Question re green cert/registering as farmer

Jimi H

I own a small farm. I inherited it a number of years ago but I moved onto the farm last year. It’s mostly wild a with some forestry.

I have a full time office job but I have some notions about growing veg on a small scale, leaving some land to grow wild, ponds and ducks etc. I’d also like to plant some more forestry but I see the premiums for farmers is 20 years and 15 years for non farmers.

Anyway, I was wondering do I need to do the green cert to be registered as a farmer? Or is there another way? By maybe getting a flock number if I got ducks/chickens? I don’t really want to get any larger livestock. Or anyone to talk to about this ?

Thanks for reading

Siamsa Sessions

There's plenty reading in the smallholders threads:

https://www.boards.ie/categories/smallholding

Re registering as a farmer: you need a herd/flock number for sheep or cattle. But I'm not sure what's the story for owning ducks and chickens. You don't need to have the green cert to register. The application form for becoming a herd/flock owner is on the DAFM website:

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f90f21-application-for-a-flockherd-number/

There's a few different bullet points there but really you just need to have a standalone yard and not share exits/entrances with other farmers (officially).