There was an electric and infectious energy that filtered through the in-person ORFC across both days. There isn’t a minute to spare as you find yourself running from building to building to hear the next panel discussion and bumping into old and new faces in the corridors. Every conversation exchanged holds a story of each individual’s intent and goodwill to create new pathways of hope and food justice. We were deeply inspired and encouraged by the facts, evidence and scientific studies that are helping to raise the profile of agroecology (sensitive sustainable and regenerative farming). Across so many sessions, organisations shared their ‘calls to action’ demanding that the government and practitioners listen and respond! Here’s some of what we learnt:
Small-scale and Family Farm Inclusion in UK Subsidy Scheme
We heard from the amazing work carried out by Landworkers Alliance (LWA) illustrating the vital place market gardens, crofts and peri-urban farms have in our food system. LWA are lobbying the government to support farms that sit on less than 5 hectares (12 acres) to be included in the UK subsidy reforms. Currently land reform is heavily focused on Net Zero with carbon speculation at its core. A shift in focus to an understanding that agroecological food production and family farms are the cornerstone and solution to the UK achieving its climate targets would go well beyond environmental reform. The Defra ELMS trial ‘Growing the Goods’ is underway with the aim to test and build a bespoke catalogue of ‘public goods’ across small-scale farms. With the aim to account for environmental actions, as well as social actions involving public engagement and supply chain reform. Building this evidence showcases a need for policy reform to account for a diversity of land types, business types and different economies of scale.
Transformative Methodologies – Subtle Energy Systems
ORFC organisers brought more of the offers of sessions on intangible aspects of farming into the programme this year. A spiritual approach to achieving higher animal and human health and welfare outcomes was discussed by many practitioners.
We heard the statements “Intuitive farming”, “the power of observation”, “different ways of knowing, feeling and communicating”. Whole Health Ag explored the concept of ‘subtle energy systems’ and homeopathy as alternative and transformative methodologies to achieve overall farm health and to improve livestock-herd immunity and resilience. The session was packed with people curious about these varied and marginally spoken of methodologies. When placed into the context of story-telling, members of the audience started to share their stories of the power of observation when an animal has become sick and the different approaches and options one has on offer when you stop, listen and observe – you can spend less time in the treatment zone and more time in the preventative zone; reducing the need to rely on repeated use of antibiotics. This preventative approach RED, AMBER, GREEN encourages a perspective shift in moving away from the red zone – firefighting illness and medicating regularly, to spending more time in the AMBER and GREEN zones. The green zone being the optimum zone for health but not always realistic, the AMBER zone being your tool box of homeopathic approaches that match the symptom picture to bring the animals body back into optimum health and vitality, with a husbandry system that supports.
A powerful and moving session that promotes the need for a radical shift in our health models. Chris Aukland Head of Livestock Health Programmes for WHAg explains how we need to move away from a ‘disease downwards’ perspective to a ‘health upwards’ perspective. Anyone curious to know more head to Whole Health Ag Learning Centre for resources, webinars and accessible membership options – not to be missed!
We leave on a strong remark from Lord Deben “agroecology exists not alone but within a society”. And we might add – that best practice in agroecology comes in diverse forms of knowing and doing of which biodynamics is one. We need large scale change in our food system, and we believe the answer not in the striving for perfectionism, but instead toward developing the evidence and facts alongside intuitive ways of knowing.
Curious to know more about ORFC see the 2023 highlights here
More aspects of ORFC content will come over the next months in various forms. Guest blogs can be an interesting way to share your views in subjects connected to our work. Do contact us if you have an opinion piece to share.
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