Oxford Real Farming Conference
Every January the Oxford Real Farming Conference connects people in the UK and around the globe who want to transform our food and farming system.
Here are a few of the themes you’ll find in the programming at ORFC 2025:
FARM PRACTICE: There’ll be lots of great take-home advice, deep dives into the success and challenges of individual farms, and practical discussions on topics such as natural flood management, activating soil enzymes, pest control, and biodiversity and livestock. The farm practice strand is organised in collaboration with Soil Association and Pasture for Life.
FOOD AND FARM POLICY: For everyone impassioned by the politics of food and farming, we’ve selected a brilliant series of policy focused sessions with Sustain and the Soil Association. What are the practical political tools that can be used to achieve transformation? Come along to sessions looking at all facets of the just transition: from creative ways to fund it, to moving beyond intensive livestock; and for discussions on public farmland, pesticide policies, ecocide law, agri-misinformation in elections, ELMs, and more.
JUSTICE STRAND: The Justice Strand, hosted by Solidarity Across Land Trades (SALT), Shared Assets and Seeding Reparations, invites those from marginal perspectives to connect, share knowledge and empower each other. Sessions centre on equity, solidarity and collaboration and explore topics such as: land access, reparations, abolition, health justice, racial justice, queer liberation, neurodiversity, alternative economies, migration, workers’ rights and anti-oppression.
LANDWORKERS ALLIANCE AND LA VIA CAMPESINA: La Via Campesina (LVC) is a global grassroots ‘movement of movements’ representing over 200 million peasants, farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk and Indigenous people across 81 different countries. The Landworkers’ Alliance is a member organisation of LVC, and works to build the movement for agroecology and food sovereignty across all four nations of the UK. This year, the LWA x LVC programme will bring together landworkers, young people, trade unionists, and activists from the UK and internationally to explore what it means to be a social movement and why building a social movement is key to achieving agroecology.
LISTENING TO THE LAND: this strand explores what it means to have a more reciprocal relationship with Nature and how a heart-based approach to our work might support and progress the transformation of our food and farming system. Working with partners, the Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) and Animate Earth, you will find various sessions seeded through the programme that explore traditional or indigenous knowledge systems, farming practices based on an intuitive relationship with the land to establish a more embodied connection to landscape.
YOUTH: In partnership with Emergent Generation, La Via Campesina, and FLAME, we’re hosting youth-oriented sessions across the conference this year. There will be space for youth movement collaboration, intergenerational discussions, art exhibitions, and relaxed networking. Later, there’ll be a relaxed roundtable on inspiring more youth to join activist movements, before an evening drinks where newcomers passionate about the politics and practice of food and farming will have a chance to meet movement leaders.
SOCIALS AND ENTERTAINMENT: We’ve got plenty of social opportunities – from landmatching lunchtime gatherings to evening socials for our LGBTQIA+ community, food and farming newcomers, and journalists. We’re excited to be hosting wonderful live music, poetry and storytelling performances in the evenings.
A day of Practical Conservation Work at Bell Lake Marsh, part of the Red River Local Nature Reserve near Camborne
Saturday 28th December 2024
Leader: Steve Jones
Moving off from the meeting point at the bottom of Cuttings Hill, (SW629422), at 11.00am
Thank to everyone who came along to our last scrub bashing session at Bell Lake Marsh at the end of November. The rain held off and lots of the bank at the edge of the marsh was cleared of gorse, which will hopefully benefit the many mining insects that use the site. Across the marsh itself we continued to make good progress clearing willow, alder & birch regrowth while at least eight Snipe and a few Palmate Newts, Common Frogs & Water Scorpions popped up to see what was going on.
Our traditional Christmas session we will end a little earlier than usual at 2.00pm, but there will be the usual mix of calorie busting willow, birch, gorse & reedmace regrowth to tackle for those who find the bathroom scales groaning a little more loudly than usual!
