The Centre is the UK's leading independent research, development and advisory institution for organic agriculture. In September 2025 became part of @ADASGroup
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Building English Shelterbelt Trials for Productivity (BEST) is an ADOPT-funded, farmer-led trial investigating the benefits to livestock systems from improved hedgerow/windbreaks. Led by Progressive Milk Producers, ORC is a research subcontractor.
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Weeds, wheat, worms and walnuts 🌱🪱🌰 Our August E-Bulletin is out! mailchi.mp/organicresearchce…
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Hedgerow connectivity 🕷️ Feed the Soil 🪱 Save Wakelyns 🌳 Participatory plant breeding. Our July E-Bulletin is out! mailchi.mp/organicresearchce…
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Harvest has started for Year 2 of the northern trial of diverse wheat cultivars! @LiveSeeding #YorkshireGrainAlliance #Systems4Food #UKGrainLab Farmers, millers, bakers, researchers and breeders together. The first step to build an alternative grain economy.
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At the @LiveSeeding summer school last week Kate McEvoy from Real Seeds talking through a hypothetical scenario with on-farm cultivar evaluation
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Julia Cooper mentoring her group at @LiveSeeding Summer School.
🌱 "This type of problem solving approach is a great way to internalise their learnings from the week. They're challenged to dig deeper into the topic & broaden their learning through self-directed research."
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This week @JuliaSoilsister is one of the instructors for @LiveSeeding Summer School in @UPV Valencia!
🍅 5-day training bringing together farmers, breeders, researchers, advisors and students to explore participatory and innovative approaches to organic plant breeding.
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Great internship at the Centre for Forest Protection 👇
🚜 🌳‘Farmers and trees’, working to develop, test and launch a range of resources aimed at helping farmers improve the health and resilience of trees on their land. ORC is a partner in the project.
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Hooves Among the Trees: Rethinking Woodland Grazing. #Groundswell2026 Agroforestry Tent. Panel discussion with ORC's Lindsay Whistance, Nikki Yoxall & James Ramskir-Gardiner
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Comfort, Shade, Water: How Animals Read the Landscape. Yesterday at #Groundswell2026 Lindsay Whistance and Dairy farmer @JRfromStrickley looked at what animal behaviour can tell you about your farm. Observing where they rest, graze, lie down, or shelter can lead to improvements.
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We've been doing some more filming with @indiefarm. Interviewing Becky Wilson at @FarmCO2Toolkit for the #GreenGrass project film. @JuliaSoilsister #Groundswell2026 #comingsoon
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Profit, Not Payments: Rethinking #Agroforestry Economics. #Groundswell2026
🌳 Let's shift mindsets from “what support is available?” to “how does this system pay for itself?” @Farm3Dwithtrees @James_Acworth
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Morning #Groundswell2026! We kick off in #Agroforestry Tent with 'Improving Habitat Connectivity on your Farm' exploring how hedgerows, field margins, trees & other natural features can act as wildlife corridors, helping species move between the habitats they need to survive.
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🌳 Philippa Hall in conversation with Benedikt Bösel from from 'Gut & Bösel', a leading #agroforestry site in Brandenburg, Germany yesterday evening #Groundswell2026 An inspiring story of how agroforestry can work at a larger scale; environmentally, economically, and socially.
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We're getting lots of interest and chats about compost in the soil medic tent ! Really exiting to see so much enthusiasm! Farmers are bringing their own compost samples to the table #Groundswell2026 @JuliaSoilsister
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Simeon Day dives into the past to The Forgotten Forest - a time when our countryside was full of trees and they were an integral part of farming, a time before their widespread loss from our landscape. He then explains how we put them back. #Groundswell2026 #FWAGSW
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Michael Kennard and Daniel Iddon kicking off in the Soil Medic tent. Good to hear Daniel Iddon admitting that we just don't know enough about which fungal species do what, so he opts for a broad diversity in his composts. #Groundswell2026 #compost
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And as if by magic those chairs have been filled! Nice #agroforestry starter session with Kinna Mosley and Ellen Smith. Packed to standing room only in the agroforestry tent showing how many people are still keen to learn about agroforestry.
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Come and see us at #Groundswell2026 - Julia and Guilia will be in the Soil Medic tent and Philippa, Lindsay and Rowan will be in the Agroforestry tent today. Hope to see you in those empty seats!
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Help save Wakelyns! The iconic Wakelyns site is at risk of being sold without your help. Be part of this exciting new chapter and help secure Wakelyns for future generations by buying shares in the Wakelyns Community Benefit Society or donating. ow.ly/GAOZ50ZiMsy
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Come meet the Feed the Soil project team first-hand at #Groundswell2026!
💩 We will have a compost stall at the Soil Medic Tent, in partnership with the Land Gardeners and we'll be part of the Soil Surgeries 1:00PM - 1:55PM each day. #feedthesoil
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Get in the mood for #Groundswell2026 with our playlist from The Agroforestry Tent in 2025!
#agroforestry #animalhealth #soilhealth #waterresilience #shelterbelts #goldenhoof #treefodder
piped.video/playlist?list=PL…
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Organic outperforms other assurance schemes 🌳🌱 ORC at Groundswell and more!
