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Agroforestry Show '23
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With over 100 speakers booked you're sure to have you questions answered at The Agroforestry Show!

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I am an organic fruit tree grower and training provider. Here at the nursery, we grow a range of organic, very rare heritage varieties, as well as modern varieties suitable for traditional orchards, commercial settings, smallholdings and the home garden. We specialise in hard to find heritage apple varieties from the English/Welsh borderlands and are building our collection of local varieties from all over the country, helping to protect plant biodiversity, and ensure our living heritage continues to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Ben is an organic and agroecological, fourth generation, mixed farmer from Herefordshire – producing vegetables, cereals and beef. He is one of Soil Association’s ‘Agroecology Ambassadors’, and is committed to showcasing nature-friendly farming, using social media to teach the public and fellow farmers about agroecology and organic food production. Ben is also heavily involved with Agrespect, a pioneering network for rural LGBTQ+ communities, aiming to unite celebrate and encourage greater diversity and inclusiveness in the farming world.

Dave Ashford is Senior Engagement Manager for the Land Management Reform Division at Welsh Government, with specific focus on the Sustainable Farming Scheme. Prior to working on proposals for future agricultural support for Wales since 2016, Dave worked within Rural Payments Wales on Glastir development and delivery, and prior to that he was an agri-environment Project Officer across South East Wales.

Stephen Bathgate works at Forest Research on the development and integration of bioclimatic datasets with models of forest growth & climate risk, delivering geospatial decision support systems to support the forestry community. As part of the BIOFORCE project he is leading a team delivering updates to Ecological Site Classification, including the introduction of climate sensitive growth models and drought risks, UKCP18 data and new models representing the potential yield of Agroforestry systems.

Stephen Bathgate

Emma Bird works as an Agroforestry Project Manager with the Woodland Trust. She co-ordinates agroforestry activity across the UK, liaising with external stakeholders and partners, coordinating tree procurement and supporting advisors.

David Brass is a free range egg farmer from Cumbria and CEO of the Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd. David is an ambassador for the Woodland Trust, a field trials host and key contributor to the Ammonia Reduction from Trees project and strong supporter of research science proving the benefits of trees to bird welfare and environmental improvement.

David manages 20 hectares of farm woodland in North Wales with partner Ruth Pybus. Still in conversion from plantation to continuous cover forestry, the hardwood thinning’s are already producing about 5 tonnes of planked timber, 1000 fence posts and 50 tonnes of firewood a year.

Paul Burgess is Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Agroforestry at Cranfield University, and his research involves the development and use of bio-economic models of agroforestry. Paul was Secretary of the Farm Woodland Forum (2002-2021), and current agroforestry research projects include AGROMIX, DigitAF, and BioForce.

Based in Yorkshire, Dan’s work is centred around raising awareness of woodmeadows and wood pastures, nature-rich agroforestry systems with ancient origins. He works closely with private landowners, councils and other nature conservation charities seeking to create a restore these fascinating habitats.

Tim Coates is a third-generation farmer (owner and tenant) transitioning aggressively to regenerative agriculture with a particular focus on agroforestry, ILM and IPM and as a participant in the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Landscape Recovery Pilots. Tim is also the co-founder of Oxbury Bank – the UK’s dedicated agricultural bank, where among other roles he is responsible for climate and nature risk management as well as sitting on the Boards of agroforestry business Silvasheep and the Oxford Local Nature Partnership.

Andy is Head grower at Abbey home farm, Cirecenster where he grows Organic Fruit and veg for the on site shop and cafe. Andy's approach to Veg growing is to focus at the system level, considering the health of the whole 15 acres rather than focusing to much on individual crops. Andy has planted trees within the system to maximise the benefits they can deliver to the wider organic Veg production system.

I am an agroforestry graduate with a background in environmental science, woodland management and market gardening. Working at the Forest for Cornwall to support farmers in delivering their agroforestry ambitions and delivering the funding and establishment of 10 agroforestry demonstration farms in Cornwall.

Ben Gallant is the River Operations Team Manager at Westcountry Rivers Trust. Using his background in environmental science and arboriculture he delivers a wide range of river habitat works across river catchments.

Experienced in renewables, clean energy and biomass, now head of commercial operations at Maelor, marketing approximately 35 million trees per year to customers throughout the UK.

Extensive knowledge of rural estate management, specialising in woodland and arboricultural related matters.

Stuart is an Outreach Manager for the Woodland Trust covering central east England. He works with private landowners, conservation groups NGOs and the public sector giving advice on woodland creation, ancient woodland restoration and agroforestry schemes. Stuart manages his own small arable farm in Leicestershire.

Mr. Christopher Johnston (B.Sc. M.Sc) has responsibility for AFBI’s Agri-Environmental Technology unit at the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI) at Hillsborough in Northern Ireland. The facility was opened in January 2009 and coordinates the research being conducted across AFBI sites in areas relevant to bioenergy and associated environmental protection. He has over 16 years’ experience in the Biomass Crops / Bioenergy sector in both a private SME and a public sector capacity.

Regenerate Outcomes supports farms to transition to regenerative agriculture and generates new revenue streams for farms by monitoring and verifying the positive environmental impacts from regenerative farming.

