News

2nd International Conference on Biodynamic Research
5th Jan 2021
Growing beyond resilience The 2nd International Conference on Biodynamic Research will take place digitally from 30th August to 2nd September 2021. The theme for the upcoming conference is “Growing beyond Resilience”. Academic and farmer practitioner…
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ORFC Global 2021
21st Dec 2020
The Oxford Real Farming Conference goes global and online for January 2021! Working with partners around the world, ORFC Global brings together voices from the real food and farming movement across six continents. The programme…
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Intercropping for sustainability
19th Dec 2020
DIVERSify and ReMIX team up with the Association of Applied Biologists to host this joint event online The conference, organised by the DIVERSify and ReMIX H2020 projects as well as the Association of Applied Biologists…
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Farewell to Sally Westaway
17th Dec 2020
This week we say goodbye to the wonderful Sally Westaway. Sally has worked within the ORC’s agroforestry team on a range of projects since 2013. The last 7 years have been so much fun and…
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Farming the Future 2020: New projects for ORC
17th Dec 2020
ORC is pleased to be partners in two projects funded by Farming the Future's Year 2 Grant-pool. A National Network of Agroforestry Farms and Influencing Policy to Support Farm Woodland and Agroforestry from the Ground-up…
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Effective weed management strategies for UK organic arable crops
16th Dec 2020
Oxfordshire organic farmer Philip Day, is conducting a survey of UK organic arable farmers, as part of his MSc in Organic Farming at SRUC, Aberdeen, to assess how they manage weeds in their crops.  The…
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A Christmas message from Lucy MacLennan
15th Dec 2020
https://youtu.be/tuNQK77SROg Our Chief Executive Officer Lucy MacLennan with a Christmas message for our friends and supporters
Posted in News, News and events, Uncategorised
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Ramial woodchip production and use on farm
15th Dec 2020
Woodchip can increase soil organic matter, water holding capacity and nutrient levels of soils. Senior Agroforestry Researcher Sally Westaway reflects on the conclusions and outputs of the WOOdchip for Fertile Soils (WOOFS) project. Contractor spreading…
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Cows grazing under trees

Agroforestry and the Basic Payment Scheme
11th Dec 2020
ORC welcomes the recognition by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) of the benefits of agroforestry with new guidance on how agroforestry can be compatible with the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). This is a major breakthrough…
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Agroforestry: Trees on upland farms webinar
7th Dec 2020
Agroforestry webinar, led by the Soil Association, as part of the WRFFC Conference which was held from 16-19th Nov 2020. Speakers include Tim Pagella (Bangor University), Dr Lindsay Whistance (Organic Research Centre) and Gareth Davies…
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Roadmap to a greener farming future
7th Dec 2020
ORC welcomes Defra's roadmap for a transition to deliver a better, fairer farming system in England. We strongly support the participatory approach and are involved in three of Defra's Environmental Land Management 'Test and Trials'.…
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UK organic Control Bodies recognised by EU but uncertainty remains
4th Dec 2020
The EU Commission has approved a regulation to recognise all six of the UK organic Control Bodies as certifying to an equivalent EU standard until 31 December 2021, for the purpose of trade in organics.…
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We want to hear from you!
30th Nov 2020
Complete our survey and win a bottle of wine! At the ORC, we are always looking at ways to strengthen our communication and make sure you as a reader receive the most interesting and relevant…
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Impact of Flock Health Clubs
30th Nov 2020
New paper published in ‘Livestock Science’ this month. The article assesses how Flock Health Clubs improve farmer-vet relationships and measures of flock health & welfare. The paper's authors include ORC's Marion Johnson and Nicola Noble…
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Organic Research Centre builds on research focus with the appointment of Dr Will Simonson
5th Nov 2020
The Organic Research Centre (ORC) has announced the appointment of Dr Will Simonson as the new Head of Research.  Dr Simonson replaces Dr Bruce Pearce, who stepped down from the role last month after 21…
Posted in News, News and events, Press Releases
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Growing an organic partnership
23rd Oct 2020
A unique postgraduate course in Organic Farming is celebrating its 20th year at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). The MSc programme, run in an online format since 2002, is delivered by SRUC in partnership with the…
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Improving sustainability and welfare in organic poultry and pig production
22nd Oct 2020
It is with great excitement that OK-Net EcoFeed announces its final project conference bringing together 4 Horizon 2020 projects: OK-Net EcoFeed,  PPILOW, Freebirds and POWER. Mark the 25th-26th of January 2021 in your calendar and…
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RABI extends support for farmers with new wellbeing initiative
20th Oct 2020
Charity’s evolving strategy aims to reach more farming people http://www.rabi.org.uk/kooth With 2020 bringing ever greater levels of uncertainty and unexpected changes, pressures on the farming community continue to grow. As part of a new package…
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Manure spreader in field applying woodchip

Ramial Woodchip for Soil Health
20th Oct 2020
Woodchip can increase soil organic matter, water holding capacity and nutrient levels of soils. At this online event, we’ll hear the latest from the Organic Research Centre trials, as well as from practitioners about the…
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New film championing organic - coming soon!
14th Oct 2020
January 21st 2021 will see the release of an explosive new film 'This Good Earth' which exposes how we must urgently change the ways that we farm and eat – because the current ways are…
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Organic Research Centre

Organic at the heart: Developing an agroecological food and farming network in Northern England
1st Oct 2020
Virtual workshop run as part of the Northern Real Farming Conference. Hosted by the Organic Research Centre team. One of the key components of a transition to agroecological food and farming systems is the need…
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Farewell to Bruce and Anja
1st Oct 2020
This week we sadly bid farewell to two long-serving members of our team - Bruce Pearce and Anja Vieweger - with more than thirty years of service between them! Dr Bruce Pearce joined Elm Farm…
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Person walking through field of clover

One year in, one year to go: Assessing Public Good delivery on farm
30th Sep 2020
ORC researchers and advisors are now at the halfway point of one of their Environmental Land Management scheme: Test &Trials (ELMs T&T). Led by the Soil Association, this project is looking at the capacity of…
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Organic Research Centre

How organic breeding adds value to the food chain
29th Sep 2020
This online event organized by FiBL and BÖLW calls the attention of European processors, wholesalers and retailers to the importance of organic breeding for the future growth of the organic sector. During the seminar, representatives of…
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