Farmers, and growers, you’re invited to Waitrose’s Leckford Farm for a presentation of three years of intercropping trials from the LEGUMINOSE field labs and University of Reading. There will also be a tour of the site, the only UK retailer-owned farm. The LEGUMINOSE project aims to establish legume-cereal intercropping as a mainstream method in sustainable agriculture.
Livestock Health: strategies for low-input, high-welfare nutrition
Thursday 13th November, 10.30am-2pm Field Hall Farm, nr Uttoxeter, ST14 8SG
Rob Atkins welcomes us onto Field Hall Farm, a 1,160-acre mixed arable and beef farm that uses many agroecological practices (though not certified organic). We'll hear expert advice on the science behind animal nutrition, forage quality, and mineral uptake and practical examples of diverse grazing systems, rotational planning, and nutrient cycling in action. With Nigel Kendall from University of Nottingham.
A Positive Future for Farmed Animals (Beef cattle and Sheep)
Thurs 20th November, 1-2pm, online
Join us for a chance to hear more about our new Good Life Opportunity frameworks and how they can potentially support and advance an animal's quality of life. We'll share an overview of the principles of frameworks for Beef Cattle and Sheep and discuss potential ways to support and advance livestock quality of life. Farmers are especially welcome to contribute and reflect on current practices, celebrating successes and identifying areas of support and improvement needed within the industry.
Soil moisture in horticultural systems (October 2025) explored the benefits of using soil moisture probes to understand moisture uptake by plants and how to utilise the information for irrigation scheduling and crop management decisions. With John Taylor of Pollybell Farms, and Peter White from Soil Moisture Sense.
Building Sustainable Beef Systems webinar (August 2025): A practical session looking at organic cattle and opportunities to support organic beef production. With Angus Nelless from Thistleyhaugh Farm, Peter Jones, Director of Organic Livestock Marketing Cooperative (OLMC), and Adrian Steele (Organic Sector Development Advisor), Annie Crook (Producer Certification Officer) and Tabitha Acton (Farming Advisor) from the Soil Association.
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.
