Australian-born ACORNS alumni Cassie McCarthy grew up in the suburbs of Sydney and is now farming and running a butcher’s business Lúnasa Farm with her husband in Mayo.
From a young age, Lúnasa Farm co-owner Cassie McCarthy was interested in food and agriculture. Having completed a livestock apprenticeship in New York in 2013, Cassie volunteered on organic farms across Europe before returning to Australia to take up a similar full-time role near Byron Bay.
It was there that she met her husband, Nick, a native of County Clare with a shared passion for food and farming. While Nick developed skills in animal rearing and butchery, Cassie pursued a qualification in Food and Nutrition, specialising in food science and human nutrition at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
“A central part of our business’ philosophy is our ‘nose-to-tail’ approach, ensuring every part of the animal is used”
McCarthy a graduate of the ACORNS rural women entrepreneurship programme. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ACORNS supports women entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through peer learning, mentoring and round table sessions led by experienced business owners.
The latest programme results show that the combined annual turnover of the 53 participants on ACORNS 11 increased from €4.1 million to almost €6 million during the six-month programme, generating 60 jobs. Nine entrepreneurs began trading for the first time during their participation, while four businesses became exporters.
A purely organic approach
Cassie and her husband Nick decided to move to Ireland, launching their new business – Lúnasa Farm on their family-owned land in the small village of Quin.
“ACORNS helped me to set goals, remain accountable and build valuable connections”
Renting a small, former butcher’s unit in the local area was an important step on their business journey, selling meat boxes directly to consumers.
Four years later, they now offer a range of products made from scratch on the farm including free-range organic pork and grass-fed beef. Their shop opens two days per week, complementing their expanding online offering.
“A central part of our business’ philosophy is our ‘nose-to-tail’ approach, ensuring every part of the animal is used. Products contain real ingredients without additives or nitrates, while the business also supports other local farmers, purchasing livestock directly from them.”
The quality of their products has earned repeated gold awards at the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards, while the business also received the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Environmental Award.
“ACORNS helped me to set goals, remain accountable and build valuable connections.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand production, bring charcuterie manufacturing in-house and develop an educational space on the farm for workshops, pop-ups and experiences centred on food and food production.
Do you have what it takes to join ACORNS?
Applications have opened for ACORNS 12, the next phase of the programme for early-stage female business founders.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ACORNS supports women entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through peer learning, mentoring and round table sessions led by experienced business owners.
The latest programme results show that the combined annual turnover of the 53 participants on ACORNS 11 increased from €4.1 million to almost €6 million during the six-month programme. Nine entrepreneurs began trading for the first time during their participation, while four businesses became exporters.
ACORNS 12 will run from October 2026 to April 2027 and is open to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2023. Up to 50 places are available. Participation is free of charge, supported by funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of Lead Entrepreneurs from across rural Ireland.
This year’s Lead Entrepreneurs include Alison Ritchie of Polar Ice, Geraldine Jones of Skin Formulas, Karen Kerrigan of Kerrigan’s Mushrooms, Larissa Feeney of Kinore, Mary B Walsh of Ire Wel Pallets, Orla Leahy of Ireland Chauffeur Travel and Triona MacGiolla Rí of Aró Digital Strategies.
To apply, click here
Eligibility Criteria for participation on ACORNS
To be considered for ACORNS, applicants must:
- Have set up a new business which has generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2023 or be actively planning a new venture and have made good progress towards getting the new venture off the ground. Indicators of actively planning a business would include organising the start-up team, sourcing equipment / facilities, money saved for the start-up, writing the business plan, etc.
- They must own or part-own the business and be living in a rural area, that is in an area outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
- If selected, applicants must be available to attend the launch Forum and first round table session on October 19 and 20, 2026.
- They must expect to become an employer within three years.
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