Regen farming event heads to Somerset
9th June 2023
Down to Earth South is heading to Somerset later this month on 21st June when Neil Baker, an Arla Regenerative Pilot farmer milking 1,800 cows indoors, will open his gates to scores of visitors eager to learn more about regenerative farming and see it in action.
©Tim Scrivener
The day will kick off with an opening address from world-renowned Ted X Talk speaker Ffinlo Costain, who will set the record straight on how cows are a vital part of the climate crisis solution.
Ffinlo is the chief executive of Farmwel and founder of the Food & Global Security Network. He will explain how cows in a regenerative farm system help the soil sequester carbon, restore ecological connectivity and help us solve the climate crisis, while providing nutrient-dense food and supporting livelihoods.
Setting the tone for the day, visitors can then take a farm tour to see what regen practices host-farmer Neil has put in place, or they can choose to listen to further inspiring talks, case studies and see practical demonstrations across the show site.
Getting started with regen ag
Visitors new to the regen concept can choose to receive a guided talk on how to get started, with other farmers sharing their regenerative farming journey.
Hertfordshire sheep and arable farmers Rob and Jo Hodgkins are transitioning to a regenerative farming system that supports the profitability of their farm business.
Visitors will hear how they set up Kaiapoi in 2013 with 200 ewes on 60 rented acres of grass and have since driven the business forward hard and now run 2,250 ewes across 1,000 acres of semi-improved grassland and solar panels and farm 1,600 acres of arable crops.
The day, however, doesn’t just consist of talks about land management; there are also sessions discussing the importance of choosing the right genetics for a regen system. Two dairy consultants from Tyndale Vets and Kite Consulting will discuss the role genetics play, with ecologist and regenerative farmer Rob Harvard detailing how to select the best beef genetics for regen systems.
Practical demos
There’s also a suite of practical demonstrations and drop-in clinics taking place, including Carbon Calculating Clinics with event sponsors Trinity AgTech. Demonstrations will showcase the latest seed drills with Aitchison, Cowconnect’s Mollie Cresswell will give a tour of Feedlync, showing how the product transforms TMR feeding globally. And if you want to reduce the emissions from your farm vehicles, you can check out New Holland’s new biomethane tractor and JCB Electric Telehandler.
Get your tickets now
Tickets are on sale now for £20 or free for RABDF members at https://projectdowntoearth.co.uk/
To view the full line-up of talks and demonstrations or to find out more about the host farm, go to https://projectdowntoearth.co.uk/learning/
Down to Earth North is taking place on 6th July in Cumbria at projectdowntoearth.co.uk.
