Now in its ninth year, Groundswell – The Regenerative Agriculture Festival – returns bigger than ever with over 400 speakers and more than 250 sessions across two days, 2-3 July at Lannock Manor Farm in Hertfordshire.
From environmental farm business tenancies and measuring regenerative agriculture profitability to the ever-popular dung beetle safaris and achieving the perfect cover crop, this year’s comprehensive programme tackles both the business and practical sides of sustainable farming.
The festival has established itself as the UK’s leading regenerative agriculture event, bringing together farmers, consumers, researchers, and industry experts to share knowledge and foster collaboration across the sector.
The programme of sessions, announced this week, is meticulously planned to ensure inclusivity of farming systems and to make the adoption of agroecological practices more accessible for mainstream farmers and growers.
Known for its inspiring atmosphere that leaves attendees energised and motivated, this year’s speaker lineup includes renowned US regenerative agriculture pioneer Gabe Brown, soil strategist Didi Pershouse, and celebrated food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Fearnley-Whittingstall will lead a dynamic group speaker session on the main stage which will explore how contemporary media and pop culture are taking on the challenge of accurately reflecting and inspiring the future of farming.
The session brings together diverse perspectives with insights from the production team behind Clarkson’s Farm, grassroots farmer Ben Andrews, and podcaster Abby Rose. Together, they’ll discuss how impactful storytelling can bridge generational knowledge gaps and connect food buyers to regenerative food production.
With a similarly collaborative-focused approach, one of Gabe Brown’s five sessions, entitled ‘Common Ground for Common Good’ will discuss the relationship between farmer, brands and consumers who can work together towards shared sustainability goals.
Brown, who owns a 5,000-acre diversified ranch in North Dakota, will take to the stage to explain how regenerative agriculture has the ability to help answer many of the challenges that face society today, from climate change to farm profitability and industry & community resilience, and how farmers are leading this movement.
Also from the US, Vermont-based author and educator Didi Pershouse will deliver several sessions on soil and water health, including ‘Growing Resilience to Floods and Heat through the Soil Sponge’ which explores how soil structure and function are fundamental to climate resilience.
Pershouse’s approach demonstrates how landscapes with diverse vegetation and deep living soils that absorb and store rainwater can address multiple challenges: flooding, drought, fire, heatwaves, food and water security, biodiversity loss, and public health issues.
After welcoming 8,000 attendees in 2024 across ten different venues on the site, Event Director Alex Cherry is confident this July’s festival will deliver the same combination of practical learning and inspirational enthusiasm for nature-friendly farming that participants have come to expect.
“We curate the sessions in a way which addresses the gap between theory and practice in the hope that as well as leaving motivated, attendees will leave with actionable strategies they can implement, whether they’re managing 50 acres or 5,000. It’s this solutions-focused approach that we think everyone enjoys so much about Groundswell.”
This year’s festival also introduces several new features including a Wool Tent showcasing British Wool’s broad applications, a Bookworm Corner where authors will be available for book signings, and an additional agroforestry area which will for the first time be providing one-to-one consultations tailored to individual farming needs.
Sessions can be found at https://groundswellag.com/sessions/ and tickets, which usually sell out, are still for sale via the website www.groundswellag.com