Dr. Matthew Jordon

Originally from a mixed traditional family farm in Devon, Nigel worked on mineral nutrition, especially looking at mineral status diagnosis and trace element supplementation. Since 2006 has been lecturing nutrition and running NUVetNA, a mineral diagnostic lab service at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham’s Sutton Bonington Campus. It is the combination of minerals and traditional old school farm values which has led Nigel into the area of Trees for Nutrition.

Martin is a third-generation farmer and contractor who grows mainly arable crops on his family farm and rented land in Cambridgeshire. Martin is also CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) a farmer-led, grassroots organisation which profiles a way of farming that puts nature and the environment at its heart.

Dr Philippa Mansfield works as agricultural lead in the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) partnership, which provides advice to farmers to improve water and air quality and reduce flood risk, and is project manager for the Ammonia Reduction from Trees evidence projects. Previously Philippa has worked as an agronomist, researcher and agricultural consultant in the UK and West Africa.

Dr. Philippa Mansfield

20 years ago, we had the dream of growing saplings from veteran trees. Having the privilege of caring for majestic trees in some of the finest historic parklands in Britain, we planned to gather their seed and grow saplings loaded with centuries of epigenetic experience to plant out and regenerate our heavily depleted UK woodland.In 2022, the opportunity arose for us to purchase the perfect site for our tree nursery right next to our home in Cold Ashton, near Bath in Wiltshire. Comprising 35 acres of south facing, former sheep pasture, bounded by mature hedgerows, at the head of a valley running down into the city of Bath, adjoining the Cotswold Way, the source of a brook with year-round abundant spring water.As we investigated the site’s history, we were excited to learn that the land had been a market garden, producing food for the city since Celtic times, with the Romans growing grapes, nuts, and fruits on this rich and diverse limestone escarpment 4 miles from Bath City centre. We set to work designing our tree nursery. We realised we could grow it into a landscape regeneration project with biodiversity, community and education at its core, a living textbook of agricultural innovation.

Charlie Marsden-Noton

Having worked in conservation for over 20 years, Darren’s experience has helped the Trust plant over 3 million trees in 2018 with schools, local communities and landowners. He has established the UK’s most ambitious landscape programme - the Trust’s Northern Forest Programme - which will see 50 million trees planted along the M62 corridor, enabled the Trust to buy its first mountain at Ben Shieldaig, and spearheaded the UK’s first Young People’s Forest.

Dr. Darren Moorcroft

Marina is a director of the Apricot centre based at Huxhams Cross in Dartington Devon. This small 13 hectare farm has been regenerated by weaving together Biodynamic farming, agroforestry, and permaculture design techniques.

Marina studied Horticulture at Bath University, and studied a Masters in Environment and Society under Jules Pretty. She has worked at the Horticultural Training workshop at Dartington Hall, Otley Agricultural College, ran a small market garden in Essex, selling her produce at Growing Communities in London, which relocated to the larger farm in Devon.

Marina’s new book “Designing Regenerative Food Systems' is published by the Hawthorn press and is available at many bookshops.

Marina O'Connell

Dr Mike Perks is Principal Scientist, Forest Research and leads on climate mitigation research. Mike is a tree ecophysiologist with 30 years experience of applied forest science.

Jez has over 20 years of forestry and timber experience. His focus is on product development that enhances opportunities to use UK timber, especially lower-value timber in high value applications, as well as on landscape evolution taking into account ecological & societal imperatives.

Nathan Richards demonstrates UK Stone fruit production within a mixed protected cropping environment. He practices experimental stone fruit production (peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries) within mixed horticultural protected cropping systems.

Nathan Richards

The Robinson’s have farmed at Strickley in south Cumbria for almost 150 years. James & his family now have 300 acres of organic land with 130 pedigree Dairy Shorthorns and 130 followers grazing meadows, permanent pasture and herbal leys in small fields, surrounded by 7 miles of ancient hedgerows. These hedgerows are managed in a traditional 20 year rotation of hedgelaying and link a mixture of diverse habitats such as wetlands, species rich hay meadows and ancient oak woodland.

Will leads the agroforestry research programme at ORC. He has previously worked on ecosystem based climate change adaptation and mitigation for an international NGO.

Jo has been involved in research into agroforestry as an approach to balancing production of food and fibre with protection and enhancement of the environment for the last 13 years. Previously based at the Organic Research Centre in the UK, where she explored innovative silvopastoral and silvoarable systems, she is now based in southern Portugal where the focus is on increasing resilience of agricultural systems against climate change through the implementation of agroforestry.

Sally-Ann Spence is a scientist, presenter, farmer, entomologist and a Fellow of both the Royal Entomological Society and the Linnaean Society.
She specialises in dung beetles and pastureland biodiversity and founded the U.K. Dung Beetle Mapping Project accumulating species data. Her work with the project has seen her surveying field sites all over the U.K. including many outlying islands enabling her to study a multitude of grazing systems.
This practical experience has been translated into collaborative projects working on sustainable land management plans within the farming community to promote dung beetles as important bio-indicators for soil, pasture and livestock health.
Sally-Ann is a founding member of Dung Beetles for Farmers which was formed to continue the awareness of this insect group and highlight their conservation.
She also owns and runs an educational research centre ‘Berrycroft Hub’ based on her family farm where she keeps PFLA accredited livestock and manages all the grassland.
As a passionate advocate of British farming and biodiversity, Sally-Ann does a great deal of scientific public outreach both at her centre on the farm, at various events and on all media platforms including television.

