2010 - 2024

Perennial veg has been taking off for years with home gardeners and allotmenteers but, whilst some classic examples, such as artichokes and asparagus, may be produced by commercial veg growers, uptake remains limited. Hear from Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson on what’s caught his attention about the potential of perennials, expert perennial grower and founder of Incredible Vegetables, Mandy Barber, revealing the diversity of options perennials present, and get a debrief on micropropagation as a possible…

In this in depth account of a single farm, we will hear from Rebecca Mayhew, who alongside her husband, Stuart and their two children, owns Old Hall Farm in South Norfolk. Rebecca and Stuart have converted a once intensively farmed pork unit covering 500 acres into a regenerative oasis. The farm now has multiple farming enterprises, including a 60-head Jersey herd producing raw milk that is sold locally and nationally and within which the calves…

Livestock use in farming systems is a polarising topic, from the drive to net zero to the degradation of arable soils, the topic is much discussed and at times misunderstood. This discussion session will present ideas and approaches that look to reframe the case for livestock in the landscape, present approaches that drive farmer decision making related to optimal livestock carrying capacity on farms and moves away from reducing animals’ role in the landscape to…

The Storm Desmond floods in 2015 cost the UK £1.6 Billion. Extreme weather patterns are impacting our farms, either with too much water or too little water. New research now shows the effectiveness of natural flood management and increasingly there is an acceptance that, for many communities, engineering our way out of crisis will not be possible – natural solutions may be the only solutions on the table. Hear from a scientist quantifying the effectiveness…