Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe
A new collaborative study published in the Journal PNAS finds that agricultural intensification, in particular pesticides and fertiliser use, is the main pressure for most bird population declines, especially for invertebrate feeders.
Organic farming student seeks work experience
Italian organic/biodynamic farming student seeks work experience on UK farm.
New Northumberland Farmer Network
The Farmer Network have recently been awarded funding from the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund to develop a new Northumberland Farmer Network over the next 5 years. They are now advertising for the role of Project Manager/Coordinator
Chair of ORC
A huge thank you to Tim Bennett who steps down as Chair of ORC’s Council of Management. He will be succeeded by Donald Peck.
The Importance of Hedgerows Appeal Launch
From 20-27 April ORC is taking part in the Green Match Fund Campaign 2023, organised by the Big Give – the UK’s biggest online match funding platform, to raise funds to further this work. During the campaign week any money raised up to £10,000 will be doubled.
Save the Date – Green Match Fund Campaign 20-27 April 2023
We are delighted to have been chosen again this year as one of the benefitting charities of the Green Match Fund Campaign.
Supply Chain Perspectives on Breeding for Legume–Cereal Intercrops
The widespread adoption of intercroping will only succeed through the collaboration of all supply chain actors, breeding approaches that take into account the complexity of the supply chains, and implementation of diversification strategies in every process from field to fork.
Overcoming barriers to crop diversification uptake in Europe: A mini review
Review shows that addressing barriers to crop diversification by farmers requires a simultaneous and coordinated approach.
Organic arable crop yield survey
Please help us improve the reliability of the Organic Farm Management Handbook data by supplying your arable crop results from last harvest.
Research Webinar: Diversifying our approach to cereal breeding with plant populations
Watch this ORC webinar for an overview of current research on plant populations, what this approach can offer, what we still need to understand and how we might get policy-makers to support wider use of such genetically diverse cereals.
Farewell and thanks to Roger Kerr
North of England Agroforestry Living Lab
The Organic Research Centre and the EU Horizon Europe-funded REFOREST project are looking for agroforestry farmers and stakeholders to be part of the North of England Living Lab.
Scientific study shows synthetic pesticides significantly more dangerous than natural ones
More organic farming means less pesticide use and risk
European organic farmland and market continued to grow in 2021
Increasing by almost 4%, the European organic market reached another high in 2021: 54.5 billion euros. Organic farmland expanded by almost 0.8 m ha.
Organic Hop Varieties field lab two year report
The Second year of results from the organic hops field lab are now available to read. This field lab aims to help organic and low-input hop growers find suitable varieties of hops for organic farming.
Organic market delivers strong performance in exceptionally challenging year
UK organic market shows positive and robust growth of 1.6% in 2022 topping £3.1 billion in an unprecedented and challenging year for business and consumers
Study on the environmental impacts of achieving 25% organic land in the EU by 2030 published
The study shows that achieving the EU 25% organic farming by 2030 target could make a big difference to the environmental impacts of agriculture.
Conversation beneath the trees
Conversation Beneath The Trees is a podcast bringing together scientists, farmers and innovators from all around Ireland to share their ideas and experiences of farming with trees.
Regen Action
In the 3rd week of January, Regen Action took place in London. Kathrin Heimbach reports on the discussions.
Living mulches: get involved!
Would you like to be involved in an on-farm field trial exploring living mulches: direct drilling cash crops into (semi)-permanent established stands of clover?
Yorkshire Grain Changers unite!
ORC, through the Organic at the Heart project, helped to deliver the Grain Changers event in York on the 23rd October 2022.
Reducing artificial inputs
At this years Agronomists’ Conference on December 6th ORC’s Henny Lowth gave a presentation on ‘Reducing artificial inputs’ which covered ORC’s work on living mulches in the Innovative Farmers field lab sponsored by AHDB, and the LiveWheat project.
Silvopasture benefits for livestock
This Farm Wilder webinar looked at the many benefits trees can bring to livestock systems, with ORC’s Lindsay Whistance
URGENT: Stop the attack on children’s health
Do you want Government to delay laws to protect your children from junk food advertising by almost three years? We don’t.