6 Apr, 2026

yellowbelly0 commentsApril 6, 2026Uncategorized

Plant Sale 2026

Our annual plant sale is back. Saturday May 16th, 10am to 4pm, here at Yellow Belly Farm in Midleton.

Last year was something special. The sun came out, the vibes were green and we sold out of nearly everything. It was honestly one of my favourite days on the farm. So this year we’re going bigger.

Thousands of certified organic seedlings

Everything is grown right here on the farm with care. Certified organic under licence with the Irish Organic Association. Strong, healthy plants at the perfect time of year for planting out.

We’ll have vegetables, herbs and flowers across 38+ products. Whether you’re filling a raised bed, planting up a few pots on a balcony or just want to get the kids growing something, there’s something here for you.

What’s for sale?

Vegetable trays including beetroot, broccoli, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, turnip, spring onion and celery. All our trays contain 12 plants, usually two varieties per tray so you get a nice mix.

Potted vegetables including courgettes (Gold Rush and Zuboda), cucumber, cherry tomatoes (Yellow Submarine), plum tomatoes (San Marzano, Stupice and Dorenia), winter squash (Butternut and Green Hokkaido), bell peppers and chilli peppers.

Herb trays including coriander and parsley, sage and oregano, dill and fennel, borage and chamomile, chives, and new for this year, basil (Red Rubin and Large Leaved).

Flower trays including sunflowers, dahlias and rudbeckia, marigold and nasturtium, sweet pea and cosmos, and new for 2026, zinnia and cornflower, and hollyhock and larkspur. We’ve doubled down on flowers this year because you all loved them last time.

We’ll also have peppermint, jerusalem artichoke, walking onion, lavender, rosemary and raspberry plants from cuttings and divisions.

View the full plant sale catalogue here

Pricing

Trays (12 plants): €8 each or 3 for €18
Pots: €3 each or 3 for €7

Cash and card accepted.

Organic compost bags

We’ll have bags of organic compost for sale on the day. Great stuff for your beds, containers or raised beds. Sourced from Enrich and rebagged here on the farm.

Fermentation workshops with Ferment Forage Grow

We’re delighted to have Chloë Dempsey of Ferment Forage Grow joining us for two hands-on workshops. Chloë is a HSE-registered fermentation producer and she really knows her stuff.

11am: Sauerkraut Making Workshop, €15 Learn the art of fermentation and how to make your very own sauerkraut from scratch. Includes a full demonstration, tastings of ready-made kraut and tips to ferment confidently at home. Recipe sheets provided.

1pm: Fermented Drinks Workshop, €15 Sample some delicious fermented drinks and learn how to make kombucha, water kefir and wild soda at home. Chloë will have a limited number of kombucha scobys and water kefir grains available to purchase so you can get started straight away.

Both workshops are limited to 15 places each. Book your tickets below to secure your spot.

Purchase tickets for Sauerkraut workshop @ 11am
Purchase tickets for Fermented drinks workshop @ 1pm

Nutrition talk with Kara O’Donnell of East Cork Nutrition

Kara O’Donnell is a qualified nutritional therapist based right here in Midleton and the author of Recipe for Wellness. She’ll be joining us on the day to give talks on eating with the seasons, the nutritional benefits of growing and eating your own food, and simple ways to build healthier meals around what’s in season. It’s brilliant, practical stuff and a great complement to the plants you’ll be picking up on the day.

Kara will be giving the talk twice, at 11:30am and 2pm, so you can catch it whenever suits. No booking required, just come along.

Farm walks

We’ll be running guided walks around the farm throughout the day. See the polytunnel, the no-dig beds, the orchard and the fruit cage. Our growing team will be on hand to chat about how we grow, answer your questions and help you pick the right plants for your space.

For the kids

Bring the little ones along. We’ll have sunflower planting for kids and a few bits to keep them busy while you browse. It’s a great family day out.

Veg box scheme launching June 2026

If you like what you see on the day, we’re launching a weekly organic veg box this summer. 6-8 varieties of whatever is in season, harvested fresh from the farm each week. Click and collect from the farm or from Midleton town. Sign up on the day or register your interest below and we’ll be in touch when it goes live.

Practical info

Date: Saturday May 16th, 2026
Time: 10am to 4pm
Location: Yellow Belly Farm, Midleton, Co. Cork, P25 KD58
Parking: Free on-site parking
Facilities: All-weather pergola, so rain or shine we’re sorted. Hot refreshments available.
Payment: Cash and card accepted.

