National Organic Conference 1-2 July 2024
- Food, Farming, Nature, Climate & People
Hampshire
1st July 2024
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OF&G has been running an annual food and farming conference
on an organic farm each July since 2008.
The event has grown in attendee numbers and in profile as each year we open the doors to partners who work with us to build a great food and farming conference.
The aim of the event is always multifunctional; to encourage new entrants, to help inform and celebrate existing organic practitioners, and to promote key market and policy messages.
And core to the whole event is giving people the opportunity to come together, share food, swap notes, and to nosey around somebody else's place.
This year the National Organic Conference 1-2 July 2024 will be held on Tim May's Kingsclere Estate in Hampshire.
We are also very pleased to announce that journalist and organic farmer, Sarah Dickins will chair the main conference on 2 July.
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On the 1st July
with our partners, Organic Arable, the Organic Growers Alliance, UK Organic,
and the UK Grain Lab we will be hosting organic sector events that afternoon, gathering together for a meal in the evening.
On the 2nd July
we will hold the usual NOC; talks in the morning followed by a two-course lunch, this year prepared by Aimee Collins of the prestigious and highly decorated restaurant Five Little Pigs, and as ever the NOC lunch will be followed by the NOC farm walk.
The National Organic Conference has become the place where farmers, growers, researchers and food brands all come together and share experience and insight. Whether you are a longtime organic farmer or just starting to take the first few steps on that path, you are most welcome to come and join us.
OF&G staff will be on site throughout the event and will be able to answer questions on the process and practice of organic certification.
Our host this year, Tim May, is a fourth generation farmer based on the 2,500 acre Kingsclere Estate in Hampshire. The farm is biologically diverse but also the farm business is brimming with economic diversity.
Tim sells grain through Organic Arable and is one of the Wildfarmed contract growers.
He is also trialling different crop varieties for the Organic Research Centre and Organic Arable.
This year Tim also has varieties that are part of the new UK Grain Lab Diverse Cereal Seed Project.
Tim May not only runs the farm he also runs a project called Pitch Up!
Tim started this initiative to encourage new entrants to farming, and to help him build an economically diverse and potentially a more resilient farm business.
One of the successful 'Pitch Up!' businesses is the Roaming Dairy, run by Oliver Chedgey. Oliver also works with Sophie Alexander at Hemsworth Farm just over the border in Dorset.
And more recently the Kingsclere Pitch Up! also partnered with the Balcaskie Estate in Fife.
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This year we are very pleased to announce that for the NOC farm walk we will be joined by the British Grassland Society who will be starting their three day summer tour at Kingsclere.
Tickets for the National Organic Conference 2024
are now available on eventbrite
OF&G staff will be on site throughout the two days, and happy to answer questions on the process of Organic Certification.
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If you want to take part in the event please contact
OF&G Business Development Manager and NOC coordinator, Steven Jacobs.
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Further reading: