Farmer-to-farmer webinar programme, advice and farm tour
2nd Nov 2021
The second half of the farmer to farmer webinar programme is now live, and farm tours and advisory services have started as part of the Your Farming Future programme, a package of support offered by…
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Podcast: How trees can increase livestock's welfare and productivity
2nd Nov 2021
ORC's Senior Livestock Researcher Lindsay Whistance features on a fascinating recent Regenerative Agroforestry Podcast. Through Lindsay's extensive knowledge of silvopasture, she enables us to see agroforestry from the animal’s perspective. Trees can provide livestock with…
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How can agroforestry contribute towards biodiversity conservation?
29th Oct 2021
How can agroforestry contribute to the achievement of future targets and what policy environment can support it? We explored this question in a recent webinar (October 20th) with a panel representing the latest research, on-farm…
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LIVESEED project comes to an end after 52 months
28th Oct 2021
The LIVESEED project came to an end on 30 September 2021, after 52 months of activities. Started in June 2017, 51 project partners put their hearts and souls into boosting organic seed and plant breeding.…
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Herbicides: A threat to bee and pollinator survival
26th Oct 2021
Many assumed that with the banning of neonicotinoids in the EU and UK, bees and pollinators would now be safe from harms caused by pesticides. However, this view ignores the impacts that ongoing, widespread use…
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PhD opportunity. Tree species choice in agroforestry systems: do mycorrhizal associations affect soil microbiomes and crop yields?
26th Oct 2021
This project, at the Department of Biology, University of York, is part of the NERC ACCE Doctoral Training Partnership. About the Project Agroforestry systems have the potential to play an important part in maintaining ecosystem…
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Film: What farmers have learnt from the living mulch field lab
26th Oct 2021
Living mulches offer a way to build fertility without tillage or synthetic inputs, while sequestering more carbon and cutting costs. But can they be achieved without a significant yield penalty? Six farmers have been working with…
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Defra Future Farming Innovation Programme: applications open
26th Oct 2021
Defra and UKRI have released further details on their programme of long-term funding to support agricultural innovation. Bioeconomy and agroforestry is one of the themes In partnership with UKRI, Defra is encouraging farmers, growers, foresters and businesses to get involved in…
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Mark Measures' dedication to organic farming celebrated at 40th anniversary event
11th Oct 2021
Mark Measures, who had been at the ORC since joining Elm Farm Research Centre as the Farm Manager in 1983, was commended on his dedication and support for organic farming, advice and research at ORC's…
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40 years of industry-leading organic research celebrated
11th Oct 2021
Originally established as the Elm Farm Research Centre in 1981, over the last forty years the organisation has delivered pioneering research that has helped transform the organic sector in the UK and beyond. During this…
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The future of organic farming and priorities for research
11th Oct 2021
Andrew Burgess (Chair of the NFU Organic Forum), Christine Watson (Professor at SRUC/ORC Trustee), Ian Wilkinson (Co-founder of FarmED) and Ashley Wheeler (YOFY 2021 award winner and grower) joined a panel discussion chaired by Janet…
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Winner of ORC's Young Organic Farmer/ Grower of the Year Award announced
11th Oct 2021
Ashley Wheeler and Kate Norman of Trill Farm Garden, Musbury, Devon, were announced as winners of ORC's first YOFY award at a special 40th anniversary event at FarmEd on 30th September 2021. YOFY winners Kate…
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NEW REPORT: The Promise of Agroforestry (LWA)
4th Oct 2021
The Landworkers' Alliance have released a new report which takes a close look at eight different agroforestry projects in the UK, highlighting the benefits of these agroforestry systems as well as teasing out some the lessons…
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Defra unveils 'plans to unlock power of gene editing'
29th Sep 2021
New plans to 'unlock the power of gene editing to help our farmers grow more resistant, more nutritious and more productive crops' have been published today as part of the UK Government response to the…
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Boosting hedgerows by 40% would create 25,000 jobs, new ORC research for CPRE reveals
6th Sep 2021
In this research, commissioned by CPRE, the countryside charity, and undertaken independently by the Organic Research Centre, we provide an evidence-based analysis of the environmental and economic benefits of hedgerows. The research investigates what 40%…
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Free farm resilience support and advice
26th Aug 2021
We’re pleased to be part of a successful collaborative bid to Defra's Future Farming Resilience Fund led by the Landworkers Alliance and partnering with the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA). This fund aims to support farmers…
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OF&G's National Organic Combinable Crops 2021
2nd Aug 2021
Ambrogio Costanzo presenting at NOCC21. Photo: OF&G Now in its fourteenth year OF&G’s #NOCC21 was an amended version due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions still in place at the time. A full report…
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New paper on farm network field-scale, cultivar evaluation of organic wheat
23rd Jul 2021
A new open access paper on our work on organic wheat variety trialling, arising out of the LIVESEED project, has been published in Agronomy for Sustainable Development. Cultivar choice and post-emergence weed management strategies are…
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Historic reform to food system needed to protect the NHS, improve the health of the nation and save our environment
22nd Jul 2021
The National Food Strategy has called on the Government to commit to a historic package of reforms in order to build a better food system for a healthier nation. In a landmark report, food entrepreneur…
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Ten minutes with Lubna Arif-Schmidt
22nd Jul 2021
Would you like to get to know the ORC staff, learn more about what they are working on at the moment and find out what inspired them to pursue a career in organic research? To…
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The Case for Local Food
21st Jul 2021
Building better local food systems to benefit society and nature This report from Sustain presents a vision for a revival in localised, nature-friendly food systems, supported by investment in infrastructure, skills and co-ordination, alongside policies…
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'State of Seed' survey results and Seed Diversity and Resilience Exchange Opportunity
21st Jul 2021
'The State of Seed' survey results and report. In Spring 2021 the Landworkers’ Alliance and the Gaia Foundation Seed Sovereignty Programme worked together to survey farmers and growers across the UK to gather the views…
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New report highlights benefits of organic farming for biodiversity
19th Jul 2021
A new report by IFOAM Organics Europe highlights the contribution of organic farming to protecting Europe’s biodiversity. The report recommends Member States to fully use Eco-schemes and agro-environmental measures in their CAP Strategic Plans to…
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Defra: multi agency response to GM wheat trial 21/R08/01
2nd Jul 2021
GM Freeze, the Organic Research Centre and twenty six other organisations came together to ask Defra not to allow Rothamsted Research to plant an open field trial of genetically modified wheat. Read the response hereDownload…
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