Schedule for the day

10:00 Gates open, plant sale begins
10:00 – 4:00 Plants, compost, produce for sale all day
10:00 – 4:00 Farm walks all day (times to be announced)
11:00 Sauerkraut Making Workshop (ticketed, €15)
11:30 Eating with the Seasons talk with Kara O’Donnell (free)
1:00 Fermented Drinks Workshop (ticketed, €15)
2:00 Eating with the Seasons talk with Kara O’Donnell (free, repeat)
All day Sunflower planting for kids

Find us

Yellow Belly Farm, Midleton, Co. Cork, P25 KD58

Any questions at all, drop us a message on Instagram or email hello@yellowbellyfarm.com.

See you on May 16th.

6 Apr, 2026

yellowbelly0 commentsApril 6, 2026News

Newsletter – Spring Has Sprung

There’s something happening out there. You can feel it. The days are stretching longer, the soil is warming up, and everywhere you look, life is unapologetically pushing through. Every time I walk around the farm I notice something new, tiny flowers forming on the Elder in the hedgerow, pink blossoms on the Apple trees. Or the anxiety-inducing sight of weedlings (weed seedlings) popping up everywhere.

I love this time of year. There’s a poetry to it if you stop long enough to notice. Last year’s growth has died back, returned to the soil, and quietly paved the way for the next generation. Seeds that fell months ago are now reaching for the light. It’s the circle of life playing out right in front of us. All that genetic material released into the world, waiting for its moment. You can’t help but feel part of something much bigger than yourself.

And we’ve been busy.

New Faces on the Farm

Since the last newsletter, we’ve welcomed two new growers to the team. Mags joins us from Ballymaloe House where she was Head Gardener for over a decade. James comes from Kinsale Community Garden with a wealth of market garden experience. Between them, they’re bringing incredible knowledge, innovation and creativity to the farm this season. I couldn’t be more delighted to have them on board.

Deep in the Sowing

The nursery is bursting at the seams. Trays of seedlings everywhere you look. Tomatoes, peppers, brassicas, salads, herbs, flowers. We’re actually extending our germination tables into the large polytunnel to make room for all the plant sale stock while keeping the market garden seedlings in the nursery. Long term, we need to think about our propagation space. But we’ll make it work this year.

Fruit Caging

This is one I’ve been dreaming about for a while. Organically grown fruit that’s not plundered by wildlife. The fruit cage structure is well underway and we have all the plants heeled in and waiting to go. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants and many more. Mags has been meticulously preparing the ground and laying Mypex cover to keep the weeds at bay. We’re hoping to become one of the few certified organic fruit producers in the area. Watch this space.

Veg Box Scheme Launching in June

This is a big one. Our veg box scheme is launching in June and I couldn’t be more excited and nervous.

We’ll be offering two sizes. A medium box for 2-3 people and a large box for 4+ people. Same types of vegetables in each, just higher quantities in the large. Collection will be available from the farm or from the Grumpy Baker in Midleton on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. We’re also looking into delivery if the demand is there.

And if you’d prefer to pick your own items each week, we’ll have click-and-collect on the website too.

The veg box is a pre-prepared box where seasonal organic vegetables, fresh from the ground, go straight in the box with the occasional surprise. It’s a box that rolls with the seasons. It allows you to eat with the seasons, support your local farmer, and know exactly where your food comes from. A beautiful model that works for your health and the health of the environment. It shortens the food chain, reduces our reliance on global systems, and supports local producers. That feels more important than ever right now.

More details coming soon. If you want to be first to know, make sure you’re on this newsletter list or following us on Instagram.

Organic Plant Sale: Saturday May 16th

Mark it in the diary. Our second annual plant sale is happening on Saturday May 16th and it’s going to be bigger and better than last year.

This is an open day for the farm. A chance to walk around, see how we grow, take in the beauty of the place, and maybe learn something new. We’ll have thousands of organically grown transplants ready to take home. Vegetables, herbs and flowers across a brilliant variety of cultivars. New this year: basil, larkspur, hollyhock, zinnia and cornflower. We’ll also have bags of organic certified compost if your beds need a bit of love. Find out more about the day here.

Workshops on the day:

We’re delighted to welcome Chloe Dempsey who’ll be running two fermenting workshops. Learn how to make your own sauerkraut, kimchi and more. We’ll also have Kara O’Donnell of East Cork Nutrition sharing her knowledge on nutrition, good health, and why eating organic matters.