Remember to wear old clothes, it’s a messy job if you get carried a way and sparks from Gary’s bonfire will damage clothing if you get too close!!! Wellies are a must and don’t forget to bring a packed lunch. We will provide tools along with gloves and protective eyewear, however you are more than welcome to bring your own kit if you feel happier using that. For health & safety purposes we will be taking down contact details for all those attending.
You can see photos & read about the ongoing work at our Red River Valley sites, along with the species involved on the Red River Rescuers Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/redriverrescuers/ Why not register and get regular updates. Don’t worry if you’re not on Facebook, we have our own website where you can also read all about our activities here: www.redriverrescuers.weebly.com
Directions to Bell Lake Marsh: Leave the A30 dual carriageway at the Camborne West exit (Treswithian).
If you are travelling in a westerly direction turn left at the end of the slip road and go all the way around the roundabout and back along the same road to cross over the A30 before turning left on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
If you are travelling in an easterly direction turn left at the end of the slip road & immediately left again on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
Please park sensibly and do not obstruct vehicular access along the track.
Bell Lake Marsh is one of the best remaining dragonfly sites along the Red River Valley, supporting breeding colonies of the nationally scarce Small Red Damselfly & Keeled Skimmer. In the last 10 years it has lost it’s colony of the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly & during the last 30 years it has lost a Marsh Fritillary colony. Our aim is to reverse the decline of this important wetland habitat by removing invasive willow, gorse, birch saplings & lesser reedmace, opening up the site with a series of work parties over the autumn & winter. Please come along and lend a hand with this very worthwhile task, it will keep you fit while you have fun & enjoy a bit of constructive destruction!
The Groundswell Festival provides a forum for farmers, growers, or anyone interested in food production and the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of regenerative farming systems.
Click here to register for free
This will be an online event held over Zoom open to members and non-members. It will be free but donations are welcome.
The full programme will be confirmed shortly so please keep an eye on this page.
Confirmed Speakers
Dragonflies on the Bog ~ Scott Shanks, Scotland Project Officer
Meet our newest team member and learn about our exciting new project targeting Scotland rare bog dragonflies.
Understanding predator-prey dynamics in a changing world: insights from damselfly and crayfish interactions ~ Szymon Sniegula, Institute of Nature Conservation
How do invasive alien predators shape the fitness traits of native prey across life stages? Can native prey adapt to the combined effects of biological invasions and climate change? This seminar explores the evolving predator-prey dynamics between the blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura elegans and several crayfish species, focusing on how non-consumptive effects (NCE) from native, alien, and invasive alien crayfish influence prey life history and physiology. By comparing the NCE of different predator types, we examine how seasonal time constraints and warming affect damselfly responses. Additionally, we investigate whether and in what direction macro- and microgeographic variation drive differences in antipredator strategies across egg, larval, and adult stages. This work highlights the importance of integrating ecological, physiological, and evolutionary perspectives for effective conservation in an era of global change.
Priority Sites in Devon ~ Dave Smallshire, author and Devon County Dragonfly Recorder
Priority Sites’ support viable populations of important species, as determined from detailed records of dragonflies. The process of identifying them will be described, followed by the results for Devon over the past 40 years.
European Red List: moving from assessment to conservation planning for Odonata ~ Geert De Knijf, Institute for Nature and Forest Research
The recent reassessment of the 142 Damselfly and Dragonfly species in Europe resulted in the categorization of no less than 29 species (or 21%) as threatened. Nearly all red list species are confined to Mediterranean streams and rivers, or small nutrient-poor waterbodies, such as bogs. The aim of the Assess-to-Plan (A2P) for the European Red List Odonata project is to strengthen the connection between the red list process (the assessment) and conservation action on the ground, through planning. Building from the reassessments and additional knowledge and views of +30 European experts, we developed a preliminary action plan for the species categorised as threatened, using the A2P and multi-species conservation planning approach developed by the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group. Here we present the most important actions for both groups of species.
Dragonfly Conservation Europe ~ Roy van Grunsven, Dutch Butterfly Conservation
Research on dragonflies has a long history in Europe and in many countries, there are organisations studying dragonflies. There has been an informal network of European odonatologists with a biannual congress, ECOO. However, there was no formal organisation. In order to help put dragonflies on the agenda at a European level and promote collaboration between odonatologists in different countries, Dragonfly Conservation Europe was founded in 2024.
