Phil Wheal (The Organic Centre) – a life of teaching
Phil Wheal in his element, here at the annual Apple Day at The Organic Centre.
Phil Wheal is at present the longest serving staff at The Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co. Leitrim. He has seen it all and was part of the development from the rudimentary beginnings in the late 90s to the present day.
Gaby and I are proud to have been part of The Organic Centre for a very long time, but here we want to feature our friend and former colleague Phil Wheal, the longest serving member of staff at present (twenty years plus!)
Besides being the main lecturer and tutor on the centre’s fulltime course for twenty years, he is also an expert in permaculture. His expertise especially in fruit growing is vast and anyone who has witnessed Phil entertaining huge crowds all day long at the annual Apple Day in September knows what we are talking about! He is a natural teacher, always curious and questioning, always learning and hugely respected by his past students.
His influences, he tells us, are manifold. He mentiones his grandfather, “he gave me the gardening bug and love of nature”. Regards eco-landscaping and growing things there are Sepp Holzer and Fukuoka (One Straw Revolution). More locally he admires Kenneth Keavey at Green Earth Organics for managing to make organics work on scale while still paying attention and respect to the soil. Never a man of ego he says: “Marcus McCabe and Klaus Laitenberger all have helped me at stages through my career whether they know it or not.” He also feels indebted to Kevin Dudley from Cloughjordan/Seed Savers and Hans Wallner from Cornucopia for mirroring his obsession with all things apple. He also remembers his old friend Klaus Hauschild from Caher Fruits in Kerry “for giving me the space and opportunity to try out ideas.” “And I must not forget so many of the students who come through the Organic Centre who’ve enriched my life!”
It is those connections to the wider horticultural community that makes Phil such an important part of The Organic Centre! His philosophy is straight: “I believe a successful grower is somebody who knows we all are servants to and take our cues from Nature, not the other way around. A grower knows that the receptive state of mind will take us on a journey deeper into the mysteries of Nature if we’ll take the ride. That grower then has to come and make their journey of love work in the cut and thrust of our modern human world. To sell that experience to the senses and the spirit of their customers. There aren’t many more important challenges for all our futures.”
He has also left his mark on two communities. He was nurseryman and landscaper for Kenmare Tidy Towns leading up to their national title in 2000. “I did my best to get them thinking more ecologically with occasional success!” He was also instrumental in the design and build of the Eco-Park in Kinlough Co. Leitrim.
Phil is good fun and his performances on guitar and vocals at the famous Organic Centre lecturer parties are legendary! He always tells the story when he (and many others) met his hero John Seymour at one of the centre’s first “Self-sufficiency” conferences in 2001: “ He gave us great advice about the centre saying ‘What you need here is a bloody good party’. We took his advice and had many over the next few years.”
The brainchild of Rod Alston is still trying to inspire visitors to grow their own vegetables, educating the next generation of growers through their famous one year course in organic horticulture, supplying seeds and plants and offering the most varied course programme in the country. “Where inspiration becomes action” is one of the goals of the centre.The dedicated work of their staff, lecturers and students has had and still has a huge influence on the organic movement in particular and the gardening and grow your own movement in Ireland in general.
From events like the first annual potato day 1997, the first organic school garden in 1999, the Publication of “A Guide to Home Composting” in 2001, the HSE funded Community Food Project 2004, which revolutionised community gardens all over the country, the First Irish Fermentation Festival and the Tomato Taste Trial with 60 varieties in 2016 The Organic Centre throughout its existence has consistently innovated, set standards and became a role model for sustainability.
Sligo Food Tours Producers uncovered Phil Wheal
What is your favourite food? A Reid Seedling apple is pretty special. I’m not very creative or imaginative with food. I’ve been making the same kind of vaguely Oriental stir fries for the last 25 years with lots of veggies, occasional fish or fowl, spices and the inevitable tamari. I love them but those who know me well are utterly incredulous at my ‘Groundhog Day’ style of diet.
Finish the sentence: A producer/grower is the most sane and grounded kind of lunatic you’ll ever come across. Someone whose particular brand of “passion” points our way to a deeper, more harmonious relationship with our planet.
The country you travel for food: I don’t consider myself a foodie, but I love travelling. So it’s Thailand for amazing street food and the Mediterranean delights of France, Greece and Italy. An honorary mention to the fresh fruit and beer of the Philippines.
Three things you always have in your larder/fridge? Blackcurrant Jam (no sugar), kefir and some nice mature cheddar.
What is your most used gadget? Besides the inevitable smartphone, Epiphone 335 (6 string electric guitar) and my vinyl turntable, garden wise, my Felco secateurs are never far away.
Do you read gardening books and which one do you come back to? Yes, mostly of the permaculture/forest gardening variety plus there are so many great sources and inspirations online these days. The book that first inspired me was John Seymour’s Complete Book of Self—Sufficiency’. Everything in a nutshell.
Who is your inspiration (not necessarily from the food/garden world): If I could answer WHAT my inspiration is first then it’s the sheer beauty and awe of Mother Nature in all her forms of LIFE! So many others: WB Yeats and Dylan Thomas, The Beatles, the words of rock god drummer /lyricist Neil Peart and philosopher Alan Watts and the deeply insightful scientific writings of Lyall Watson and Joseph Chilton Pearce. From sport, the swagger and attitude of the West Indies cricket team through the 70’s and 80’s who made a mockery of racism.
What are you currently listening to? That’s not a wise question to ask me if you want a short answer! I listen to a lot! Just now Ben Howard. I’ve had a jazz exploration phase since the lockdown, so loads of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, revisiting the genius of 70’s Bowie and some 60’s stuff I’d missed until now (R&B era Small Faces, early Stones, Jacques Brel and Chic & Nile Rogers).
Something people don’t know about you? I used to work in the music business as a concert sound engineer before moving to Ireland in the late 80’s and I’m a qualified (yet semi- retired) energy healing practitioner, having studied and trained for 4 years at the Barbara Brennan Healing School in the US and Germany.
What will be hot in 2023? The Arctic unfortunately! Time for the world to deal with climate issues with the uymost urgency!
You can contact Phil on philwheal@hotmail.com