For the kids:

Sunflower planting and other games. It’s going to be a great day for the whole family. We’ve booked the sunshine but you know how it likes to cancel last-minute, or just not show up.

The sale runs from 10am to 4pm under our all-weather pergola, so rain or shine we’ll plough on. Last year was a great success and things sold out fast, so get here early for the best choice. And bring a box to carry your plants home.

Glamping update

For those following the glamping project, a quick update. We’ve hit some regulatory hurdles around building regulations, fire safety and disability access. All of the boring stuff that was overlooked at the start. We now have a building consultancy firm on board to help us navigate it properly.

This means the glamping will launch a little later than we’d hoped. But we’re still on track for the cabins to arrive this summer, we just don’t know exactly when they can open. It’s more important to get these things right now than hit problems down the line.

The good news is we’re self-funding this project. We’re not beholden to investors or anyone else waiting on us to open by a certain date. We’re going to do it right, do it well, ensure the buildings are safe and open when we’re happy. I’ll keep you posted.

Yoga on the Farm

We’re also hoping to offer yoga and pilates classes from our covered pergola this season. Picture this: a morning class looking out over the farm, followed by a cup of homegrown herbal tea and maybe a bag of salad to take home. Not a bad way to spend a morning. More details coming soon.

That’s All Folks

Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting, and thanks for being part of this journey with us. If you’re not already following along on Instagram, come say hello. And if you know someone who’d enjoy what we’re doing here, feel free to forward this on. If you’re not signed up for the newsletter, sign up here.

Hope to see you at the plant sale,

Conor.

17 Jan, 2026

yellowbelly1 CommentJanuary 17, 2026News

Newsletter – The Belly Awakes

There’s something about January that makes you stop and take stock. The days are still short, the fields are quiet, and the polytunnel is doing its patient work keeping things ticking over. But beneath the surface, quite literally, things are stirring. And so are we.

It’s been a busy winter here at Yellow Belly Farm. While the beds have been resting, I’ve been anything but. I’ve spent the darker months building new systems, refining workflows, finding new people and carving out time to think properly about where this farm is headed. Running an organic market garden on a part-time basis while holding down a full-time job isn’t for the faint-hearted, but I’m more committed than ever to making this place not just work, but thrive.

And this year once again, I’m not doing it alone.

New Hands on the Farm

We’re delighted to share that we’ve brought two skilled growers onto the team. Both bring years of experience and a genuine passion for organic growing, and I couldn’t be more delighted to have them with us. It’s a big step for a small farm, and one that’s going to help us do more of what we love, growing good food and sharing it with our community. The new team will help run the day-to-day growing operations, prepare for the big plant sale and contribute to a new landscaping project for the farm Retreat – see more below on that. They’ll also help bring up our new fruit-cage which will be about 90m³, and we hope to churn out factory loads of beautiful juicy organic berries and fruit in the coming years.

The Veg Box Scheme is Coming, Finally!

This is the one we’ve been planning for a while now, and 2026 is the year it happens. We’re launching an online click-and-collect veg box scheme, bringing you the freshest seasonal produce straight from our beds to your table.

Collection points will be available in Midleton town and here at the farm itself. Whichever suits you best.

We’re still finalising the details, so if you’d like to be first to know when we launch, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Instagram where we’ll be sharing all the updates as they come.

Plant Sale: May 16th – Save the Date

Pencil it in. Better yet, ink it in.

Our plant sale is back on Saturday, May 16th, and it’s going to be bigger and better than last year. We’re talking thousands of organically grown transplants ready to take home: vegetables, flowers, and herbs across a brilliant variety of cultivars. Each tray of 12 plants gives you a proper head start on your own growing season.

There’ll be a farm walk on the day, refreshments, and plenty of space to wander and chat. And if the wet type of weather decides to make an appearance? No bother. We’ll be set up in our sheltered pergola, rain or shine.

We’re also planning to have some spring farm produce along with bags of organic certified compost available for sale on the day, so you can leave with everything you need to get planting and eating.

It promises to be a great day out, and we’d love to see you there.

A Little Teaser: Glamping & Farm Shop at Yellow Belly Farm

I only announced this a few months back, but it’s been in my mind since I started the farm in 2022. The planning process kept me quiet for a long time, but now that it’s through, I can finally share what’s coming.

We have stunning cabins on their way from Latvia along with a farm shop. Beautifully crafted spaces that will sit within the organic farm landscape. Elena and I recently travelled to Riga to visit the manufacturer and see them up close and personal. Minus 8 and snowy, but worth every frozen moment. This won’t be your typical glamping experience. We’re creating something peaceful, immersive, and deeply connected to the land, an experience centred around food and health, where guests can slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the natural world.