Conservation of Dragonflies: Sentinels for Freshwater Conservation ~ Michael J Samways, Author and Professor at Stellenbosch University
Conservation of Dragonflies: Sentinels for Freshwater Conservation is a new publication for naturalists, citizen scientists, entomologists and conservation scientists, as well as practitioners and policymakers around the world.
Dragonflies are among the most familiar and popular of all insects, deeply embedded in human cultural history. They are iconic and tell us much about the environments in which we and they live. Their conservation is an important part of biodiversity conservation.
Purchase your copy from the NHBS store.
Dragonfly research and conservation in France: national monitoring initiatives and Dragon project ~ Martin Jeanmougin, Dragon Project Manager; Renaud Baeta, ANEPE Caudalis, French association of Centre-Val de Loire, Sogap project manager; Valérie-Anne Lafont, Project Manager of the National Action Plan for Dragonflies, OPIE
Highlighting some national dragonfly monitoring initiatives and research project taking place across the channel. STELI, SOGAP and CIMaE monitoring programs will be presented through their complementarity. Dragon project, which began in 2023, is using opportunistic and standardised data to investigate species distribution and population trends, as well as potential causes and drivers of change and variation.
Programme
| 09:30 | Welcome |
| 09:45 | Priority Sites of Devon |
| 10:15 | Understanding predator-prey dynamics in a changing world: insights from damselfly and crayfish interactions |
| 10:45 | Break |
| 11:00 | Dragonfly research and conservation in France: national monitoring initiatives and Dragon project |
| 11:30 | Dragonflies on the Bog |
| 12:00 | Break |
| 12:15 | Q&A morning speakers |
| 12:45 | Lunch |
| 13:45 | European Red List: moving from assessment to conservation planning for Odonata |
| 14:15 | Dragonfly Conservation Europe |
| 14:45 | Break |
| 15:00 | Conservation of Dragonflies: Sentinels for Freshwater Conservation |
| 15:40 | Q&A afternoon speakers |
| 16:10 | End |
More information to come.
A day of Practical Conservation Work at Bell Lake Marsh, part of the Red River Local Nature Reserve near Camborne
Saturday 30th November 2024
Leaders: Steve Jones and Jo Poland
Moving off from the meeting point at the bottom of Cuttings Hill, (SW629422), at 11.00am
Many thanks to everyone who came along to the first scrub bashing session of the season at Bell Lake Marsh last month, the sun shone brightly, three species of dragonfly were on the wing, (including a very late Golden Ringed Dragonfly), and we made an excellent start in getting the first half of the marsh back into shape.
In our November session we will be tackling more of the same, with lots more willow, birch, gorse & reedmace regrowth across the first half of the marsh still needing a short back and sides from your loppers & bowsaws!
Remember to wear old clothes, it’s a messy job if you get carried a way and sparks from Gary’s bonfire will damage clothing if you get too close!!! Wellies are a must and don’t forget to bring a packed lunch. We will provide tools along with gloves and protective eyewear, however you are more than welcome to bring your own kit if you feel happier using that. For health & safety purposes we will be taking down contact details for all those attending.
You can see photos & read about the ongoing work at our Red River Valley sites, along with the species involved on the Red River Rescuers Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/redriverrescuers/ Why not register and get regular updates. Don’t worry if you’re not on Facebook, we have our own website where you can also read all about our activities here: www.redriverrescuers.weebly.com
Directions to Bell Lake Marsh: Leave the A30 dual carriageway at the Camborne West exit (Treswithian).
If you are travelling in a westerly direction turn left at the end of the slip road and go all the way around the roundabout and back along the same road to cross over the A30 before turning left on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
If you are travelling in an easterly direction turn left at the end of the slip road & immediately left again on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
Please park sensibly and do not obstruct vehicular access along the track.
