Summer Gathering - thoughts one month on.
- Danielle Semple
- Oct 10
- 6 min read
It’s been a month since we gathered at Conygree Farm in the Cotswolds for the fourth annual Emergent Generation Flagship event.
For three days, just over 100 EmGen’rs came together to connect, learn, and dance together; all for a shared purpose and passion for improving food systems. We were a diverse group from around the world including British farmers, European students, charity and agritech leaders, to chefs and nutritionists. We pitched our tents under the autumn rain, woke up with the damp mist and the spiderwebs as garlands of the meadow.
Those days felt like a warm hug for many, lifting spirits and giving renewed energy to drive action as we go into the autumn and winter months.
Workshops
This year’s theme was ‘Reconnecting Town and Country’. We considered how we can reconnect farm and fork. How can we build understanding across rural and urban perspectives? Our guest speakers and workshops reflected these themes and hopefully guided attendees in the direction of addressing this key purpose.
The importance of bringing diverse people together for a force for good was highlighted in Mallika Basu’s kick-off session. As the least diverse sector in the UK and with the average age of farmers dangerously increasing, the farming and agricultural sector has some work to do. Mallika highlighted how ‘embracing diversity and respecting history’ can offer so much. She reminded us that there are pockets of good everywhere; we should try and hold on to that and work with it.
This was echoed in the workshops held by Anna Jones, BBC journalist and author of Divide: the relationship crisis between town and country, who highlighted that true development comes from bringing different people together. The narrative is often dominated by a small number of people, including industrial leaders, campaigners and political leaders. There is value in moving away from echo chambers and giving ‘the ordinary folk’ a voice, and understanding their perspective.
Equally, Mary-Ann Ochota, writer and CPRE president, highlighted in her session of ‘Exploring People and Place’ that even if connection is confrontational or messy, finding common ground and ‘working with’ people can plant a seed of possibility from which positive growth can come.
Championing Youth Voices
It was great to hear from members during the speaker’s corner session chaired by Mitch, where Chauntelle Lewis, Magda Petford, Sinead Fenton, and Chloe from ‘Chloe at the farm’ openly shared their ways of navigating through the trials and tribulations of reconnecting with rurality. The stories and experiences shared showed how a brave space can emerge from vulnerability and collective honesty. This sharing of vulnerability brought hope, and was very moving to witness. We are very lucky to be a part of such a hopeful network where people can share their true emotions.
We also heard from Megan, Gloria, Fanny and, Anna, a group of Emgen’rs, coming together to champion youth voices in food and farming policy via the World Food Forum National Youth Chapter - “Back the Future”. This work is giving ‘young people a platform to initiate and sustain solution building in their communities, inform policymaking in their countries and regions, and build lasting transformation in their local agrifood systems’. If you’re interested in staying informed about the UK's National Chapter, you can sign up to keep in the loop here.
On the same note, Eric Walters’ workshop, founder of Good Small Farms, led us to wonder deeply and honestly about local routes to market. How much does it cost me to sell my veg at the local market? Should I sell there even if the margins are tight? Why? Our hearts were shouting: YES! Let’s feed our communities with good food but the answers were not that easy, and it was refreshing to witness the realities of what we might think “the answer” to be.
Silas Hedley-Lawrence from the Grassfed Farmer drew upon his experience as a farm manager and his knowledge from the Nicole Masters CREATE programme to deliver an informative, holistic grazing and mindset session.
Farm Walks
Abbey Home Farm, Andy Rumming’s and, Apney Brook Farm kindly hosted farm walks and talks for the group, which were both insightful and inspiring. It was great to see and hear firsthand what innovative social, environmental and economic approaches they are each adopting, often through enterprise stacking and agroecological management. An ethos of nurturing biodiversity, healthy soil, caring for animals to the highest welfare standards whilst producing nourishing, affordable food for the community was felt from all farm tours and were an inspiration for all who went on them, from farmers looking to change their management, to consumers learning more about making good food choices, and others in between who are all helping to shape our food system in the future.
Andy Rumming (top left) gave us an honest and open breakdown of his farm management and the enterprises on it, explaining how he got the most from each animal through his added value enterprises. He has cunningly managed to get more value from each animal through direct sales, leathermaking workshops and even selling the bones to origami crafters.
Hilary Chester-Master (top middle) gave a tour of the 650-acre organic farm that encompasses Dairy, Beef, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry, Cereals, and Vegetable Production. They also have a farm shop, cafe and an enterprise The Farm Project CIC hosts small groups of young people, from predominantly inner city and disadvantaged areas, for a residential stay to fully immerse themselves in farm life.
Jonty Brunyee (top right and bottom left) gave a tour of the market garden that he works in partnership with James Butterworth. They grow seasonal, organic veg for box delivery scheme, local shops, pubs, restaurants, markets and a pop-up farm shop at Conygree Farm.
Annie Landless (bottom right) showed us all the stacked enterprises on their 600-acre organic farm from grass-fed beef, heritage grains, woodland grazed pork, and a vegetable enterprise. They are particularly keen on mob-grazing and we got a live demonstration of a bale being rolled out for some hungry cows. They claim it has had a big impact on grass growth given the hot summer.
What are the key messages we were left with from considering how to Reconnect Town and Country?
There is value in finding common ground with people.
Working with them can plant a seed of possibility.
We must communicate more clearly to bridge the gap between people of different contexts and backgrounds.
Storytelling is a powerful tool.
Listening with curiosity is key to understanding people’s perspective and place.
The importance of having a positive vision for the future.
As people working on the land and working with people, its valuable for us to share our visions of a positive future with others- so we can see the world not just how we are told to see it, but see the opportunities.
Share food that brings us joy, to “Build longer tables, not higher walls.”
‘If you want to change the world don't start with politics start with a supper.’
Tom Herbert, The Long Table.
Tasty food and thought-provoking conversations at the Long Table.
‘Be brave, collectively, in the way we eat, the way we farm and the way we imagine and create solutions, so the balance falls towards agroecology in its broader, most radical and diverse sense.’ (Giulia Kessous)
What did the attendees think?
“I really enjoyed meeting other young people - especially farmers! I am a grower, but do not interact with young people who farm (arable/livestock) and that was so refreshing to meet some and see that they are also concerned about the same issues about soil, climate, animals, plants, policy etc."
“This was my third summer gathering and the first time I took part as a speaker in one of the sessions. I normally completely avoid public speaking but because of the community Em Gen has created, I felt safe to present, and to use it as an opportunity to practice and develop my presentation skills.”
“I feel much more positive. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge ahead. Having been surrounded by people who feel the same way but being able to share in the warmth of their passion, and learning about the good that is being done in all of our different walks of life - farming, policy, research, finance, community, cooking, teaching - this has brought me hope.”
“I was thinking about potentially getting some weekly experience on a farm alongside my current role and the event has given me the push I need to actually get on and connect with the local community to make it happen!”
A massive thank you to Jonty Brunyee, Becky Grove, and the whole Steering Group for such an engaging and uplifting few days. What an achievement to create a space that listens, supports and speaks with honesty without judgement.
Written by Gulia, Tristan, Clare and, Danielle.
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