Networking & Social Events - Northern Real Farming Conference

The advantages and challenges of working within a Farm Cluster Group: a discussion

Hosted by the Forest of Bowland AONB and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

This session was an interactive discussion around the following points:

– Best bits and challenges of group work
– Outcomes which can be achieved through group working
– Advantages of membership
– Ways forward including funding group working

There is a view that facilitated cluster groups can be a very effective way of building good relationships with farmers, providing interesting and relevant training and encouraging landscape scale action and delivery. There have been many case studies from the South of England, but much less discussion of the particular issues for groups in the uplands – in terms of how groups operate, how they can be funded and how delivery (in addition to training sessions) can be achieved.

This session explored how to integrate cluster groups into ELM and to hear from people about various funding models. Farmers attending the conference may be inspired to join or think about forming a group, after hearing about experiences and achievements in this session.

Speakers/hosts:

Sarah Robinson has worked within the agri-environmental sector since 1994, advising farmers on scheme applications and on the production and implementation of habitat management and restoration projects. Sarah has been part of the Forest of Bowland AONB team since 2012, implementing meadow and moorland restoration schemes as well as advising farmers and landowners on conversation more generally. Since 2018 Sarah has also been the facilitator for the Pendle Hill Farmers Network, which has 29 members and operates within the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership area in East Lancashire.

Hannah Fawcett joined the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in 2004. Her current role is largely around delivering advice on Countryside Stewardship and she has also recently facilitated the Lunesdale Facilitation farmer group. In addition, Hannah also farms with her partner Andrew Keiley in upper Wensleydale, They were active members of the Wensleydale Facilitation Fund group, that finished in March 2020.

Tarja Wilson has worked within the agri-environmental sector since 1990, advising farmers on scheme applications and worked on the development and implementation of landscape/habitat/access management and restoration projects. Between 1990-2016 worked for Lancashire Countryside Service in North Lancashire and Forest of Bowland AONB, followed by 9 months working for a upland contractor before I joined the Farm Conservation team at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in 2017. Facilitated the Wensleydale Natural Flood Management Group which ran for 3 years between May 2017 and March 2020; this group was made up of 34 farmer/landowner members based in Upper Wensleydale.

You can read the outcomes of the session here.

A story of seed – an interactive northern Seed Sovereignty networking session

Hosted by the Gaia Foundation Seed Sovereignty Programme.

The session intended to connect northern seed sovereignty networks, to gain a better understanding of what’s happening in the region, including successes and what’s needed to develop greater seed sovereignty.

Now in Phase 2, the Seed Sovereignty Programme UK & Ireland from the Gaia Foundation, has appointed a dedicated coordinator for the northern region. The coordinator’s role is to support and build seed sovereignty networks in the north, supporting farmers and growers to develop seed sovereignty through training, the sharing of skills and resources and coordinated activities. These will be geared towards supporting an increase in commercially available open-pollinated seed and seed saving in the region as part of agro-ecological systems for greater food sovereignty.

Participants were invited to bring some (actual) seeds of significance to them, share the story of those seeds, what’s going well and what needs to happen next, so that they and others across the region might enjoy seed sovereignty.

Speakers/hosts:

Charlie Gray is the Coordinator for North England and has been working on food systems for more than 10 years in Yorkshire, supporting community growers and connecting with allotmenteers and farmers. She is based at Horton Community Farm Cooperative where she coordinates seed-saving and co-founded and works cooperatively with various food organisations locally as well as permaculture networks nationally. She is an ethnobotanist by training and interested in the power of seed sovereignty to transform food systems and build community resilience. As a Yorkshire plant-based eater particularly loves all manner of leafy vegetables and broccoli (fortunately)!

Dr Dennis Touliatos, Researcher Centre for Agroecology , Water and Resilience is the Coordinator of the ‘Lancaster Seed Library’, a community seed saving project which focuses on collecting, saving and distributing locally adapted seeds, and re-skilling local growers in seed saving.

Maria Scholten, Regional Coordinator for Highland and Islands Scotlan, is supporting growers and crofters across Scotland. She has been working in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland collaborating and advising on seed issues and policy with the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) for many years.

Richie Walsh, Regional Coordinator for Lowland Scotland joined the team in June 2020 as the Lowlands Scotland Seed Sovereignty Coordinator. He has an academic background in amenity horticulture, market gardening and plant conservation. He works professionally in the field of horticultural therapy and is a keen amateur botanist specialising in the heather family native to Europe. He has a passion for community food growing. Over the last decade, he has set up and run community gardens in Dublin, Amsterdam and Glasgow. When not digging in a garden or wandering and botanising in the countryside, Richie can be found brewing his own beer, mead and hedgerow wines.

You can read a blog post about the outcomes of the session here.