Oxford Real Farming Conference in the Field

It is time to gather again at ORFC In the Field @FarmED  

Feeling inspired by the sessions at the Oxford Real Farming Conference Global? Do you want to continue the discussion in a small group setting and share deeper knowledge in the field?  

Originally planned for 2020, and again for 2021, we are delighted to regroup and relaunch the first Oxford and FarmED collaborative event.  Join us for two days of field-based application and practitioner led discussion focusing on agroecology, regenerative farming and sustainable food.  

The event is hosted by FarmED, the new Centre for Farm and Food Education based at Honeydale Farm in the Cotswolds, and co-curated with the ORFC team.  Tickets were selling well before we were forced to cancel last summer – these tickets have been rolled over. Final bookings are now being taken.  

You can choose from an exciting range of workshop sessions run by leading practitioners and advisers including John Letts, Niels Corfield, Ian Wilkinson, Suzy Russell, Becky Wilson and Edd Colbert.   

The sessions confirmed so far cover:  

Heritage grains – history, growing, harvesting and use 

Monitoring soil health in the field – methods, tools and apps 

Measuring and reducing your farm carbon footprint 

Creating and running a market garden and CSA venture Integrating woodland into your farming system 

Introduction to bee-keeping 

Mushroom cultivation 

The FarmED tour - building soil health with herb rich leys, sainfoin and cover crops 

Field visits to local organic and Pasture for Life farms 

There will also be a number of interesting and challenging guest speakers for the key-note introductions to each day.  

When: Wednesday 6th July and Thursday 7th July 2021  

Where: FarmED, Honeydale Farm, Shipton Under Wychwood, OX7 6BJ  

Cost: From £30 (evening only) to £175 (both days with camping)  

£30 - Just the Wednesday evening event and dinner 

£125 - Event access for two days with lunch both days 

£145 - Event access for two days with lunch both days and the evening dinner 

£175 - Event access for two days with lunch both days, the evening dinner plus camping on site (bring your own tent and breakfast)  

Food: Nutritious and local produced food. The celebratory dinner on the Wednesday evening will be a Pasture for Life BBQ. 

Drinks: A bar will be open for the Wednesday evening. Tea, coffee and soft drinks available on both days.

Accommodation: A range of hotel, pub and B&B accommodation is available locally (Shipton, Burford, Chipping Norton etc.) You can also camp on site on the Tuesday and Wednesday night (bring your own tent & breakfast).  

Bursaries: We have a small number of bursaries available for those that need help with the cost of travel, attendance and accommodation. Please see the FarmED bursaries page.  

Who should attend: Farmers, smallholders and growers with an interest in practical agroecology and regenerative practices including new entrants and those with experiences to share. Advisors and students.  

Format: Over the two days attendees will be able to choose and participate in 3 of the 9 core workshops on offer, plus one of the farm trips. We will ask people to select their preferred sessions before arrival. Additional informal sessions and talks will run over the lunch period and in the evening. Most workshops will run more than once over the two days to minimize clashes. There will be groups of 10 to 20 people in each session ensuring an intimate and hands on experience.  

Keep in Touch:  FarmED  FarmED is the Centre for Farm & Food Education. We aim to be at the heart of local, regional and global agroecological transition. Based at Honeydale Farm in the Cotswolds, we are a not-for-profit organisation.  

Our mission is to provide learning spaces and events that inspire, educate and connect people to build sustainable farming and food systems that nourish people and regenerate the planet.  

At the heart of FarmED are two impressive eco-buildings – one providing space for conferences, lectures, workshops and special events; and the other a farm to fork kitchen and food space.  Our 107 acre farm is a diverse mix of low input arable and temporary grass, and organic permanent pasture. Our trial plots include sainfoin, herbal leys, barley, heritage wheat, wild bird seed and various cover crops. The grassland is managed by mob grazed sheep with a micro dairy being introduced in 2021. The land is in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Other features include a natural flood management scheme, heritage orchard, woodland, agroforestry, wildflower margins and an apiary. Our 3 acre kitchen garden is run as a Community Supported Agriculture scheme and will feed 120 families this year.  

​Our audience includes local communities, schools, universities, researchers, farmers, new entrants, foodies, businesses, environmental groups and policy makers.  

Read more about FarmED here: www.farm-ed.co.uk 

Follow @RealFarmED  

Email Jonty Brunyee (Head of Sustainable Farming and Food) jonty@farm-ed.co.uk or Sophie Wilkinson (Events and Office Coordinator) sophie@farm-ed.co.uk  

ORFC  The Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) was started in 2010 by Colin Tudge and Ruth West (founders of the Campaign for Real Farming) and agricultural writer, Graham Harvey, to highlight the alternatives to conventional farming and to offer all farmers a different kind of farming conference.  It has developed over the last eleven years to become the unofficial gathering of the agroecological farming movement in the UK, including organic and regenerative farming, bringing together practising farmers and growers with scientists and economists, activists and policy-makers in a two-day event every January.  

Read more about ORFC here: www.orfc.org.uk 

Follow @ORFC Email Francesca Price (ORFC Conference Manager) francesca@orfc.org.uk  

SEE YOU IN THE SUMMER!