Galway
Your county guide
Hi, I'm Galway
This is my regenerative food system — designed for my land, my farmers, my communities.
I'm here to help you understand it and find your place in building it. What brings you here today?
EatoSystem 1.0
Galway
A county-by-county regenerative food system blueprint — designed to become real through community co-design in EatoVerse.
From Blueprint to Reality
Blueprint
Strategic Framework
Regional strengths, core basket, role lanes, metrics, roadmap
EatoVerse
Community Co-Design
Schools, youth, families, and farmers design the details together
Physical Reality
Implementation
Founding farms + infrastructure + procurement pilots
The blueprint sets direction. EatoVerse designs the details. Then we build what we designed together.
Galway Blueprint in 60 seconds
Coastal + Connemara grazing advantage for premium lamb and beef
Core basket ensures year-round local food security (50-70% of production)
Signature produce: native oysters, Connemara mountain lamb, seaweed & sea vegetables
Network role: maritime gateway, heritage genetics hub, extensive grazing specialist
Measured across three pillars: Health, Community, Environment
Implementation phases with blended capital (ranges provided in plan)
Designed for iteration with community feedback through EatoVerse
Data sources: CSO, Teagasc, Bord Bia, BIM/Marine Institute, EPA (to be cited in v1.1)
Regional context
Geography & Climate
- •Oceanic climate
- •High rainfall (1,200-1,800mm)
- •Long summer daylight hours
- •Mild winters
Soils & Terrain
- •East: limestone-derived soils
- •West: acidic/bogland
- •Varied terrain for diverse production
- •Coastal margins
Current Agriculture
- •Beef/sheep dominance
- •Fragmented farm sizes
- •Limited horticulture
- •Growing organic sector
Food Heritage
- •Native oysters (centuries-old)
- •Mountain lamb tradition
- •Seafood & foraging culture
- •Strong gastronomy identity
Core basket (50–70%)
Foundation production to ensure year-round local food security.
Vegetables
- Potatoes (maincrop & heritage)
- Brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli)
- Root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips)
- Alliums (onions, leeks, garlic)
- Leafy greens (spinach, chard)
Grains & Pulses
- Oats (traditional strength)
- Barley (malting & feed)
- Limited heritage wheat trials
- Pulse trials (beans, peas)
Dairy
- Grass-fed milk
- Artisan butter & cheese
- Cultured dairy (yogurt, kefir)
- Small-batch ice cream
Livestock Protein
- Lamb (extensive grazing)
- Beef (grass-finished)
- Free-range poultry
- Pasture-raised eggs
Seafood Protein
- Rope-grown mussels
- Local white fish
- Sustainable mackerel
- Crab & lobster (seasonal)
Seasonality note: See the 12-month calendar below for availability patterns.
Signature produce (20–40%)
Premium products that define Galway's identity and create value for the network.
EatoGalway Native Oysters
Galway Bay's unique estuarine conditions create world-renowned native oysters.
Network Role
Premium export to Dublin, Cork, and international markets
Regenerative Value
Filter-feeding improves water quality; zero-input production
EatoGalway Connemara Mountain Lamb
Extensive mountain grazing on wild herbs creates distinctive flavor profile.
Network Role
Premium protein export; heritage breed genetics
Regenerative Value
Maintains upland biodiversity; low-intensity grazing systems
EatoGalway Seaweed & Sea Vegetables
Atlantic coastline provides diverse, nutrient-rich seaweed varieties.
Network Role
Export for food, cosmetics, agriculture; unique coastal asset
Regenerative Value
Carbon sequestration; no freshwater or land required
Secondary signatures
12-month produce calendar
Winter
Dec – Feb
Available
- •Stored roots & potatoes
- •Brassicas (kale, cabbage)
- •Oysters (peak season)
- •Lamb
Activities
- •Planning & seed ordering
- •Polytunnel production
- •Oyster harvesting
Spring
Mar – May
Available
- •New season lamb
- •Early greens & salads
- •Seaweed harvest
- •Overwintered vegetables
Activities
- •Planting begins
- •Lambing season
- •Seaweed foraging
Summer
Jun – Aug
Available
- •Full vegetable range
- •Soft fruits
- •Honey harvest
- •Fresh dairy
- •Mackerel & crab
Activities
- •Peak growing season
- •Honey extraction
- •Hay & silage making
Autumn
Sep – Nov
Available
- •Potato harvest
- •Root vegetables
- •Oyster season opens
- •Beef finishing
- •Grains
Activities
- •Main harvest
- •Storage preparation
- •Breeding season begins
Galway's role in the 32-system network
Exports
- Native oysters (premium markets)
- Connemara lamb (heritage quality)
- Seaweed & sea vegetables
- Seed potatoes (heritage varieties)
- Galway wool
- Artisanal dairy
- Wildflower honey
Imports
- Wheat & rye (from eastern counties)
- Tree fruits (apples, pears)
- Sun-dependent vegetables
- Pork (limited local capacity)
- Processed grain products
Network function
Galway serves as a maritime gateway connecting the Atlantic coast to inland counties. The county contributes heritage genetics (native oysters, mountain sheep breeds), extensive grazing expertise, and acts as a cultural ambassador for Irish food traditions.
