People mark their calendars six months in advance for the biggest festival of the summer. They jostle to get tickets, compare the lineup to attend their favourite acts and pack their backpacks for a weekend of camping on the festival’s farm.
Glastonbury? You might be thinking. But you’d be wrong: we’re talking about Groundswell, a hip new(ish) farming festival taking the UK by storm. Where Glastonbury celebrates music’s past and current giants, Groundswell celebrates those leading agricultural innovation in the UK. Taking place in the baking heat of an unusually tropical Hertfordshire this July, the event brought together all those working on the herculean task of overhauling the UK’s food system to make it more nature-inclusive and bottom-up.
From tent to tent, we got our hands dirty in conversation with people dedicated to making farming better for people and planet. One minute, we were discussing dung beetles in cowpats, the next, landscape financing mechanisms for collectively governing landscape programmes. One thing became clear in all these chats: Many participants working across this spectrum of topics wouldn’t likely cross paths in their everyday lives, making the festival a vital place to end silos and get us all working together on transitioning our food systems.
Here are our key take-aways from this summer’s hottest event (both literally and figuratively):
1. Let’s be local, connected, and resourceful
One of the recurring themes at Groundswell was the importance of thinking locally and being embedded within your community. “Successful regenerative farmers are able to think in whole systems,” said Fred Price of Gothelney Farm. He used regional economic thinking as an example, explaining that we don’t need to commit to the ever-evolving cycle of new technology but rather regenerative farming can thrive by being “small, beautiful and connected”.
The entrant farmers panel session echoed this sentiment, emphasising that starting out in regenerative farming without all the resources you think you need can actually be liberating rather than limiting. The panelists encouraged gaining access to the tools you need through collaborating and sharing with your local community.
Again and again, speakers highlighted that connecting with others in the community through sharing resources can deepen individuals’ knowledge of the local market, a vital part of starting or growing a business around crops, livestock or agroforestry products.
2. We need policies that support local value chains
As the food industry becomes increasingly specialised and industrialised, regulations designed for large industrial operations can become too stringent, preventing smaller local businesses from thriving. Several sessions explored this topic, including the example of the rapid disappearance of small abattoirs (where livestock is taken to be slaughtered). The disappearance of these local abattoirs leaves farmers forced to sell to larger industrial plants, which can reduce the uniqueness and quality of products. This conversation concluded with a call to action for policies that support small-scale, local operations in our food supply chains.
3. Storytelling is a vital tool to spread regenerative farming
Storytelling emerged as a powerful tool for regenerative farmers looking to become embedded in their communities. “What story are you weaving?” asked Fred Price, as he questioned how farmers are striving to build connections and communicate their values. Paul Powlesland from Lawyers for Nature expanded on this by explaining that the creation of a (truly) shared narrative can begin to bridge the gap between those with power and those without. In the context of broader, intersecting crises – such as climate change and biodiversity loss – storytelling can help untangle complex issues and change narratives.
4. We need to embrace the intersection of science and anecdotal evidence
While there is an influx of tech and scientific data-driven tools entering the regenerative agriculture space, others are advocating for the value of farmers’ observations. Abby Rose, co-founder of Farmerama and VidaCycle/Soil Mentor, pointed out that farmers are true scientists through their use of systematic observation and experimentation in their daily work. Soil Mentor, for instance, empowers farmers to observe, learn, and build knowledge within their specific contexts. This grassroots approach to science can complement high-tech solutions, expanding the regenerative farming sector’s collective knowledge base.
5. Building “ecosystem islands” for nature restoration is key
A particularly resonant concept discussed at Groundswell was that of creating and growing “ecosystem islands.” These are hubs of biodiversity and ecological restoration that can be connected to form larger networks or corridors. The panel on ‘Making Nature Restoration & Agroecology Accessible to All’ emphasised the importance of empowering diverse groups to become changemakers in their own right, growing their ‘islands’ of influence. This approach aligns with the broader goal of landscape restoration: the aim is not simply to restore hectares, but to meaningfully connect ecosystems, places, and people to make that work possible. An exciting example of this is Weald to Waves, in Sussex.
6. There are endless possibilities for stacking enterprises on regenerative farms!
One of the most exciting aspects of regenerative agriculture is the sheer diversity of enterprises that can be integrated into a single farm. Groundswell showcased everything from mob grazing and agroforestry to innovative textiles from paludiculture crops. The only real limit to the diversity of enterprises is imagination—and, of course, the time and support required for farmers to develop them well, as well as an understanding of what the local market demands.
Until Next Year…
Much like Glastonbury is for music, Groundswell has become a vibrant hub for the farming community, showcasing the momentum of landscape-scale regeneration across the UK. From the Cotswolds to Suffolk, the Peak District to the Dales and beyond, we witnessed a wave of innovative initiatives, each contributing to a shared vision of a more sustainable food and farming system. Bringing together passionate individuals and organisations dedicated to the large-scale, interconnected restoration of our landscapes, the energy and commitment on display were truly inspiring. Our ears- and minds- are still ringing!