Report from the Cultivating Wisdom conference: Agroecology Innovation from Experts in the Field
Collaboration and innovation are key to sustainable growth. That’s why AAB, Organic Research Centre (ORC) and Agroecology Research Collaboration (ARC) – which includes the Landworkers Alliance (LWA), Organic Growers Alliance (OGA), Pasture for Life, Community Supported Agriculture Network and the Ecological Land Co-operative – came together to organise this event dedicated to the benefits of on-farm participatory research.
More than 90 delegates turned up at the Birch Community Centre in South Manchester on October 21st -October 22nd 2024 and another 40 or so attending online. Delegates included farmers and growers showcasing the research taking place on their farms or seeking to know what research could offer them,researchers outlining the benefits and challenges of working on farms, and those wanting to connect the two worlds or better understand the wider societal and financial consequences of the adoption of agroecological practices.
On-farm participatory research is a collaborative approach that brings farmers and researchers together to conduct practical, field-based studies. This method not only ensures that research is relevant and immediately applicable but also empowers farmers with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their farms.
Over the past two years the ARC has explored the potential impacts of on-farm research through the UKRI ‘Community Knowledge Fund‘ project entitled ‘Experts in Your Field’. This event explored the specific impact of this project as well as drawing together those farmers, land managers, environmentalists and academics interested in the potential of on-farm research. ORC has a long track record of participatory research with farmers and was able to present, alongside others, many examples of co-creation of knowledge.
This event flipped the format of most AAB events by encouraging farmers to share/present the realities of on-farm research so that researchers can be better informed and both can work together to improve vital on-farm research.
Diverse cropping systems
Julia Cooper and Jake Freestone: From paper to practice: the living mulch journey.
In the opening session Jake Freestone was in conversation with ORC’s Head of Research Dr Julia Cooper. Jake Freestone has been experimenting with living mulches since he joined an Innovative Farmers Field Lab led by the Organic Research Centre. Working collaboratively with researchers and sharing learnings with a network of farmers, Jake has managed to use them successfully within a conventional farming system. They discussed how he integrates living mulches into his crop rotation and reflected on the pros and cons of working directly with researchers and farmer networks to develop innovative methods.
Dominic and Charlotte reflected on the benefits of working directly with farmers within a real-world organic context. Dominic showed the example of Mayflower wheat which was very weed suppressive in on-farm trials, a trait that conventional recommended list trials would not have identified because they use herbicides.The ongoing legacy of the work includes the development of an engaged participatory network that is driving forward improvements in organic wheat cultivation as well as a methodology and body of experience that can be applied to other crops and contexts. This work would not be possible without the collaboration and support of the many organic farmers who continue to host trials, collect data, and share their invaluable expertise in wheat varietal selection, helping to advance sustainable and resilient farming practices. Charlotte said: “in order to make the data more robust, we need more farmers to take part in trials.” See LiveWheat, LIVESEEDING.
Dominic Amos (now Cope Seeds & Grains) & Dr. Charlotte Bickler from the Organic Research Centre have been working with organic farmers since 2017 to improve wheat cultivation.
An interesting presentation followed by organic beef and sheep farmer Paul Allison who is doing a part-time PhD at Newcastle University on ‘Effects of intermixed companion plants on flea beetle density and herbivory and crop yield in a spring forage kale crop.’ Results look interesting with flea beetle doing less damage to kale when in the presence of mustard and radish, in spite of higher populations of flea beetle. An optimum plant density of 4 mustard plants per square meter seems to effectively reduce flea beetle damage and minimise competition with the crop.
Soil health
Julia Cooper chaired the session on soil health. This kicked off with Lisa Norton of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology presenting results from the SEEGSLIP project study of Pasture Fed Livestock Association (PFLA – now Pasture for Life) farms, that ORC was also a partner in. PFLA grasslands were on average more species rich than improved grasslands with higher numbers of invertebrates found in soil, and higher soil Nitrogen and Carbon. Soil properties were not significantly different however. Grassland duration impacted the fungal community structure in soils, but grazing management had only limited effects upon microbial community structure.
