Defra publish an Organic Action Plan for England
Defra backs English farmers to unlock the growing organic market, creating stronger farm businesses and more homegrown food
GreenGrass in a drought year
Dr Julia Cooper updates us on the GreenGrass project and improving resilience on dairy farms in challenging times
Organic is for life, not just September
Phil Sumption blogs on ORC’s work on the organic market over the last 46 years, as Organic September draws to a close.
New Agricology Soil Health Hub
Agricology’s new Soil Health Hub brings together practical resources to help farmers build healthier soils
Seeing the wood for the trees at Wakelyns
New Wakelyns Tree Management Booklet highlights the challenges and changes in tree management over the years.
Does agroforestry really increase biodiversity?
Colin Tosh went to the Euopean Agroforestry Federation 2026 conference to find the latest research on what agroforestry actually does for biodiversity
Understanding motivations for agroforestry maintenance and adoption: a comparative analysis in Europe
A new paper from the AGROMIX project, led by Maria Raimondo with ORC’s Rowan Dumper-Pollard cited as a co-author, looks at what influences farmers’ decisions to adopt and maintain agroforestry.
What have we learnt from eight years of decentralised organic winter wheat trials?
As the Liveseeding project comes to an end Christian Gossel looks back at the insights gained from conducting decentralised strip trials of multiple organic winter wheat varieties.
Developing machinery for nut harvesting
This session from Groundswell explored the question: How can nuts be harvested efficiently under UK conditions?
Worms at work: a year of vermicomposting at Southfield Farm
Julia Cooper updates us on the vermicomposting trials as part of the Feed the Soil project
How trees protect arable crops from climate change
Agroforestry is predicted to protect English arable crops from climate change, but Colin Tosh suggests that the reason why may surprise you
The wisdom of the weeder
Phil Sumption blogs about a pioneering project on organic weed management that brought farmers, researchers and stakeholders together.
New guidance to make sense of soil health indicators
The outcomes of ORC’s project Early indicators to monitor changes in soil health: evidence to update guidance for UK farmers, have been published on the AHDB website.
Inside Defra’s EAP Review: Key learnings for the organic sector
Watch this ORC/Soil Association webinar discussing the evidence for certified organic farming’s contribution to environmental outcomes.
Are we asking too much of our hedges?
Philippa Hall reflects on new evidence presented at Groundswell that challenges our perception of hedges
Feed the Soil at Groundswell 2026
The Feed the Soil team answer composting questions in the Soil Medic Tent at Groundswell
Accelerating sustainable and diverse food systems through participatory organic plant breeding
The LiveSeeding Summer School brought together farmers, breeders, researchers, advisors and students to explore participatory and innovative approaches to organic plant breeding.
Dean Organic Fund seeks fresh applications
The Dean Organic Fund which offers support for organic and agroecological farmers, via bespoke interest-free and unsecured loans of up to £25,000 is seeking fresh applications.
Emma Reynolds confirms the government’s commitment to an Organic Action Plan for England
The Secretary of State for Environment confirmed the government’s commitment to an Organic Action Plan for England at Groundswell on Thursday.
Wakelyns is raising £1 million to secure its future
Wakelyns is at risk of being sold without your help. Be part of this exciting new chapter and help secure Wakelyns for future generations
Mud, machinery, and multi-species swards
Philippa Hall blogs about ORC’s first visit to the Royal Welsh Grassland event and the response to the GreenGrass project.
Organic farming outperforms other assurance schemes, major Defra-backed review finds
Organic farming delivers consistent environmental benefits across key indicators, including biodiversity, soil health and reduced chemical use according to new ORC Review for Defra
New Genomic Techniques (NGTs): New European Legislation
Legislation that exempts so-called NGTs from risk assessment procedures and traceability and consumer labelling requirements was adopted by the European Parliament and Council
Strengthening the resilience of upland livestock farming through agroforestry
Gowbarrow Hall Farm secures ADOPT funding for upland agroforestry innovation, with ORC as research partner