A new chapter calls from Ireland
We receive another call from Peter Michel, this time from Ireland. He is visiting Fergal Smith with his camper. On the other end of the line is the same conviction we heard during our first encounter: you have to come here. He tells us about the people he has met, the stories unfolding, and the changes becoming visible on the land. According to him, this is an important new chapter in the story behind Forever Farms.
We hesitate. A trip to Ireland takes time, resources, and trust. Besides, we already have strong material from our first journey, enough to create a trailer that shows why this story needs to be told. That is usually what you do: make a trailer and look for funding before continuing. But as the days pass, the idea keeps coming back. Some stories simply don’t let go. The adventure keeps pulling at us.
Those who have read Part 1 know how this journey began.
From ocean to soil
So we take the leap. We book the ferry, arrange a place to stay, and load the car with cameras and equipment. Before we know it, we are on the road again, heading toward the west coast of Ireland. Driven by the same question that has guided us from the beginning: what does a future look like where agriculture does not deplete the land, but restores it?
Our first destination is Moy Hill Farm, the home of Fergal Smith. Once a professional surfer traveling the world in search of the perfect wave, today he works on something perhaps even rarer: a food system that restores soil, biodiversity, and communities.
Fergal Smith traded the ocean for the land. After years of chasing waves around the world, he found something different near Lahinch in Ireland: a deeper connection to the land. At Moy Hill Farm, he now works on restoring soil, biodiversity, and food production through regenerative agriculture. His story is not about what he left behind, but what he chose to build. From chasing waves to restoring landscapes. A glimpse of how a new future is already taking root.
Where land and sea meet
This is how we also meet Tom Stack, a close friend and colleague of Fergal. Together we travel to the Irish coast to collect seaweed. For Tom, healthy agriculture does not begin on land, but at sea. Seaweed plays an important role in his approach within Korean Natural Farming (KNF) an agricultural method that uses natural processes, local microorganisms, and natural inputs to strengthen soil and crops.
More on that in our documentary, because of course we don’t want to reveal everything just yet. What we can say is that Tom, like Fergal, is part of a new generation of farmers who do not work against nature, but with it. By applying the knowledge of natural ecosystems to his dairy farm, he is building healthy soils, strong crops, and a more resilient agricultural system.
The hidden life beneath our feet
A day later, we follow Fergal into the forest. Between leaves, moss, and ancient trees, he is looking for something most people never notice: the living network of fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms that make healthy ecosystems possible. In these undisturbed forest soils, nutrients are constantly exchanged, organic matter is broken down, and new life is built.
Fergal takes all the time to share his knowledge with us. With visible enthusiasm, he explains how nature has been building fertile soils and resilient ecosystems for millions of years, without artificial fertilizers or chemical inputs. For him, the key is not controlling nature, but understanding its processes.
Here, he collects IMO’s (Indigenous Microorganisms), native microorganisms perfectly adapted to local conditions. Back on the farm, he multiplies them and brings them back to his fields and gardens. The goal is not to replace nature, but to reintroduce the natural processes that define a healthy ecosystem back into agricultural land.
As Fergal shares his knowledge, it becomes increasingly clear that Peter Michel was not exaggerating when he urged us to come to Ireland. Behind every farm, every conversation, and every walk through the landscape, a story unfolds that is bigger than agriculture alone.
According to Fergal, a healthy harvest does not begin above the ground, but below it. By feeding the soil life, he creates fertile ground that retains water better, uses nutrients more efficiently, and makes crops more resilient to disease and extreme weather conditions. As we walk through the forest, it becomes increasingly clear that he is not only growing food, but also working on restoring the relationship between humans and nature.
Big lessons from small places
The surfboards and wetsuits still decorate the buildings of Moy Hill Farm. They remind us of the life Fergal once lived, but also of the unique connection he has managed to maintain between sea and land. With the same dedication he once used to chase waves, he now works on restoring soil, biodiversity, and food production.
Even while filming, we realize how special this encounter is. What started as a spontaneous decision to travel back to Ireland brought us to a place and a story that will stay with us for a long time. We are grateful to have witnessed Fergal’s work and to be able to capture and share his story. But the journey continues. There are more stories waiting, more farmers, and more people showing that a different future is not something we wait for, but something already being built today.
This was Part 2 in the story behind Forever Farms. Read Part 1 and Part 3 here.
Build Forever Farms with us
You are our hero!
Every contribution means a great deal and shows that this mission is shared by many. Your support helps keep these stories independent and accessible to everyone. Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are building the change ahead.
