At this year’s Groundswell the Cherry family welcomed 1,900 delegates through their farm gates to attend the No-Till and Regenerative Agriculture event that focusses on improving soil health and farm resilience.
The key message from the show was change. We are on the brink of the biggest shakeup to UK agriculture for 70 years, and Groundswell 2019 provided farmers from all over the country with inspiration, ideas and practical action to adapt and improve the way they manage their land. As we prepare to leave EU subsidies behind, Groundswell presents practical ideas on how to farm in this new environmental and political climate.
Minister for Agriculture Rt Hon Robert Goodwill MP visited and was given a tour of the site by host farmer, Paul Cherry, before joining Baroness Rosie Boycott on stage for a discussion about the future Agriculture Bill. He stated the importance of ensuring long-term (10 yr +) financial support for Agri-Environment Schemes going forward. Furthermore Goodwill proposed monthly payments for agri-environment schemes to aid farm cash flows.
Keynote speaker Allan Savory (Zim), Founder of The Savory Institute and world leader in Holistic Management spoke on both days. To a full conference barn Savory presented his ‘common sense’ revolution to restore our environment and he explained why managing agriculture holistically is imperative, and why properly managed livestock are essential to regenerative agriculture globally.
Jay Fuhrer, (USA) a Soil Health Specialist employed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Bismarck, North Dakota showcased the Rainfall Simulator which starkly shows the impact of 1 inch of rainfall upon differently managed soils; the result showed that zero-disturbance and living roots in the soil act like a sponge and hold the water and prevent nutrient run-off. His talks presented the science behind managing carbon, and rebuilding and maintaining life in the soil.
Many UK farmers (Will Scale, Simon Cowell, Andrew Howard, Tom Martin, Clive Bailye) presented their own experiences in converting to Conservation Agriculture systems and shared their stories.
In the evening, alongside grass-fed BBQ, delegates heard Ruby Wax in conversation with Sam Watson Jones (The Small Robot Company) in a session about the courage needed to make a change.
Attendees came from as far afield as Zimbabwe, Scandinavia, Lithuania, Italy and Poland, with around 10% of delegates from outside the U.K. Most attendees came for both days of the show, with many camping, or ‘glamping’ in tepees. The sunny weather and the relaxed convivial mood at the show’s bar, the ‘Earthworm Arms’ lent the Groundswell Show a festival-like atmosphere.
“Groundswell is a unique agricultural show in that you can spend a day learning the principles of Regenerative Agriculture, whilst also engaging with the organisations that can help make it a reality. Groundswell offers a welcoming environment for two days of information exchange with some of the world’s most experienced “soil caretakers” – the farmers, scientists and the organisations who all have a role in shaping the future of UK farming.
“The government’s stated ambition for the future of food, farming and the environment is that public money will be spent on public goods that enhance natural capital. The new ELMS will bring in a new era for farming, and we were delighted to welcome the Minister of State for Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Rt Hon Robert Goodwill MP, to the show to see for himself the revolution that is already taking place in UK Agriculture towards farming systems that work with the environment and empower the farmer in the food system.
