Ragna Christ Zorin talks about her forestry journey

Meet Ragna, a suckler farmer in West Clare who planted native woodland under the FT1 scheme back in April 2013. Now a thriving young plantation, her woodland has become a biodiversity hotspot, a windbreak for exposed, wet land near the Atlantic coast, and a long-term investment for future generations. In this video, Ragna walks through the real challenges and rewards of forestry - from navigating the bureaucracy of getting a forestation license, to proving that trees really can thrive so close to the Atlantic coast. She explains how working with a forestry company took the guesswork out of site preparation and species selection, and how ongoing schemes like the Woodland Improvement Scheme and Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) help keep the woodland productive and future-proofed. Ragna also shares honest, practical advice for any farmer considering forestry - from figuring out whether you actually like trees, to choosing between agroforestry, Sitka spruce, or native woodland depending on how hands-on you want to be. Above all, her message is simple: enjoy what you do. Check out: www.gov.ie/forestryforyou