https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/talk-to-us-at-groundswell/
Talk to us at Groundswell
By Giles Hall
Our team will be at Groundswell on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 July 2026.
Held at Lannock Farm in Hertfordshire, Groundswell is a 2-day regenerative agriculture festival that brings together farmers, growers and others interested in agroecological systems.
Together, attendees share expertise and explore ways of producing healthy food while improving soil health and the land.
If you are attending, come and speak to us at our stand, E0.
Whether you have a question, feedback or are looking for support, we’ll do our best to help you to connect you with the information and resources you need.
Fringe sessions
You can also join our fringe sessions to hear more about practical support for farmers and land managers.
The sessions all take place in front of our stand, E0.
No booking is required – simply come along and join a session.
Wednesday 1 July
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 08:00–09:00 | SugaROx and ADAS on Biostimulants
Hear from biostimulant developer SugaROx and agricultural and environmental consultancy ADAS as they discuss biostimulant technologies, the UK regulatory landscape, and how the Farming Innovation Programme is supporting innovation in the sector. |
| 11:00–12:00 | What Could SPS Changes Mean for Your Farm or Business?
The UK government is working on a new food trade agreement with the European Union (EU) to make it easier for farmers and food producers to trade. This agreement is called the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. It aims to simplify the checks required for agri-food products moving between the UK and the EU. This includes goods traded with Northern Ireland. It is expected to take effect from around mid-2027. Join us for an informal roundtable discussion about how this may affect your business if you produce, handle, trade or move animals, food, plants or related products, including animal products, feed, pesticides and biocides. To get the most from the discussion, you may find it helpful to read the new guidance available to support businesses preparing for the proposed agreement. |
| 15:00–16:00 | Come and Talk About Landscape Recovery
Join our open, interactive session allowing you a chance to learn more about and share your experiences of Landscape Recovery. Landscape Recovery is one of the three schemes that make up our environmental land management (ELM) schemes. It supports large-scale, long-term projects that restore and enhance the natural environment across entire landscapes. Projects are typically led by groups of landowners, farmers, estates, charities or public bodies working together. The session will be led by Dr Nicola Robinson (ELMS Agriculture Manager, Environment Agency) and Rachel Webster (Landscape Recovery Principal Delivery Manager, Natural England). |
Thursday 2 July
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:00–11:00 | What Could SPS Changes Mean for Your Farm or Business?
The UK government is working on a new food trade agreement with the European Union (EU) to make it easier for farmers and food producers to trade. This agreement is called the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. It aims to simplify the checks required for agri-food products moving between the UK and the EU. This includes goods traded with Northern Ireland. It is expected to take effect from around mid-2027. Join us for an informal roundtable discussion about how this may affect your business if you produce, handle, trade or move animals, food, plants or related products, including animal products, feed, pesticides and biocides. To get the most from the discussion, you may find it helpful to read the new guidance available to support businesses preparing for the proposed agreement. |
| 12:00–13:00 | Defra's ADOPT Fund: Supporting Farmer-Led Innovation
ADOPT (Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies) is a grant offer within the Farming Innovation Programme that helps farmers test, trial and adopt new technologies, techniques and practices on their farms. The aim is to bridge the gap between research and real-world farming by supporting on-farm demonstrations and trials that show how innovations perform in practice. Join Thomas Slattery and Wallace Currie from the ADOPT Support Hub for an introduction to ADOPT. The session will provide an overview of ADOPT, the role of the Support Hub, and the opportunities available for farmers to develop and test their own ideas as funding rounds are ongoing until November 2026. Thomas and Wallace will also share examples from live ADOPT projects, highlighting how farmer-led groups are tackling real challenges and sharing insight across the sector. ADOPT is part of the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. |
| 14:00–15:00 | Come and Talk About Landscape Recovery
Join our open, interactive session allowing you a chance to learn more about and share your experiences of Landscape Recovery. Landscape Recovery is one of the three schemes that make up our environmental land management (ELM) schemes. It supports large-scale, long-term projects that restore and enhance the natural environment across entire landscapes. Projects are typically led by groups of landowners, farmers, estates, charities or public bodies working together. The session will be led by Dr Nicola Robinson (ELMS Agriculture Manager, Environment Agency) and Rachel Webster (Landscape Recovery Principal Delivery Manager, Natural England). |
Finally, be sure to visit the Farmer Collaboration and Facilitation Hub at stand D0, where representatives from Defra, Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF), the Forestry Commission, the Environment Agency and Natural England will be on hand to answer your questions.
If you’d like to see where else the Farming and Countryside team will be this year, take a look at our Talk to us page.
