Soil health at heart of Groundswell festival

More than 10,000 visitors attended last month’s Groundswell 2025 event, held on 1-3 July at Lannock Farm, near Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

The sell-out regenerative agriculture festival included over 400 speakers from around the world – among them Prince William and the American “godfather of regenerative agriculture” Gabe Brown.   

Visitors heard hearing from hands-on practitioners about a raft of topics – including mob grazing, birdlife, hedgerow biodiversity, no-till potato growing and a magical foray into a soundscape of soil acoustics in the farm’s woodland.

Content centred on principles of regenerative agriculture – minimising soil disturbance, keeping the soil surface covered, maintaining living roots, maximising crop diversity, re-introducing livestock to the farm.   

‘Dirt to Soil’

Keynote speaker Gabe Brown, the American author of the world-famous Dirt to Soil book, shared his journey from conventional to regenerative agriculture, emphasising the importance of mimicking nature.

He highlighted the significant improvements made to his 2,400ha farm, including increasing soil organic matter, reducing erosion, and growing higher yielding crops without synthetic inputs since 2007.

Praising the spirit of the regenerative community he said: “When we regenerate soils, we regenerate people, communities and natural ecosystems. That’s the kind of thinking that we need to scale.

“That’s why it’s so exciting to be here at Groundwell and see so many people want to take on this challenge. When we go home and look in the mirror, we have to realise that challenge starts with each and every one of us.

“That’s the kind of thinking that we need to scale, not more bureaucratic compliance checklists and subsidies.”

Monumental event

Event director Alex Cherry said: “It’s been a monumental few days. We are very proud of the whole team for delivering a successful event that brings together thousands of people with a shared mission of building a healthier farming and food system.

“It was incredibly heartening for all of us who have been involved in regenerative farming for many years now to hear Prince William affirming its importance, and making the connections between farming, food and health.

“It feels clear that regen ag is now in the mainstream. Amid the many challenges facing the sector, Groundswell is a wonderfully positive atmosphere, and many people leave the event invigorated with a sense of optimism for the months to come.”