Lizzie Sagoo from ADAS reported on UK farm trials to assess the impact and benefits of mob compared to conventional grazing systems. Results are mixed with lower forage quality in mob grazing systems due to longer, more stemmy grasses. Liveweight gain per head is generally similar, but lower in mob grazing than the control on some farms. Soil quality and sward diversity changes will be assessed at the end of the project. A Natural England/ADAS study of paired farms (mob grazing/conventional) showed no difference in soil physical condition or soil carbon, but significant increases in earthworm numbers under mob grazing.
Chris Maughan (CAWR) with table of bioindicator species
Chris Maughan of CAWR presented findings from three years of on-farm research into the use of plant bioindicators as farmer-centred agroecological soil health assessment tool. See Weeds as Bioindicators: A Farmer’s Field Guide written by Chris Maughan and Dominic Amos, when he was at ORC.
Economics of agroecology
Organic farmer David Finlay of the Ethical Dairy spoke about their cow with calf approach and shared their productivity data, to demonstrate that agroecological dairy systems are both productive and profitable.
ORC’s Rowan Dumper-Pollard and Landworkers’ Alliance’s (LWA) Bee Laughton discussed addressing the financial data gaps in organic and agroecological farming. They reviewed publicly available farm business data and highlighted where the Organic Farm Management Handbook (published by Organic Research Centre) as well as other work undertaken by the and Welsh Veg in Schools, is attempting to fill these gaps. The value and challenges of working collaboratively with farmers and growers to gather and share financial information was also highlighted during this session.
This session was chaired by Isobel Talks (LWA). Daisy Martinez presented on the potential of food polycultures to bridge the often-conflicting priorities of food production and biodiversity conservation. Throughout the summer of 2024, Daisy has collaborated with growers to survey bats as ‘indicators’ of the wider biodiversity supported by the UK’s market gardens.
Lynn Tatnell of ADAS introduced the work of OPER8 an EU-wide network to support and promote solutions for alternative weed control. In the UK ADAS and ORC are working together to ensure alternative weeding solutions can be accessed as widely as possible. This has included demonstrating new technology through to promoting cultural control techniques in crops where they may not traditionally have been applied.
Lynn Tatnell of ADAS with the opening slide from her presentation on OPER8. The emphasis is on ‘Wild plants’ not weeds.
In an entertaining double act, Kelly Jowett (Rothamsted Research) and farmer Andy Gray gave examples of truly co-designed agricultural research and innovation. This work builds on the research of Dr Jowett, that demonstrated changes in behavioural intent towards insect conservation from engagement activities, and a willingness to monitor beneficial beetles on farms towards adaptive management. Andy Gray was driven by a desire to monitor the positive impacts of silvopasture in the Devon silvopasture network, a trial comprising several sites with different treatments of tree and pasture layouts. The SilvoBio project brought together scientists and practitioners to design and optimise monitoring of dung beetles and bats.
Kelly Jowett and Andy Gray talking about their tag team approach for the SilvoBio Project, part of the Devon Silvopasture Network and how they have worked to their strengths for a common benefit.
Communicating research outputs into the real world
How do we ensure that the ideas, findings and insights resulting from research reach beyond academic audiences and bring wider benefits? An interactive workshop led by Rebecca Laughton (LWA) and Chris Maughan (CAWR/Ecological Land Cooperative) invited participants to ponder this question and propose their ideas, and led to thought-provoking discussions. Insights and observations included: Dissemination or ‘knowledge mobilisation’ to ensure that research has the desired impact is seen as strategic in ensuring the efficacy of research effort.
You (researchers) are more likely to be listened to if there is a prior connection/introduction rather than ‘cold calling’. Use existing networks for dissemination.
Use citizen juries/assemblies to present contentious research dialogues.
Chance and timing have a role in research reaching its target. Try to be in tune with the zietgeist and sieze opportunities when the time is right.
Research requires such time and effort, that putting some thought about how to maximise the impact of research is a valuable investment of time.
Reflections
There were many presentations, workshops visits and posters that we’ve not had space to cover here. In all a fascinating couple of days. Research is important but so is knowledge exchange. There was a great quote from a farmer in Kate Dewally’s presentation on ‘Barriers And Opportunities For Farmer Engagement In New Public And Private Nature Finance Streams’.
“And I strongly believe farmer socialising and informal knowledge exchange over a bite to eat is the best way of conveying messages. Farmers listen to what other farmers say and they are interested in what other farmers are doing. So for driving positive change in the landscape, it’s passionate people from within the farming community itself who are most likely to achieve that, rather than government agencies or external consultants.”
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