Bell Lake Marsh is one of the best remaining dragonfly sites along the Red River Valley, supporting breeding colonies of the nationally scarce Small Red Damselfly & Keeled Skimmer. In the last 10 years it has lost it’s colony of the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly & during the last 30 years it has lost a Marsh Fritillary colony. Our aim is to reverse the decline of this important wetland habitat by removing invasive willow, gorse, birch saplings & lesser reedmace, opening up the site with a series of work parties over the autumn & winter. Please come along and lend a hand with this very worthwhile task, it will keep you fit while you have fun & enjoy a bit of constructive destruction!
Join us at this major international conference to explore the role of ponds for biodiversity conservation and nature-based solutions at a time of climate change.
This major event will bring together freshwater scientists, practitioners and policymakers from around the globe to exchange the latest research, practical applications, and policy developments on the importance of ponds for biodiversity, change adaptation, and as nature-based solutions.
The conference will be online. All elements of the conference, including attendance, will be free of charge. Conference time zone: Central European Time.
Image by Dave Smallshire
A day of Practical Conservation Work at Bell Lake Marsh, part of the Red River Local Nature Reserve near Camborne
Saturday 26th October 2024
Leaders: Steve Jones and Jo Poland
Moving off from the meeting point at the bottom of Cuttings Hill, (SW629422), at 11.00am
Its that time of year again, when the scrub bashing season kicks off after our summer layoff. Actually we are a little bit later than usual in getting started, but fear not we are very much alive and kicking!
Any of you who came on our hugely successful BDS field meeting back in the summer will know just how good our wetland site at Bell Lake Marsh really is, but equally you will know how much it is in need of constant habitat management to keep it that way. So we very much hope you’ll join us for this event so that we can all get well and truly stuck in to this essential work.
In this session we will be tackling willow, birch, gorse & reedmace regrowth across the first half of the marsh, (the Eastern end).
Remember to wear old clothes, it’s a messy job if you get carried a way and sparks from Gary’s bonfire will damage clothing if you get too close!!! Wellies are a must and don’t forget to bring a packed lunch. We will provide tools along with gloves and protective eyewear, however you are more than welcome to bring your own kit if you feel happier using that. For health & safety purposes we will be taking down contact details for all those attending.
You can see photos & read about the ongoing work at our Red River Valley sites, along with the species involved on the Red River Rescuers Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/redriverrescuers/ Why not register and get regular updates. Don’t worry if you’re not on Facebook, we have our own website where you can also read all about our activities here: www.redriverrescuers.weebly.com
Directions to Bell Lake Marsh: Leave the A30 dual carriageway at the Camborne West exit (Treswithian).
If you are travelling in a westerly direction turn left at the end of the slip road and go all the way around the roundabout and back along the same road to cross over the A30 before turning left on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
If you are travelling in an easterly direction turn left at the end of the slip road & immediately left again on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
Please park sensibly and do not obstruct vehicular access along the track.
Bell Lake Marsh is one of the best remaining dragonfly sites along the Red River Valley, supporting breeding colonies of the nationally scarce Small Red Damselfly & Keeled Skimmer. In the last 10 years it has lost it’s colony of the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly & during the last 30 years it has lost a Marsh Fritillary colony. Our aim is to reverse the decline of this important wetland habitat by removing invasive willow, gorse, birch saplings & lesser reedmace, opening up the site with a series of work parties over the autumn & winter. Please come along and lend a hand with this very worthwhile task, it will keep you fit while you have fun & enjoy a bit of constructive destruction!
There’s a secret world hidden all around us, full of amazing creatures…
From the tops of the trees, to the depths of the pond, we’ll explore different habitats and take a closer look at the incredible insects that live there!
Booking essential. Max. 2 adults per booking please.
Child members – £7.00. Child non-members – £9.00. Accompanying non-member adults – £3.00.
There’s a secret world hidden all around us, full of amazing creatures…
From the tops of the trees, to the depths of the pond, we’ll explore different habitats and take a closer look at the incredible insects that live there!
Booking essential. Max. 2 adults per booking please.
Child members – £7.00. Child non-members – £9.00. Accompanying non-member adults – £3.00.