More to come on this soon. For now, just know that it’s happening.

Yoga on the farm? Is that a thing?

We’re also hoping to offer our covered pergola for rental, so you could soon be coming up to the farm for a yoga or pilates class and heading home with a bag of salad. Not a bad way to spend a morning. If you’re a yoga teacher looking for a space, see more here and get in touch.

Farm-to-Fork Meals

We’re planning to host our farm-to-fork meals again this year, with one in September as part of the Feast Cork festival. Last September, 40 people came together here to enjoy local organic food in a beautiful setting, cooked by local chefs Gary and Winnie. Almost everything they ate was grown here on the farm and let’s just say I was glad I ended up being a guest at the table. That parsnip cake! It was one of those evenings that just worked – well, despite that fecking easterly wind. And that’s another thing on the list – cover the side of the pergola.

There’s something about the simplicity of good food, breaking bread together, the conversation that flows when people sit down at a shared table. Human connection. It’s what it’s all about, really. A champagne reception helps too.

This is one of the reasons the farm exists. To bring people together for good food and health. We can’t wait to do it again.

Spring is Stirring

It’s been an incredible start to the year. Low golden sunshine streaming across the icy grass, Basel and Berry prancing playfully in the distance, the supermoon, clear crisp skies. An utter joy to behold and incredibly energising.

Even though we’re still in the grip of winter, spring is just around the corner. You can feel it. The light is returning, slowly but surely, and across the farm, life is already recycling itself.

Our green manures have been holding the fort all winter, keeping living roots in the soil, protecting it, feeding it. Soon, we’ll chop them down, cover the beds with fabric, and let those nutrients and minerals make their way back into the earth. It’s a wonderful system, really. One that nature has already given us. All we have to do is step back and let it work.

It’s the core of how I grow food here – No synthetic products from the shelf. Just time, patience, and trust in the biology of the soil.

By early February, we’ll be seeding our first plants of the season. Tomatoes, peppers and onions will lead the way, followed by salad greens, beetroot, turnips, carrots, leeks, and all the rest. The propagation benches will fill up fast, and before we know it, we’ll be planting out again.

It’s a rhythm we’ve come to love.

Here’s to the Year Ahead

We’re heading into 2026 with energy, purpose, and a real sense of excitement for what’s to come. Thank you for being part of this journey with us, whether you’ve been here from the start or you’re just discovering the farm now.

If you’d like to stay in the loop, sign up for our newsletter or give us a follow on Instagram. We’ll be sharing plenty of updates as the season unfolds.

Here’s to good soil, good food, and a great year ahead.

– Conor, January 2026

14 Jan, 2026

yellowbelly0 commentsJanuary 14, 2026Events, News

Introducing Our Event Space for Yoga & Wellness Classes

We’re excited to open our doors – or rather, our pergola – to yoga and pilates instructors, wellness practitioners, and anyone looking for a unique outdoor space in East Cork.

Last summer we built an 18m x 12m timber pergola on the farm, originally for our wedding celebration. It quickly became one of our favourite spots – sheltered from the rain but open to the air, surrounded by young willow trees and looking out over the pond and orchard.

Since the wedding, we’ve hosted a farm-to-fork dinner here as part of Feast Cork, and we’ve found there’s something special about gathering in a space like this. We’ve decided to make it available for yoga and pilates instructors, wellness practitioners, and anyone looking for a unique outdoor venue.

What’s on offer

The pergola has a translucent roof that lets the light through while keeping you dry. Power, lighting, water and a speaker system are all on site. We can provide refreshment facilities – a catering table, hot water, tea and coffee for your group. There’s seating for up to 40 people if needed.

The space suits yoga and pilates classes, wellness workshops or small retreat days. Morning sessions are beautiful when the light is soft; late afternoon brings golden hour across the fields.

The setting

We’re a certified organic market garden in Ballyedmond, just outside Midleton. The pergola sits beside our wildlife pond and young orchard, with views across open farmland. It’s a working farm, so expect birdsong, bees, and the occasional tractor in the distance.

Interested?

If you’re an instructor or organiser looking for somewhere different to host your classes, we’d love to hear from you. We’re offering flexible arrangements – single sessions, regular bookings, or full day hire for workshops.

Get in touch at info@yellowbellyfarm.com or visit our new Event Space page for more details.

