What an amazing time we had at the end of April in the Peak District, at our first event of the year! It was great to see familiar and new faces for this 2-day regional meet-up that saw 15 young people visiting 2 innovative farms run by very inspiring people.
On the first day, we visited Alistair MacBeth, Conor Nolan, and Gill at Buxton Micro Dairy. We learned how the ex-vegans-turned-livestock farmers came to fall in love with farming, their farm, and its owner, in a heartwarming story. Their journey of discovery led them to adopt many pioneering practices such as natural weaning, calf-at-foot, and overseeding pastures. The management, and the various environmental schemes they have adopted, have made them stand out in the otherwise conventional farming region.
We enjoyed a lovely, locally sourced lunch with them before heading out to the farm for a cold but intriguing walk. We talked about landscape history, geology, and past management context, and learned how these all feed into the future management direction. It was great to see the foresight of planned agroforestry schemes and their funding. The newly planted hedgerows were also welcome in a landscape otherwise devoid of hedges or wildlife corridors.
After waving goodbye to Alistair and co, we drove an hour to Woven Earth near Matlock. Miriam and her friendly dog Finn welcomed us to an amenable cottage. Their chef Tim was preparing paella for us to tuck into. In the morning, Miriam outlined the historical context of humans through the geological epochs using her paper timeline which stretched out along the length of the room. We then had an impromptu discussion about regenerative farming, human health, and industrial agriculture. On a farm walk, we learned about the new agroforestry schemes they are developing. We gleaned Miriam’s knowledge of sheep grazing and how her studies in Northern Wales influenced management choices here. Everyone then got stuck into pothole repairs on the farm track before testing the repairs on our drive home.
This is what the participants thought!
Nick Mortimer, Em Gen'r:
“Awesome to meet two incredible figures and learn about calf-at-foot dairy practices. Loved hearing Miriam's insightful talks about natural cycles at Woven Earth! The whole weekend was full of stunning landscapes, history, architecture, and conversation.”
Harvey Dunn, Em Gen'r and young stockman:
"It was great to get onto different farms this weekend and ask the farmers really specific questions!"
Isabella Goggin, Em Gen'r and PFL Facilitator:
“I found the weekend trip very valuable to be part of and really appreciated the way it was led. It was informative, fun, and thought-provoking”
Thanks for coming and see you at the event in September!
Tristan Leslie
Organiser, Emergent Generation
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