We’re back from Groundswell Festival, having shared seeds, poetry, and freshly baked stories from the land among friends old and new.
Over ten thousand people assembled to chew over the future of regenerative farming in the sun-scorched fields of Lannock Farm, Hertfordshire. Groundswell has been at the forefront of introducing agroecological practices to the UK since 2016. Each year, the ever-growing lineup shares knowledge with a rich community of food producers, spanning the width and breadth of the sector.
It’s always a powerful couple of days, but this year was especially meaningful for us as it was the first time Gaia had a stand at the event. We were proud to fly the flag for our Seed Sovereignty Programme, reminding everyone: a food revolution starts with seed!
Alongside the UK Grain Lab (a network of millers, bakers and growers bringing heritage and diversity back into the grains on our plates), we welcomed hundreds of curious minds into our beautiful little tent, filled with free seeds and heritage breads gloriously set off by our We Feed The UK Pop-up Portraits exhibition, featuring the smiling faces of the movement.
After feeling this piece of the puzzle was missing in previous years, we brought seed centre stage. Our Future Seed Resilience Coordinator, Holly, joined grain rebel Fred Price, Hodemedod’s Josiah, and Songsoo Kim in helping the audience reforge their relationship with the heart of our food system.
After an incredible first day of connection and positivity, we gathered to witness four of the brilliant Hot Poets, alongside the farmers who inspired them, at Gaia’s We Feed The UK poetry gig. The audience shared goosebumps, laughter, and tears as Dizraeli, Liv Torc, Jasmine Gardosi, and Testament reflected the beauty of agroecological farming back to those who gift it to us; in early mornings, sleepless nights, and achy muscles.
It was fantastic to see so many of our wonderful friends and allies from the network helping us bring seed to the centre of the festival for the first time this year. Seed detective Adam Alexander recounted tales from his latest book ‘The Accidental Seed Heroes’; Sheila Dillon, Henry Dimbleby, Amelia Christie-Miller, Andrew Howard, and Josiah Meldrum dug into the benefits of growing UK pulses; and Henry Astor and Roz Bado spoke about their experiences bringing regional and heritage grains into the mainstream.
We feel immensely grateful to have taken part in such an important and uplifting few days in the English countryside. It was a joy to chat with so many people working tirelessly to secure a just and bountiful future for our food and farming system. Here’s to sharing our progress next year!
