We’re there in force again this year, with a large tent (PF F13) where you’ll find representatives from all corners of the Soil Association. We'll also be at the Agroforestry Tent, which we’re running in partnership with the Woodland Trust and the Organic Research Centre.
Story Shack 10am-12pm (drop-in session), Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Drop in for a storytelling surgery session with experts Olivia James and Dan Morrell.
Sow what? How Exchange Market shares costs of sustainable farming 11-11.50am, Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Join Emily Norton and a panel of businesses and farmers to explore Exchange Market, a scalable, farmer-led scheme tackling agricultural scope 3 emissions without involving offsets or credits.
Unpacking the opportunity in the organic market 1-1.50pm, Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Find out about the challenges and rewards of being involved in the organic sector and explore the future potential of organic with those shaping its direction. With Abel and Cole and organic grower John Taylor.
Silvohorticulture – integrating trees into vegetable production 2-2.55pm, Grass tent An exploration of how to intelligently integrate trees into horticultural crops to provide resilience in your growing system. Led by our head of agroforestry Ben Raskin and Abbey Home Farm’s Andy Dibben.
Serving up sustainability: public sector journey to agroecology 3-3.50pm, Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Soil Association and EM reveal a new tech solution that will enable SME producers and suppliers to supply agroecological and local produce to the public sector.
Seeing the whole picture: towards accurate food eco-metrics 4-4.50pm, Soil Association Tent (PF F13) How can we move towards a shared approach to measuring impact while accurately reflecting outcomes like soil health, biodiversity, and carbon?
Feeding trees to livestock: opportunities and practicalities 4-4.55pm, Agroforestry tent Led by our senior adviser for forestry, Clive Thomas, and the Organic Research Centre’s senior livestock researcher, Dr Lindsay Winstance. They will look at trees for fodder, covering nutritional, medicinal and behavioural benefits alongside the practicalities of harvesting, processing, storing and feeding.
Defra’s ADOPT: what’s the opportunity for regen innovation? 5.30-6.25pm, the Study Defra launched the ADOPT fund supporting farmer-led trials at scale in April. This session by the Agricultural Universities Council in collaboration with the Farmer-Led Innovation Network hears from funders and farmers on how on-farm research is valued and could support farmers on their regen journeys. With Prof Tom MacMillan, Helen Browning OBE, Sarah Evered, Chris Lyons and Stuart Oates.
Confessions of an Agroforester 6.30-7.25pm, Agroforestry tent Our head of agroforestry, Ben Raskin, offers an open, off-the-record conversation held under Chatham House Rules - the highs, the hurdles, and the lessons learned.
Thursday 3rd July
Exploring the value of treescapes through whole farm tree plans – Part 1 9-9.55am, Agroforestry tent With senior adviser for forestry, Clive Thomas, with Liam McNulty, Anna Biesty and Mark Edwards. They share the results and conclusions of an innovative project to develop the whole farm tree planning.
Exploring the value of treescapes through whole farm tree plans – Part 2 10-10.55am, Agroforestry tent/farm walk Building on Part 1, this farm walk with Clive Thomas and Jon Haines provides insight into the Whole Farm Tree Plan process.
The future of soil science: AI powered tools for soil management 10-10.50am, Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Discover how AI is revolutionising the potential for regenerative land management. We will focus on AI 4 Soil Health, explore using digital twins for landscapes and their application in farm and regional land management.
How shifting baselines cloud our view of what’s possible 11-11.55am, The Workshop Tent With each generation that passes, our understanding of the abundance of nature is muted- and we forget just how much we’ve lost. Younger farmers, familiar with today’s depleted landscapes, may not realise the scale of decline witnessed by older generations. This panel explores shifting baseline theory, and highlights the role farmers, policymakers, and technology has in shaping baselining tools to break this cycle and drive positive change across the entire food system. With Helen Browning OBE, Vicki Hird, Sarah Langford and Georgina Bray.
Can you dig it? Practical tips to get to know your soil 12-12.50pm, Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Join Soil Association Exchange advisor, Mark Palmer, for a closer look at the incredible living world of the soil.
Nutrient circularity for nature restoration 12.10-12.50pm, The Wildlife Trusts - Farming With Nature Stage Nitrogen is vital for farming, yet arable systems lose most of it, wasting resources and harming nature. With only 11% efficiency across the lifecycle, it’s time to rethink nutrient circularity. This session explores how improving nutrient use at farm, catchment and national levels can cut pollution and boost farm resilience. With Helen Browning OBE, Gareth Morgan and Tom Stuart.
Building community on your farm and why it matters 1-1.55pm, Breakout tent This session looks at how and why to bring community to your farm – the benefits, challenges and unexpected surprises. With Rose Lewis, head of Woodlands, and others.
Story Shack 2-4pm (Drop-in Session) – Soil Association Tent (PF F13) Drop in for a storytelling surgery session with experts Olivia James and Dan Morrell.
Exploring Silvoarable Systems in Practice 2-2.55pm, Safari tent/farm walk Our agroforestry advisor Jon Haines and farmer, Mark Lea, share their experiences implementing alley cropping and discuss the key considerations for adopting a silvoarable system. Dr Amelia Hood from the University of Reading presents research on the effects of agroforestry on crop yields, soil health, and biodiversity.
The case for farming with nature in a changing policy environment 2.10-2.50pm, The Wildlife Trusts - Farming With Nature Stage Panel discussion with René Olivieri, Helen Browning OBE, John Pawsey, Andy Cato and Chris Clark looking at Government support for regenerative farming practices.
Mycorrhiza for effective tree establishment and wider soil health 3-3.55pm, Agroforestry tent Two leading companies tell us about their approach to the use of mycorrhiza and the introduction of woodland soil biology into farmland soils.
Past events to watch again
Exploring the value of the farm treescape through whole farm tree planning (April 2025) looked at the value of treescapes in farming practices, sharing results from our Whole Farm Tree Plan project. As well as learning insights from the project, funded via the Forestry Commission, the webinar looked at the tree assessment process and how it shaped the future plan of one of the project farmers.
The agronomy of intercropping (March 2025): One of the key barrier to the uptake of intercropping is a lack of knowledge about its agronomy, specifically around weed and pest control but also species selection and seeding ratios. This webinar looks at the findings from a recent field lab, part of the Leguminose project.
Agroecology transect: Exploring the barriers and levers to agroecology (November 2024). A deep dive into what helps and what hinders the upscaling of agroecology across Europe.
