Are you going to Groundswell?

This year’s Groundswell gathering is at Lannock Farm in Hertfordshire, on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd July.

What should I see and do?

So much! Rather than sift through more than 200 sessions and umpteen exhibitors to curate a comprehensive list of suggestions, we’ll leave attendees to decide which are of most relevance to them.

Here are a few things that might be of particular interest to folk working in the grain-flour-Real Bread spectrum, though.

• Reforging our relationship with seed, Wednesday, 2-2.55pm, breakout tent
• Baking the field: a baker’s perspective, Thursday 10.15 – 10.45am, speakers’ corner

Come and say hi!

While the Real Bread Campaign coordinator isn’t amongst this year’s Sustain delegation, a number of his colleagues will be organising and speaking at these sessions.  

• Reshaping supply chains for a regenerative farming future, Wednesday, 12 - 12.55pm, seminar tent
• Making public procurement workable: selling through food hubs, Thursday, 11 - 11.55am, soil tent
• Labour’s first year: food and farming policy review, Thursday 1 - 1.55pm, big top

If there’s anything you’d like to ask about, or suggest for the Real Bread Campaign, please let one of the Sustainers know and they can pass it on.

We’re particularly interested in hearing what people believe:

• the Campaign’s vision and mission should be over the next three to five years.
• are the key issues and aims on which the Campaign should focus.

These can be anywhere on the grain-flour-bread chain and might not necessarily be the same as those on which the Campaign has been working for the past 16+ years – please think outside that box as well.

Taking a stand

Exhibitors include Sustain alliance members the Biodynamic Association, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Network, Gaia Foundation’s Seed Sovereignty initiative (with UK Grain Lab), LEAF (observer) Nature Friendly Farming Network, Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G), Organic Research Centre, Pasture for Life, Permaculture Association, Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Soil Association and Sustainable Food Trust.

What is Groundswell?

The organisers describe Groundswell as ‘a forum for farmers and anyone interested in food production or the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of Conservation Agriculture or regenerative systems.’ Others have called it ‘the Glastonbury of farming.’

It’s an in-person event and there is no information about any sessions being streamed online. In previous years, some sessions have been recorded and made available online afterwards.

What is regen?

The debate continues about what ‘regenerative agriculture’ means. 
People using the term include farmers who work to improve the health of the soil ecosystem, its ability to capture and sequester carbon, and ultimately ensure their decisions and activities have a less negative and more positive impact on the wider environment.

In the absence of a legal definition, regulation, official standards or even general consensus, however, there is a range of opinion about what must and mustn’t be done in order to qualify as renenerative farming. The term is open to being abused by companies seeking to profit from greenwashing. 

We would like to publish a deep dive into regen agriculture, highlighting its relevance and relationship to grain, flour and bread in particular. If you’d like to research and write this article, please drop Campaign coordinator Chris Young an email for more information.