Oxford Real Farming Conference 2024 – our top recommendations to watch on YouTube
On the ground
Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) has always been about meeting people, conversations in the corridors and trying to get to sessions that you had marked in a programme that you can't find anymore. This year was no exception, and with so many full sessions, I often found myself in a room I hadn’t planned to be in, but the quality of sessions meant that I was never disappointed. Discussing the new SFI announcement with random strangers, not speaking to those people I had promised to meet up with, or appreciating the delight of a gardener being able to grow Okra in Wales perhaps shows I should reappraise my approach next year!
Only about a third of the 150 sessions were live-streamed and recorded, but that’s still nearly 50! Here are the Farming and Land use team’s top picks.
Jerry Alford, Senior Farming Advisor
Our top YouTube picks
Soil Health at Scale
Applying soil health principles at scale is a challenge. Iain Tolhurst, stock-free grower, and arable farmer Tim Parton explore this subject as two soil enthusiasts with different methods. I enjoyed an informative discussion between two experts who found much in common. ‘Soil is so precious’, says Tim. Iain agreed, ‘If you understand it from the physiology of an earthworm, you’ll understand what needs to be done’.
Kate Still, Head of Farming Programmes
Perennial Veg: Promise and Propagation
I really enjoyed chairing this lively discussion with Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson, talking about the opportunities of growing perennials. Alongside him, bringing a wealth of knowledge, is grower and founder of Incredible Vegetables Mandy Barber. With Mandy we explored the challenges and opportunities of growing and eating perennial veg which was a real eye opener to the genetic diversity available. Senior Certification Officer for the Soil Association Tom Hartley gives an update on how to increase production using micropropagation.
Carolyn Coxe, Senior Horticulture Advisor
Bale Grazing as an effective livestock outwintering strategy
You’ll not get a better line up of farmers with experience in the benefits and challenges of bale-grazing and out-wintering livestock than in this session, chaired by Pasture for Life’s Nikki Yoxall. With practical and financial information, and compelling insights about what this method has done for soil health, biodiversity and land recovery times. The group are part of an Innovative Farmers field lab looking at how bale grazing affects forage quality and soil health.
Dan Iles, Senior Communications Manager for Innovative Farmers
Capturing Carbon: Joining the Dots Between Policy and Practice
From a policy perspective, I often hear about the urgent need to decarbonise the agriculture sector – but what does that mean for farmers? In this dynamic session, we heard from a range of voices across policy and farming, to connect the dots across this challenging area and explore existing solutions. I particularly enjoyed hearing from Liz Bowles (Farm Carbon Toolkit) and Kate Hughes (Wood Advent Farm) who brilliantly communicated the complexities this space involves for farmers.
Lucia Monje-Jelfs, Senior Policy Officer
A Market Garden Renaissance across Four Nations
This session launched a new Landworkers’ Alliance report, Horticulture Across Four Nations, with an ambition to demonstrate how to get fresh food into all areas of the UK, including cities and other hard to reach places. “What would happen if we spent 20% of what it currently spends on imported veg on UK-grown organic produce?”, asks chairperson Rebecca Laughton. With some government support, the potential benefits are incredible. A great panel, including ‘food zone’ hero Julie Brown from Growing Communities in Hackney.
Lucy Gatward, Senior Farming Communications Officer
Slow the Flow: Nature Based Flood Responses
This session really highlighted how, when supported, farmers hold the power to influence whole landscapes positively. The talk highlighted new research into the effectiveness of the right natural flood management interventions in the right place. The presenters included farmers, an advisor and an academic researcher, all with valuable and interesting perspective on natural flood defences. I was left feeling hopeful that famers hold the key to alleviating the effects of our increasingly extreme weather, if only we can support them to do it!
Laura Gude, Network Coordinator for Innovative Farmers
Find out more
Rediscovering the flax fibre industry in Scotland
Our Senior Farming Advisor in Scotland, Colleen McCulloch, ran a session at ORFC about an Innovative Farmers field lab looking at growing flax for fibre in Scotland.
ORFC 24 on YouTube
You can see all the recorded sessions from this year's ORFC on their YouTube channel.