Author: Steve Taylor
I am an upland beef and sheep farmer in the Forest of Bowland, where my family has farmed for at least ten generations. I was grateful to receive a bursary to attend the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2026 in person and would like to thank ORFC for the opportunity.
Having attended the Original Oxford Farming Conference in 2024, I was keen to experience the difference offered by ORFC. From the opening plenary, the conference delivered energy, inspiration, and a strong focus on farmer-led solutions.
With a wide range of seminars on offer, choosing the right sessions was challenging. Highlights included a session on non-chemical flystrike treatments through the Innovative Farmers Field Lab, and a workshop with Landmatch, which offered valuable insight into matching landowners with new entrants.
A Defra session on Landscape Recovery provided a useful comparison between 2 LR projects. One example in Upper Dutton demonstrated how landscape-scale implementation of stewardship options with collaboration of multiple farmers still producing quality food could provide a lifeline for some farms. In contrast, hearing about a rewilding project centred on a single landowner in Boothby Lincolnshire raised questions for me around land use, food production, and fully commercial carbon models.
In the evening, I enjoyed the Pasture for Life social. This was a valuable opportunity to speak with other members, learn from their experiences, meet some of the organisation’s founding members, and sample a few Guinness.
On Friday morning, I attended a Pasture for Life panel on farmer-to-farmer mentoring, a project I have been involved in in the North, which made the discussion particularly relevant and encouraging.
Friday then took an unexpected turn when all trains heading north through Birmingham were cancelled due to snow. I started contacting people I knew who might be driving north from either the ORFC or the OFC. I ended up with half a dozen offers of a lift home. This really highlighted the value of getting off farm and attending events like this, these were all people I would never have known if I hadn’t made the effort to get off farm over the years. It was a simple but powerful demonstration of how networking builds resilience. A big thank you to Mark Lee from Torpenhow for the lift.
I also spent time speaking with Defra and the RPA at their stand, discussing the Landscape Recovery session, issues we have experienced with online processes, and how these could be improved. It was disappointing that I could not get a clear definition of what Defra classifies as a “small farm”, although 50 hectares seems to be a figure loosely mentioned. I explained that farmers need clarity early on to allow confident planning. In upland farming, we are often working at least three years ahead with livestock breeding programmes, yet Defra expects farmers to adapt with as little as three months’ notice. This approach is ineffective and forces rushed decisions that do not align with long-term farm visions.
Once my transport was sorted, I attended a talk on frozen meat vending machines. This was a fascinating insight into how Farming in Protected Landscapes funding has transformed one business’s ability to sell meat direct from the farm, something of real interest to me.
Thinking about attending ORFC but unsure how to fund your place?
If you are thinking about going to a conference, apply for a bursary. The worst they can say is no. If you are successful, it gives you the push you need to take time off the farm and as we all know, there is always a reason to stay put, even when stepping away is exactly what’s needed.
Go with a clear idea of what you want to gain. Plan, choose sessions that align with your values and direction of travel, and don’t try to do everything.
Most importantly, go to the socials and talk to people. The conversations you have outside the seminar rooms can be just as valuable, if not more so than the sessions themselves. Getting off farm, meeting others, and sharing experiences builds knowledge, confidence, and resilience, making the time away more than worthwhile.