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    Smallholding posts

    How a new land commons movement can support agroecology

    There’s huge overlap between the principles of agroecology and of commoning, and growth in the commons movement could mean a shift towards agroecology and away from damaging industrial agriculture. Read more

    Vision for a UK-Wide ‘Market Garden Renaissance’ from the Landworkers Alliance

    Landworkers Alliance (LWA) launched its brand new report “Horticulture Across Four Nations” at a panel discussion at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC). Read more

    Worried about fruit & veg rationing? Let’s grow our own, in our communities

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 05-Mar-2023 | 2

    Every so often something happens that punctures our sense of what’s normal. In the UK one of those events was empty shelves that used to display fruit and veg. Then supermarkets began rationing some food items. Read more

    Rewilding or local food production?

    We like the idea of rewilding, but it needs much more thought when it removes good UK lowland farmland – because then, obviously, land elsewhere will have to brought into agricultural production to take up the slack. Read more

    Small is beautiful, but is it regenerative?

    Can small scale farms be sustainable and regenerative? Read more

    Organic smallholdings, not ‘farm-free’ food factories

    Chris Smaje of Vallis Veg | 13-Nov-2022 | 3

    Another critical review of George Monbiot’s latest book, Regenesis, by Chris Smaje, author of Small Farm Future. This follows on from last week’s review by Simon Fairlie. Read more

    Consider gifting land to the Ecological Land Coop to support agroecological farming

    At Low impact we love to hear about our companion organizations’ successes, this reblog from the ecological land coop describes why we are celebrating. The ecological land coop have been inspired to try a new approach in their campaign to reawaken our rural economies after they were gifted land by two very noble ecologically minded farmers in Wales… Read more

    Review of ‘Going to Seed’, new book by Simon Fairlie

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 06-Feb-2022 | 1

    This is a review of Simon Fairlie’s new book, Going to Seed, out on Feb 10th – his ‘counterculture memoir’ – although at times I’ll unapologetically veer into (hopefully relevant) political rambling. Read more

    Please help the Ecological Land Co-op with their latest OPD application

    The Ecological Land Cooperative would like to ask you for some support. As you may be aware, in 2020 we submitted a One Planet Development application to create 2 new small farms on our site at Furzehill on Gower. Due to one of the potential farmers having to pull out we have withdrawn that initial application and have just resubmitted an OPD application for 1 farm with the other original farmers. Read more

    Market gardening and working horses: help co-create a new enterprise in Devon

    Ben May of Forest Crafts | 08-Dec-2021 | 0

    Our network members Ben and Lorraine of Forest Crafts are hoping to find one or two people to help them develop a new business involving market gardening, working horses and working alongside volunteers. It’s a great opportunity for the right person / people. Read more

    12 reasons why industrial-scale agriculture is driving environmental destruction

    In this article, the LWA’s Horticulture Campaigns Coordinator Rebecca Laughton explains why we have to produce and trade a greater percentage of food locally. Read more

    Would you like to be an ecological smallholder?

    Would you like to be an ecological smallholder? The Ecological Land Co-op are looking for smallholders for plots of land in Devon and Cornwall. More below from Luci at the ELC: Read more

    Can organic farming feed the world?

    Chris Smaje of Vallis Veg | 16-Jun-2021 | 2

    Now there’s a question – posed by Chris Smaje of the Ecoogical Land Co-op. Chris joined the board of the ELC as Dave of Lowimpact left, and since then Chris has produced a book called A Small Farm Future, which we review here. Members of Lowimpact have become involved in the world of mutual credit,… Continue reading Can organic farming feed the world? Read more

    Job opportunities with the Ecological Land Cooperative

    There are exciting times ahead for our friends at the Ecological Land Cooperative, as they share news of five new job opportunities. Lauren Simpson tells us more. Read more

    Paid internship opportunity with Vallis Veg for 2021

    Scarlett Penn of WWOOF UK | 25-Nov-2020 | 0

    Our friends at WWOOF UK share news of a 2021 internship opportunity with the fab folks at Vallis Veg in northeast Somerset. Read more

    Review of ‘A Small Farm Future’ by Chris Smaje

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 01-Nov-2020 | 15

    Industrial agriculture and giant monoculture farms dominate our food sector. But does it have to be that way? Could and should we build a new kind of food system based on small farms? This new book, ‘A Small Farm Future’ published by Chelsea Green, outlines what a post-covid, post-capitalist society might look like, built around… Continue reading Review of ‘A Small Farm Future’ by Chris Smaje Read more

    Mentoring and more: support for new entrant farmers

    Know someone taking their first steps into farming? We take a look at a growing wealth of schemes and resources providing support for new entrant farmers. Read more

    Trying to make a living on an organic smallholding: Paul Jennings, ‘One-Planet’ smallholder

    Paul Jennings of Criafolen | 07-Jun-2020 | 4

    This is part 2 of an interview with Paul Jennings, who has built his own straw-bale house and lives with his family on a smallholding in Carmarthenshire in Wales. They were able to build their house via the One Planet Development (OPD) policy in Wales. Here’s part 1 of the interview. Read more

    How small farms offer big solutions as global issues turn focus to home

    With just under three weeks left until the Ecological Land Cooperative 202 community share offer closes, Lauren Simpson shares an update on progress so far, complete with a new film. Read more

    One Planet Development and access to land: Paul Jennings, OPD smallholder and self-builder

    Paul Jennings of Criafolen | 05-Apr-2020 | 9

    This is the first part of an interview with Paul Jennings, who lives on a smallholding in Pembrokeshire with his family, and built his own straw-bale home under the One Planet Development policy that exists in Wales (but not in England), which allows people to build a home on their land, even if it is… Continue reading One Planet Development and access to land: Paul Jennings, OPD smallholder and self-builder Read more

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