CAP proposal: Organics Europe criticises a huge step backwards for sustainability
IFOAM Organics Europe says the proposal to safeguard CAP money only for area-based payments is unbalanced and unfit for a future-proof public policy.
Part-time Farming
New report rom Ben Raskin on the attitudes to, and impact of, part-time farming
Co-design workshop at the Agroforestry Show
Opportunity for a farm from the north of England to participate in a co-design workshop at the Agroforestry Show in Hertfordshire on 10th and 11th September.
Optimising plans to utilise on-farm benefits from shelterbelts
ORC’s Lindsay Whistance has written this article on shelterbelts that featured in the National Sheep Association (NSA) Sheep Farmer magazine last month.
Seeking GMO transparency from field to fork
A legal action has been launched by Beyond GM against the UK government over new regulations that remove labelling requirements for some genetically modified organisms
Call for farmer insights into profitability challenges and opportunities
Soil Association seeks farmer views on challenges to profitability for Defra review
Organic Field Days in Germany: Water, innovation and the future of organic farming
The Organic Field Days in Germany provide a biennial meeting point for organic farmers in Germany. Phil Sumption reports from the 2025 event which had the theme of Water.
Join us at Groundswell in the Agroforestry Tent
Join us in the agroforestry tent at Groundswell 2-3 July.
Revolutionising dairy: the quest for nitrogen efficiency
Talking GreenGrass: ORC working to reduce nitrogen fertiliser use in dairy farming
Beyond the label: exploring resilient and regenerative organic agriculture
Giulia Zoe Kessous blogs on an inspiring day on the Fraser’s farm in Yorkshire exploring living mulches and discussing regenerative organic approaches
Join us at the Agroforestry Tent at Groundswell
Unlock your farm’s potential with trees! 🌳 Visit the Agroforestry Tent at Groundswell for FREE, bespoke 1-2-1 design clinics.
ORC continues to grow and we welcome two new starters ….
We welcome Alice Farmery, Agricology’s new Content and Engagement Officer and Giulia Zoe Kessous, ORC’s New Assistant Researcher – Crops & Agronomy!
A day of collaboration at the Green Farm Collective
Philippa Hall blogs about the Green Farm Collective Conference and the Feed the Soil project
UK agrees to align with EU pesticide standards in reset deal
Great news for health and the environment as UK government commits to following EU existing and future pesticide standards in reset deal.
A weekend among the trees
Philippa Hall reflects on the 5th Agroforestry Open Weekend at Wakelyns in Suffolk.
Celebrating #NationalHedgerowWeek
In National Hedgerow Week we highlight our work to ensure that hedgerows are recognised, valued and an integral part of farm and rural economies.
New Agricology podcast series: To Till or Not to Till
Agricology has launched a new podcast series ‘To till or not to till’ featuring Mark Measures and Julia Cooper.
New report reveals US no-till’s massive pesticide problem
Friends of the Earth report says while the chemical industry promotes no-till as ‘regenerative,’ USDA data prove its reliance (in the USA) on toxic pesticides
Dr. Catriona Willoughby joins the team at ORC to expand our focus on soil
We welcome Dr. Catriona Willoughby who joins us as our new Soil Science & Agronomy Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
Many thanks to Christine Watson, retiring as ORC trustee
We thank Professor Christine Watson for her contributions to ORC’s work as she steps down as a trustee after 8 years of service.
Lessons from the Second European Summit on Carbon Farming
Our Senior Agroforestry Researcher Colin Tosh reports from this Conference held in Dublin in March 2025.
What organic farming achieves for environment and society
Meta-analysis shows that in many areas, organic farming results in lower environmental impacts than other forms of agriculture.
Tree Fodder workshop at ‘ORFC in the Field at Wakelyns’
Lindsay Whistance and Matt Smee will be running a workshop on ‘Tree Fodder – The Forgotten Feed’ at this ORFC event.
Dean Organic Fund offers interest-free loans
Organic and ecological farmers can now access interest-free, unsecured loans of up to £25,000 following the relaunch of the charitable Dean Organic Fund.