With just 10 hens, Kylie Magner started her own pasture-raised egg business and now, 3 years later, she has close to 1000 hens and Magners’ Farm eggs are eaten in homes and cafés all across Ireland.
Kylie, who grew up on a farm in New South Wales, first landed in Tipperary in 1998 to work with Coolmore Stud.
Having worked in various marketing and equestrian roles in Sydney and Japan, she soon worked her way up to media director.
During this time, she met her future husband Billy and in 2009, the couple moved back to Australia where Kylie set up her own advertising agency.
After seven years, the couple felt the pull back home and, in 2016, with their four children they moved to a former dairy farm in Fethard where Kylie would hatch the idea for Magners’ Farm.
Since launching her egg business in 2017, Kylie has diversified with a chicken bone broth, which won the coveted Chef’s Choice in the 2018 Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards and a gold star at Great Taste (UK) 2019.
She was incredibly grateful for the support she got through ACORNS. Her hands are full running the farm, but ACORNS has helped her to stay focused on the business side which continues today through the support of her fellow ACORNS.
Magners’ Farm has come a long way since Kylie bought her first ten hens and she is keen to keep expanding the business which includes incorporating a self-designed mobile hen house which will increase hen numbers to meet the high demand whilst increasing the soil fertility.
ACORNS
The call is now open for women with new businesses or “well-developed” ideas to join the new cycle of the free programme — ACORNS 6, as reported by us here.
The initiative will also continue to support participants from previous cycles through further development phases.
A total of 50 new participants are being sought for ACORNS 6, a programme that will run over six months from October 2020 to April 2021.
Any woman with a new business based in rural Ireland — or an idea for a new venture they want to get off the ground — can get more information and download an application form at www.acorns.ie. There is no charge for participation.
The deadline for application for this year’s cycle is September 21st, 2020.
