With just two weeks until Electric Picnic kicks off in Stradbally, Co. Laois, farmers could potentially be “landlocked” depending on what traffic management is in place at the festival, a local farmer has warned.
This is according to Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) chair, Bobby Miller, who spoke to Agriland today (Thursday, August 1) in relation to the impact the festival could have on farming in the Stradbally area.
This was the subject of much discussion one year ago, when the dates for this year’s festival were confirmed (August 16-19) and farmers felt these new dates would clash with “prime harvest time”.
Miller, who is a Stradbally farmer, said that while there are “arrangements for farmers” being made by the organisers of the festival, he said that he knows some farmers that could be “landlocked” during the festival, and “won’t be able to get out of their farms because of the traffic management”.
The earlier date this year is to facilitate a specific artist, festival organisers said.
“It definitely wasn’t the ideal situation to move the dates forward two weeks, and they have committed to moving it back to the normal slot,” Miller confirmed.
“EP has recognised the difficulty that could happen, and I think they will facilitate us as needs be, as best they can.”
On the organisers of the festival catering for farmers, Miller said: “I think they are doing enough.”
“One thing about the late sowing season is that Electric Picnic could actually be over before we start harvesting spring crops,” the IGGG chair said.
Last year, managing director of Festival Republic, Melvin Benn, agreed to cover the cost of any garda escorts that may be needed for combine harvesters to travel on the roads during the festival this year.
Electric Picnic organisers, Festival Republic paid a total of €349,110 to An Garda Síochána for policing services at the event in 2023.
Harvesting during the festival
David Walsh-Kemmis of Ballykilcavan Brewery, near Stradbally, told Agriland that the contractor that cuts the barley on his farm is in the centre of the town.
During the festival, Walsh-Kemmis said that “if he’s trying to get his combine out to our field, that is potentially a problem.
“I expect that our barley is going to be ready to cut in about two weeks. There is every chance, even though it was sown six weeks late, that it will be ready to harvest that weekend.
“You’d be a bit worried that if it is a bright day on the Friday, and we’re trying to get barley cut, that mightn’t be the easiest thing in the world.
“It’s really just the Friday afternoon is the real difficulty in terms of getting in and out of the town because it completely clogged up at that stage,” Walsh-Kemmis explained.
Speaking on the impact of the Electric Picnic festival on the harvest in the area, local farmer Paul Cushen said: “I don’t think it’s going to be too bad because of the late spring.”
Cushen said he will potentially have winter wheat ripe to be harvested at the time, but he said this is a crop that can be left for a few days.
He said this is not the case with spring barley, as if it is ripe, and if it’s not cut, that the crop “could be on the ground the next day”. Cushen added that the main crop of spring barley could be a week later.
Cushen’s winter barley and winter oats are cut, but he is waiting on the winter wheat which may be ready to be cut around the time of the festival.
Reflecting on the timing of the festival on the harvest, Cushen said “nine times out of 10 it would have a huge impact.
“It was so late this year, we didn’t get the crops sown till the middle of April. For malting barley, you’d be trying to get it in in February,” Cushen added.
Electric Picnic
The Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery will be hosting visitors over the Electric Picnic weekend, as hundreds will be glamping in the old walled garden on the farm, and will be travelling to the festival via a shuttle bus.
These visitors to the farm will be able to enjoy a range of craft beers produced on site at the brewery, and can also purchase the beer in shops in the area.
However, Ballykilcavan Brewery beer will not be available for sale at the Electric Picnic festival.
In the below video, Walsh-Kemmis explains the situation:
While the Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery is just 3km from the festival site, it is Heineken that have exclusivity on beer sales, at Electric Picnic.
Walsh-Kemmis said this “completely excludes us and all other Irish-owned micro breweries”.