How success is measured
Health
- Food quality testing (nutrient density)
- Accessibility metrics (food miles, pricing)
- Dietary shift tracking
- Local food consumption rates
Community
- Jobs created (direct & indirect)
- Farm viability scores
- Food literacy programs
- Community ownership levels
- Resilience indicators
Environment
- Soil carbon sequestration
- Biodiversity indices
- Water quality (nitrates, phosphates)
- Circularity metrics (waste reduction)
Metrics are published transparently and refined with expert partners including Teagasc, EPA, and local authorities.
Implementation plan
Existing Assets
- •Active farming community (approx. 5,000 farms)
- •Research institutions (NUIG, Teagasc centres)
- •Strong local food markets (Galway, Clifden)
- •Established aquaculture sector
- •Tourism infrastructure (food tourism ready)
Gaps to Address
- •Processing infrastructure (abattoirs, dairy)
- •Cold chain & distribution network
- •Training programs for regenerative practices
- •Finance mechanisms for transition
- •Coordination between producers
Phase 1 Capital
Foundation & Pilot (Year 1-2)
€2-5M
Founding farms, initial infrastructure, coordination capacity
Phase 2 Capital
Scale & Integration (Year 3-5)
€10-25M
Processing facilities, distribution network, full county rollout
Timeline (Target Milestones)
5-10 founding farms onboarded; EatoVerse Galway launches
First aggregation hub operational; school programs active
Processing pilot; 50+ farms in network; export routes established
Full cold chain; county-wide distribution; metrics published
Self-sustaining operations; model documentation for replication
EatoVerse Galway
The community co-design layer that turns the blueprint into build-ready reality.
Who participates
Build objects
- Farm archetype templates (lamb, dairy, mixed veg, oysters, seaweed)
- Hub archetypes (aggregation, cold storage, processing)
- Distribution routes (city + Connemara + east + coastal)
- School participation modules
- Metrics scoreboard (health/community/environment)
From Virtual to Reality
Every build cycle produces a county-ready blueprint pack you can act on.
Deliverables from EatoVerse
- County Blueprint v1 — Layout + infrastructure plan
- Produce Model draft — What grows where + seasonal logic
- Distribution concept — Routes, storage, hubs
- Impact targets — Health / community / environment
- Implementation phases — Pilot → scale
Designed for iteration: each cycle refines the blueprint with new data and community feedback.
Get involved in Galway
Founding Farms
Be among the first farms to pilot regenerative practices within EatoSystem Galway.
Apply NowSchools & Students
Bring food systems education to your classroom through EatoVerse.
Register InterestFrequently asked questions
EatoSystem Galway is currently in the blueprint phase. The framework is complete and ready for review. We are actively seeking founding farms and partners to begin the pilot phase in 2025. EatoVerse Galway (community co-design) is scheduled to launch in 2026.
Founding farms are the first 5-10 farms to join EatoSystem Galway. They receive priority access to training, transition support, and market connections. In return, they help test and refine the system, share learnings, and become case studies for scaling. There's no upfront cost—founding farms are supported through EatoFund.
Not at all. EatoSystem Galway needs chefs, retailers, educators, engineers, designers, and community members. Schools can participate through EatoVerse. Businesses can become procurement partners. Everyone can support by buying local and spreading the word.
EatoSystem Galway is funded through EatoFund, which blends philanthropic capital, impact investment, enterprise partnerships, and community contribution. Phase 1 (€2-5M) focuses on foundation and pilots. Phase 2 (€10-25M) scales infrastructure and distribution.
Regenerative means farming and food systems that actively improve health, community, and environment over time—not just sustain them. In practice: building soil carbon, increasing biodiversity, reducing chemical inputs, supporting farm viability, keeping food local, and creating transparent supply chains.
EatoSystem is a long-term regenerative infrastructure project.
Claims relate to supporting long-term health and wellbeing, not medical treatment.
Data sources to be cited in v1.1.