TRAILBLAZING ORGANIZATIONS
Over the last decade we’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with a world of soil innovators, alliances and institutions. If you’re feeling short of inspiration look no further than the following list for campaigns and organizations to get involved with.
UNITED KINGDOM
FARM CARBON TOOLKIT - The aim of FCT is to encourage and support farmers and growers to reduce their farm greenhouse gas emissions, increase their farm energy resilience and in doing so also improve their farm business in the future. - www.farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk
FARMS TO FEED US - Connecting with Farmers for Food during the Covid-19 Crisis. UK-wide Database of Farms & Regenerative Agriculture Gatherings. - @farmstofeedus
INNOVATIVE FARMERS - This is a great organisation bringing together farmers and science and providing an outlet for sharing knowledge around farming and growing. - www.innovativefarmers.org
PASTURE FOR LIFE ASSOCIATION - The idea for the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association arose in 2009, when a small group of British farmers decided to join together to extol the wide-ranging benefits of producing meat from animals fed exclusively on pasture. Since then, the Association has developed, into an active, credible organisation that successfully champions the virtues of grass-based farming and meat production. - www.pastureforlife.org
RIVERFORD ORGANIC FARM - A brilliant place to get your vegetables in the UK if you cannot grow it. Sign up for Guy’s newsletter even if you do not get the box. Full of information (‘The reality of small-scale farming in the UK is hard: we expect to spend only 10% of our income on food, with just 0.6% going to farmers’ ) around food and great recipes!! - www.riverford.co.uk
SUSTAIN - THE ALLIANCE FOR BETTER FOOD AND FARMING - The main way that Sustain fulfils its aims is through running a multitude of different projects and campaigns to improve food and farming, with the help of our members and other supporters. - www.sustainweb.org
THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD TRUST - A brilliant newsletter and website around soil and food. The brilliant Patrick Holden is at the centre of it. Definitely worth following. - www.sustainablefoodtrust.org
THE SUSTAINABLE SOILS ALLIANCE - A partnership of farming organisations, businesses, NGOs, applied science and academia working together to restore our soils to health within one generation. - www.sustainablesoils.org
THE UK BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION - A super helpful organisation with many of the Biodynamic preps and lots of good information and information on courses. - www.biodynamic.org.uk
THE UK SOIL ASSOCIATION - Lots of wonderful information about soil and farming. Do not hesitate to ask for help - there are lots of people with expertise there to help you. We went organic a few years ago and we have had lots of support along the way. They are doing amazing things around the country - definitely worth joining and getting involved. - www.soilassociation.org
AROUND THE WORLD
ACRES USA - For books and a great newsletter and Agricultural seminars in the US.- www.acresusa.com
KISS THE GROUND (USA) - Kiss the Ground has become a premier online educational hub for regenerative agriculture, offering an online “pathway” for anyone to find resources and their unique way forward in contributing to this expanding global movement. - www.kisstheground.com
KOANGA INSTITUTE (NEW ZEALAND) - An amazing resource of years of knowledge built up by Kay Baxter and her team. - www.koanga.org.nz
LA FERME DU BEC-HELLOUIN (FRANCE) - An organic market garden in Normandy drawing on the principles of permaculture, 19th Century Parisian Market Gardeners, Asian EM and Amazonian tribes people. Their Book - Miraculous Abundance is great. - www.fermedubec.com
LAND MANAGEMENT - UNITED RESEARCH FOR SOIL (AUSTRIA) - Angelica Lubke and Urs Hildebrandt's website on soil and compost. These two are an amazing source of knowledge and expertise. They hold courses in Europe and around the world, are consultants and have soil labs in Austria. - www.landmanagement.net
NUTRI-TECH SOLUTIONS (AUSTRALIA) - Run by the talented Graeme Sait. He has a brilliant blog talking about all things to do with soil and plant health. He has given some very inspirational TED talks. He is also now working with a UK agent - Eugene Hackett in Ireland eugenehackett@newgenagri.com - www.nutri-tech.com.au
SOILS FOR LIFE (AUSTRALIA) - An independent, non-profit organisation that works to support Australian farmers to regenerate soils, for resilient people, communities, businesses and landscapes. - www.soilsforlife.org.au