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Emergent Generation @ Groundswell 2026 -
Full Schedule
Emergent Generation will have their own tent at Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival, right next to Groundschool (Stand D17)!
The Em Gen Tent will be a base for young people (18-35) to meet peers, reconnect with friends, relax between sessions, exchange ideas and opportunities, and connect with mentors and sector leaders.
There will also be an area dedicated to small group sessions and mini workshops for around 25 people. Grab a bale and join in.
Wednesday evening social from 6 pm, with seasonal snacks and keynote from Franco Fubini, Natoora - a big supporter of young folk who are getting started in farming. Get it in your Groundswell diary!
Thank you to the Groundswell team and the Rothschild Foundation for helping to fund tickets and bursaries for Em Gen members - there will be plenty of young folk to meet! Big thanks to NFU Mutual, and the Esmee Fairbairn, CHK and Rothschild Foundations' respectively for funding our core event costs.
Wednesday, 1st July
8.30-9.30am
Morning Meet Up
W/ EM GEN
Connect with fellow members, plan your day and set your goals.
10-11am
Exploring neurodiversity in regenerative farming and agroecology
In this informal session we will consider neurodiversity in farming and how organisations can create positive environments where everyone can thrive. Hear about the Neurodivergent Rural Community Network and share your thoughts.
11-12pm
'Making the case for agroecology – a conversation about policy and advocacy’
- with Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive & Georgie Barber Policy Lead: Land Use and Countryside of of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC). The session will be facilitated by Charlie Taverner, Policy Lead: Farming Futures (FFCC).
Young members of our community are invited to join an action-focused conversation with Sue Pritchard and other policy experts from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. How to influence political and industry decision-makers? How to bring grassroots voices to the centre of the debate? How to tell a story that cuts through?.'
12-1pm
What farm partnership is right for you?
Win-win farm partnerships between Landholders and Landseekers can be the key to unlock potential and realise dreams. But what type of partnership is right for you? And when? Join us for a session that works through an exercise to understand the best options and possibilities for Landholders and Landseekers alike.
1-2pm
Open Session
W/ EM GEN
Members are encouraged to pop in and catch up with fellow members, steering group leads and Directors.
2-3pm
Reimagining agroforestry
and the role of succession
Agroforestry is often designed as individual elements kept in ecological stasis. Let’s critique current practice and explore what’s possible in a British context, what an efficient cycle of succession might look like and what we can learn from the 4000-year-old Mesoamerican Milpa system.
3-4pm
What enterprise(s) should you stack?
Regenerative farming means diversity — especially when it comes to farm enterprises. But where do you start? This workshop helps both Landholders and Landseekers hone in on what enterprise(s) makes sense for their specific context: how to amplify strengths, address blind spots, and stack enterprises with confidence.
4-5pm
Mentoring and Intergenerational Knowledge Sharing Hour
Come for a chat with an experienced regenerative farming champion. We will be joined by a number of sector leaders who are all willing to share their thinking and wisdom. Grab them and ask them a burning technical or career question, or book in with us on the day for a twenty minute one to one mentoring session if preferred.
Depending on the final Groundswell speaker schedule, the list of leaders present at this session may change. We hope to expect: Rachel Philips, Niels Corfield , Russ Carrington, Clare Whittle, Dan Smith, Isabel Duncan, Jonty Brunyee, Anna Jones, Becky Grove, Harry Epsom, Chloe Lucas & others TBC.
W/EM GEN &
FRIENDS
6-7pm
Em Gen Networking and Social
W/ EM GEN &
NATOORA
Join us for a free drink and nibble. Meet up with fellow members and Em Gen supporters, and share your learnings from day one.
At 6 pm we will be joined by Franco Fubini (Founder of Natoora) for a welcome and brief keynote. Hear how Natoora are working to fix the food system and from young grower, Ellen Rignell of Winnow Farm Seeds, supported by the Natoora Farm Fund.
Thursday, 2nd July
8.30-9.30am
Morning Meet Up
W/ EM GEN
Connect with fellow members, plan your day and set your goals.
10-11am
UK Youth Food and Farming Forum – Get Involved
The UK Youth Food and Farming Forum is working, in collaboration with Emergent Generation, to empower young voices to shape the future of UK food and farming through leadership, policy and action. Hear from members of the forum and discuss how you can get involved.
11-12pm
Podcasting Hour with the Sustainable Food Trust
Do you have something to say about the future of food and farming? Join us in the Groundswell x Sustainable Food Trust Podcast Tent (next to the Media Tent and close to the Big Top) - for a session that's part masterclass, part live recording. Learn the basics of podcasting and how to hold your own in an interview, and how to find your story. If you’re up for it - share your thinking on mic and contribute to an Em Gen at Groundswell podcast episode.
12-1pm
How to deal with inevitable conflicts in farm partnerships?
Personal dynamics make or break farm partnerships. How do you navigate inevitable conflicts? It starts with understanding your own reactions - and thereafter those of people who think differently to you. In this workshop, we'll work through an interactive exercise, where typical behavioural patterns become transparent and easier to navigate.
1-2pm
Mentoring and Intergenerational Knowledge Sharing Hour
Come for a chat with an experienced regenerative farming champion. We will be joined by a number of sector leaders who are all willing to share their thinking and wisdom. Grab them and ask them a burning technical or career question, or book in with us on the day for a twenty minute one to one mentoring session if preferred.
Depending on the final Groundswell speaker schedule, the list of leaders present at this session may change. We hope to expect: Rachel Philips, Niels Corfield , Russ Carrington, Clare Whittle, Dan Smith, Isabel Duncan, Jonty Brunyee, Anna Jones, Becky Grove, Harry Epsom, Chloe Lucas & others TBC.
W/EM GEN &
FRIENDS
2-3pm
A celebration of young women working in farming and food
Join in a conversion with 5 inspirational young women working in the farming and food sector. Hear about their journey, ideas, successes and practices, and how they're carving their own career path.
W/ EM GEN
3-5pm
Wind Down - Gather and Reflect
W/ EM GEN
As the festival draws to a close, members are invited to drop in and to share their key learnings and their next steps with peers, and the Em Gen/Abunda team.
Additional Info
Getting There
Please keep an eye on Groundswell's own communications for the latest information on shuttle buses running between Stevenage station and the festival site.
Interested in lift sharing with other Em Gen'rs? Send us a quick email and send you to our lift-sharing spreadsheet, where you can offer or request lifts to and from Groundswell.
Whatsapp Group
Coming to Groundswell? Want to stay up to date with what other Em Gen'rs are planning and get the latest updates? If you're not on our Groundswell WhatsApp group yet, send us a quick email and we'll add you!
Questions?
If you have any other questions, we recommend checking the Groundswell FAQ page below first. If you still can't find the information you're looking for, feel free to email info@emergentgeneration.co.uk and we'll do our best to help.