Oak, Birch, Scots pine, Rowan, Hawthorne and Holly), supported by Greenbelt, Supervalu and the Native Irish Woodland Scheme.

From here they engage with the diverse community groups through social farming and live food and cultural events, while protecting habitats for wildlife. This seventeen year project is propelled by an accelerated sense of urgency around food insecurity, climate crisis, biodiversity loss and forced migration.