Welcome to our June E-Bulletin
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Walter Steiner at Montherod farm in Switzerland has gone all-in on agroforestry with large silvopastoral and silvoarable areas growing sweet chestnuts & walnuts. Lovely farm with significant bee and hen operations & reasonably priced farmshop. #EURAF2026 ow.ly/zLq850ZgT9N
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Hooves Among the Trees: Rethinking Woodland Grazing. 2:00-2:55PM - Thurs 2 July #Groundswell26 Agroforestry Tent. Panel discussion with ORC's Lindsay Whistance, Nikki Yoxall, James Ramskir-Gardiner & Tom Kemp
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Colin Tosh is in a sweet chestnut forest by Lac Léman, Switzerland for #EURAF2026. Traditionally, families had 3 trees for nut harvests. 🌰 Now, it’s a “pick your own” scheme. Many trees have blight, but resistant varieties are being planted. Community owned!
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Join Philippa Hall at #Groundswell26 for A Fireside Chat with Benedikt Bösel from 'Gut & Bösel', a leading agroforestry site in Brandenburg, Germany.
📅 Wed 1 July 6:30PM - 7:25PM - Agroforestry Tent
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Profit, Not Payments: Rethinking #Agroforestry Economics. #Groundswell26
📅 Thur 2 July Agroforestry Tent
🌳 Let's shift mindsets from “what support is available?” to “how does this system pay for itself?” @Farm3Dwithtrees @James_Acworth
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Check out the programme in the #Agroforestry Tent at #Groundswell26 1-2 July Loads of great speakers and topics! Tent is sponsored by @SoilAssociation Woodland Trust @ClimateFarmDemo groundswellag.com/sessions-2…
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Unlock your farm's potential with trees! 🌳 Visit the Agroforestry Tent at #Groundswell26 for FREE, bespoke 1-2-1 design clinics with specialists from Woodland Trust, @SoilAssociation @albatrees & more. Book your slot! 👇 tinyurl.com/GS-AF-clinic26
@Groundswellaguk #Agroforestry
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Colin Tosh & Giulia Kessous baseline sampling (soil, plant, bird & insect biodiversity) land at Gowbarrow Hall Farm that will be converted to fruit and nut agroforestry. @innovateuk #ResilientUplands #FarmingInnovationProgramme #ADOPTFund #agroforestry
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We were in the field at the Royal Welsh Grassland Event on Friday with Nigel Akehurst & Andrew Sincock recording film and podcast content for Farm 4.0, shining a spotlight on the incredible work of the #GreenGrass Project!
🎧 Coming soon!
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Our own Julia Cooper is excited to be at the Royal Welsh Grassland Event today talking about reducing N fertiliser use and the #GreenGrass project.
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Are your pastures delivering to their full potential? Join the #GreenGrass Roundtable at the Royal Welsh Grassland Event to talk real-world strategies for reducing N reliance.
📅 Today, 12 June | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM 📍 Where: ORC Stand in the Marquee RWGE
organicresearchcentre.com/ou…
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ORC welcomes the news that an Organic Action Plan for England #OAPE is on its way, and reflects on why Organic Action Plans are so important. #organicfarming ow.ly/HmlE50ZavS6
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Today @JuliaSoilsister is meeting with @DefraGovUK Minister Dame Angela Eagle, her team & English Organic Forum at Riverford Sacrewell Lodge Farm nr Peterborough. An Organic Action Plan for England is being developed collaboratively with the industry and Defra.
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Make your voice heard on pesticides…tell the Government you don’t want glyphosate in your gardens, parks, playgrounds & public spaces. ✋
Sign @gardenorganicuk #GrowersAgainstGlyphosate petition, use their template to write to your MP & find out more: gardenorganic.org.uk/glyphos….
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Farmers needed to help @CoventryCAWR to develop a practical framework for assessing sustainability in the organic agri-food sector by identifying & validating the most relevant aspects and indicators across the entire supply chain. Survey takes 10-15 min
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Diversification, integration and participation: From Wakelyns to Florence.🌳🌱Our May E-Bulletin is out! ow.ly/9LkE50Z5FmS
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This weekend Colin Tosh and Christian Gossel are at the #AgroforestryOpenWeekend at Wakelyns showcasing our research #agroforestry #agrobiodiversity
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Join the organic dairy sector for an on-farm conference, bringing together farmers and professionals from across the supply chain for a day of insight, discussion, and practical learning.
eventbrite.co.uk/e/whats-nex…
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New Wakelyns hub 🌳, ORC leadership change, tree fodder 🐄...and glyphosate ❗... Our April E-Bulletin is out mailchi.mp/organicresearchce…
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New Wakelyns hub 🌳, ORC leadership change, tree fodder...and glyphosate... Our April E-Bulletin is out mailchi.mp/organicresearchce…
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A group of around 20 from the Dutch Agroforestry Network visited the UK recently on a study tour. As part of the tour David Wolfe hosted them at Wakelyns last Wednesday. Will Simonson spoke to the group about #agroforestry in the UK and ORC's agroforestry research at Wakelyns.
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Resilience through diversity 🍀 Nature-based solutions 🪱 Alternative weed control 💥and more! Our March E-Bulletin is out! mailchi.mp/organicresearchce…
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ORC's Colin Tosh was a co-author on this @uniofreading @MillieSCHood
research paper which found that a key barrier to adopting #agroforestry is that farmers don’t have the knowledge they need to implement and manage it.
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We are seeking six farmers in England to act as Farmer Champions for a project focused on strengthening farm business sustainability through improved on-farm tree resilience.
Application deadline: 1 March 2026. organicresearchcentre.com/ne…
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Organic farming and agroforestry in SFI, on-farm composting 💩, farmer 🌳 champions and more! Our February E-Bulletin is out! mailchi.mp/organicresearchce…
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