Irish Rural Link (IRL), the national network representing rural communities, has officially acquired AgriKids, a children’s farm safety educational platform, in a move aimed at scaling sustainable farming practices across Ireland.

The merger positions AgriKids alongside IRL’s portfolio of national and European projects, including CAP Network Ireland, Meals on Wheels, and the Breeding Waders EIP. The integration is expected to enhance the platform’s ability to "scale its impact and grow its resources in line with the demand it has amassed" since its launch in 2015.

IRL CEO Seamus Boland emphasised the strategic importance of the acquisition, noting that integrating AgriKids into IRL represents a natural step in the organisation’s ongoing commitment to farm safety and rural education. 

He highlighted that combining AgriKids’ child-focused approach with IRL’s expertise in community development and advocacy would broaden its impact and support safer, more sustainable farm environments for families across Ireland.

AgriKids founder Alma Jordan will continue with the organisation in a managerial role. She acknowledged that running AgriKids as a standalone entity had become increasingly challenging due to limited funding options and the scale of demand, which made it difficult to maintain operations. Jordan said she had been faced with the choice of finding a new home for the platform or winding it down.

She also expressed that she felt at home within IRL and was excited about AgriKids’ future, as well as the opportunity to contribute to rural communities and support social sustainability in farming.

The platform has already secured a contract from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to run farm safety programmes in primary schools. The next phase of the AgriKids Farm Safety Ambassador Programme will be announced shortly.

Explore the full story on how Irish Rural Link is driving sustainable farm practices across the country.

(Photo credits to AgriKids official Youtube channel)