Bringing people together was at the heart of the BDLT’s Growing Together event – a day of conversations about farming, community, communication and the future of our land.
There was a sense of optimism at Hawkwood, near Stroud, last weekend as supporters, farmers, land stewards and people new to the work of the Biodynamic Land Trust (BDLT) came together to share ideas and hear about the Trust’s growing family of farms.
We were incredibly grateful to everyone who came – thank you for taking the time to join us, hear about our work over the past year, and contribute to discussions about the future. Your support, involvement and feedback are invaluable and help us continue to move forward.
The day began with a powerful contribution from tenant farmer, consultant and regenerative systems designer Dan Smith, of Roots In, a 200-acre farm and consultancy hub in Monmouthshire.
Dan shared his experience of bringing marginalised groups, including refugees, onto farms he has managed. The benefits, he explained, have not been one-way. Alongside the opportunities created for people who may otherwise struggle to find a route into farming, the experience has challenged and broadened his own understanding of agriculture and society.
His perspective has been shaped by his work as a Nuffield Scholar, during which he travelled to Brazil, Canada and New Zealand to explore the challenges of attracting new entrants from diverse backgrounds into farming.
The focus then turned closer to home, with BDLT Land Project Manager Louise Southwell providing an update on the Trust’s farms and the progress made over the past year.
From Rush Farm in Worcestershire and Huxhams Cross in Devon to Oakbrook near Stroud and Springham in Sussex, Louise highlighted the developments taking place across the BDLT’s growing portfolio of farms.
The event also offered an opportunity to hear directly from people involved in some of the Trust’s wider partnerships.
Peter Brown, from Tablehurst Farm in East Sussex, gave an update on the BDLT-owned Brambletye Fields, which form part of the farm, as well as some of the developments taking place across Tablehurst as a whole. Among these is a new milking parlour, designed and built by Peter as part of the farm’s cow-with-calf dairy operation. The Jersey herd supplies raw milk to an on-farm vending machine.
There was also an opportunity to hear from Rod Everett, of Backsbottom Farm in Lancashire, which is currently being transferred to the BDLT.
The Trust is working with Abunda and the Everett family to find a new tenant for the 100-hectare farm, which sits in the Roeburn Valley on the edge of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. It is a remarkable landscape, with ancient woodland, species-rich meadows, traditional orchards and recovering blanket bog. More than 40 years of organic, permaculture-inspired care have helped shape the farm, and the BDLT feels privileged to play a role in stewarding it for future generations.
After lunch – a delicious biodynamic meal provided by our hosts at Hawkwood – attention turned to another important part of the day’s theme: how farming communicates with the wider world.
We were joined by Anna Jones, who has covered farming and rural affairs for BBC Farming Today and Countryfile. Anna is also the founder of Just Farmers, a community interest company that connects journalists and programme makers with independent voices from the grassroots of farming.
Anna spoke passionately about the need to bring different voices together, both to help bridge the divide between rural and urban communities and to address divisions within agriculture itself. She also offered practical advice on what makes a good story for the media – and encouraged farmers to take greater ownership of their own stories in order to build understanding between farming and the wider public.
BDLT chairman Ian Nicholson said: “Our Growing Together event was a great opportunity to bring together the BDLT’s directors, staff and supporters to share updates about our growing family of farms and the strategic direction of the Trust. There was a real sense of energy and enthusiasm in the room for the future of our biodynamic farms and the role they have to play in tackling the biggest questions currently facing us from food security to climate change.”
The day ended where the conversation had begun: on the land.
A farm walk around neighbouring Oakbrook Farm, the BDLT’s 41-acre farm with a diverse mix of tenants including Fox Lane Flowers, Stroud Community Agriculture and the Bee Observatory, provided a chance to see the benefits of biodynamic farming in action.
It also created one final opportunity to talk, share ideas and get to know one another.
As everyone headed home, the mood was upbeat. The day had brought together people from different parts of farming and beyond – but it had also highlighted just how much can be achieved when people come together around a shared commitment to land, community and a more sustainable future.
Published by