10 Dec, 2025

yellowbellyDecember 10, 2025Careers, News

We’re hiring for 2026

We’re Hiring: Organic Market Gardener (Part-Time)

Yellow Belly Farm is growing and we’re looking for someone to grow with us.

We’re a 3-acre certified organic market garden in Midleton, supplying fresh vegetables, herbs and salads to our local community. 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year: we’re launching a vegetable box subscription, opening a farm shop on the farm, and later in the summer, welcoming guests to our new glamping retreat.

We’re looking for an experienced, self-motivated grower to join us from mid-February on a part-time basis (20-25 hours/week). This is a hands-on role for someone who can take ownership of the growing operation – planning, sowing, harvesting, and keeping things running smoothly. You’ll also be involved in packing veg boxes, stocking the farm shop, and occasional local deliveries.

If you love working outdoors, care about producing real food for real people, and want to be part of something we’re building from the ground up, we’d love to hear from you.

Full details in the job spec below. To apply, send your CV and a short note about yourself to info@yellowbellyfarm.com

Download Job Spec

18 Aug, 2025

yellowbelly1 CommentAugust 18, 2025Events

Feast Cork 2025 at Yellow Belly Farm

We’re excited to announce our Farm to Fork Dinner, happening Saturday, September 6th at Yellow Belly Farm in Midleton! Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the height of the harvest with a guided farm walk, a welcome glass of prosecco, and a surprise vegetarian menu featuring the freshest organic produce picked that day.

Our chefs will create a multi-course dinner inspired by the season, showcasing vegetables, herbs, apples, and blackberries grown right here on the farm. Ticket holders will also enjoy 1–2 wine or beer drinks with their meal and have the chance to buy fresh organic vegetables on the night.

Come for the food, stay for the atmosphere, and connect with our community around the table.

Ready to join us?
Book your tickets now and be part of an authentic Yellow Belly Farm experience!

10 Jun, 2025

yellowbelly0 commentsJune 10, 2025News

Click & Collect

Well it’s alive. Thanks to the excellent Ooooby platform, we’ve now launched an online ordering system that will allow me to sell my fresh, local organic produce directly to you.

How it works

Every week I’ll refresh the website with the seasonal produce that is available to harvest that week
You browse the site, make your selections and get your order in before Thursday
On Friday morning we harvest your produce straight from the ground, give it a wash and pack it up
You collect your produce on Friday evening between 5pm and 7pm on the farm (P25 KD58)

Easy right? Take a look at the shop now -> shop.yellowbellyfarm.com

4 Mar, 2025

yellowbelly0 commentsMarch 4, 2025Events

March Mini Forest Planting

On Saturday 22nd of March we’ll be hosting a mini forest planting morning and all are welcome to join us on the farm.

We’ll be speed planting 300 native Irish trees using the Miyawaki method. Density and diversity are key to this method, resulting in undersoil co-operation and above soil competition. The hope is that the trees will grow 10 times faster and 100 times more biodiverse than conventional plantations

Have a look at this Youtube video to find out a little more about the method.

There’ll be light refreshments provided we expect to run from 10am – 1pm.

Please sign up via the link below. Please note the event is weather dependent.

Sign up

14 Jan, 2025

yellowbelly2 CommentsJanuary 14, 2025Events

January Orchard Workshop with Chris Troy

On Saturday 25th of January I’ll be hosting a hands-on orchard planting workshop and all are welcome to join us on the farm. We’ll be lucky enough to be in the capable hands of Chris Troy, a living, breathing apple encyclopaedia who really has the gift when it comes to teaching everything orchards.

We’ll be planting 41 varieties of 41 trees! 35 apples and 6 pears. This will be not only a bit of fun but a really good learning experience if you have or are thinking of planting fruit trees and a chance to meet like minded people. We’ll cover ground prep, planting method, aftercare and pruning. Because I’m certified organic, we’ll explain how best to grow fruit trees without any synthetic chemicals.

There’ll be light refreshments provided we expect to run from 11am – 3pm. Just bring along some energy, enthusiasm and maybe some warm clothes, you know given it’s still January.

If there a lot of interest we’ll have to limit numbers so please sign up via the link below.

Sign up

4 Jul, 2024

yellowbelly0 commentsJuly 4, 2024News

We are Hiring!

It’s time to get some help! We are looking for a part-time seasonal grower, somebody who is enthusiastic and interested in the field of horticulture. Please email us if you are interested.

See details of the position here!

Author Archives: yellowbelly

Plant Sale 2026