Sally-Ann Spence

Sokratis has 17 years of research experience as principal investigator and co-investigator in several national and international research projects, which focus on how to feed and manage ruminant animals in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve efficiency of feed, energy and nutrient use at animal diet and farm levels, and produce more nutritious milk, dairy products and meat.

Prof. Sokratis Stergiadis

Farming in South Warwickshire Tom runs a commercial walnut and cobnut orchard, a nursery selling walnut and hickory cultivars and works as a business advisor for those starting new nut growing enterprises.

Chartered forester with 30 years forestry and arboricultural experience. Currently Director, Woodland Creation with Woodland Trust where my main focus is to seek innovative mechanisms to increase UK woodland cover, with a strong focus on native tree cover.

Dr Elena Vanguelova is a Senior Biogeochemist / Soil Sustainability Researcher Leader at Forest Research. Elena lead the research on tree measurements, nitrogen uptake and trees species in the Ammonia Reduction from Trees project and works on the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme.

Elena Vanguelova

Clo has worked in horticulture for 30 years, specialising in fruit and perennial systems and has a long held interest in incorporating trees into productive horticulture and agriculture. She recently completed a PhD at Bangor University researching the potential for use of Perennial Green Manures (including trees and shrubs) to mitigate the climate change impact of agriculture.

With a background in farming, Lindsay has worked on farm animal-centred research since 2003. Key focus areas include behaviour and welfare, human-animal-relationships, and enriched, ecologically-resilient systems which support ‘a life worth living’.

Dr. Lindsay Whistance

After an initial career as a software engineer and data analyst, Katy recently completed a PhD on carbon flows across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. As a Research Fellow at Cranfield University, her current research includes the integration of bio-economic agroforestry models developed at Cranfield with those of Forest Research.

Agroecological mixed farmer George Young farms approximately 486 hectares in Essex.

Lead Scientist/Project Manager on numerous research projects with a background in forestry and NRM and practice experience in the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America.

Bianca Ambrose-Oji

Paul Arkle has worked as a professional adviser providing independent environmental and conservation advice to farmers and other land managers since the later 1990s and has worked closely with the Lakes Free Range Egg Company for 20 years to develop their pioneering range tree planting schemes and conduct biodiversity surveys. Before setting up the Cumbria Farm Environment Partnership in 2012, he worked for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and was the FWAG Northwest Team Leader from 2007.

Is a first generation farmer, initially had a dairy herd, then raised beef cattle and for the last few years contract rears dairy heifers for a local farmer using an opportunistic rotational grazing system. Has developed the Shropshire Agroforestry Project for over twenty years researching the uses of a wide variety of species of native and non-native trees in a silvopastoral framework though primarily in regard to climate.

Dr. Bill Bealey is a Scientist and Ecologist at the UK Centre of Ecology (CEH) and Hydrology in Edinburgh with research interests in the field of air pollution impacts on ecosystems, particularly focusing on nitrogen deposition, and mitigation measures to reduce ammonia emissions. Bill lead the UKCEH research on the Ammonia Reduction from Trees project and development of guidance, ammonia calculator and mapping tools.

Dr. Bill Bealey

Proud to be part of the horticultural face of the team, implementing a range of short and long-term strategies, Hugh focuses on small scale systems, supply chain, innovation and
diversity within the sector. Following studying for an MSc in Sustainability and Adaptation at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Hugh has held a variety of posts at the Soil Association spanning the press office, certification, and more recently grower-facing research and advice.

Stephen Briggs mainly produces cereals wheat, barley and oats. In addition to cereals Stephen has integrated 15 varieties of fruit trees (all apples) to create a Silvo-arable system. At 125 acres it is the largest agroforestry system in the UK. He was the winner of the prestigious 2020 Steven and Gillian Bullock Award – for his pioneering work in agroforestry and demonstration of the most successful application of his Nuffield experience 10 years on.

Born and brought up on the family farm in Wiltshire which she runs today, Helen is also Chief Executive of the Soil Association and has served on the Curry Commission into the Future of Farming. She remains first and foremost a farmer and was awarded the OBE in 1998 for services to farming.

Helen Browning OBE

Helen has a keen interest in nutrition and utilising her local natural assets, coming from a family of dairy and beef farmers, and a previous career as a research scientist in nutritional biochemistry. It’s her mission to look after the land for the next generation and having planted a woodland 9 years ago, without any advice on long term maintenance, the farm has found a balance including grazing and shelter for Shropshire Sheep, and boosting biodiversity.

Matt helped build a London restaurant supply chain for his Cornish butcher, Philip Warren, for 10 years. He then returned to his Devon Farm. Taking inspiration from his travels to the iberico pig farmers in Extremedura, he realised the potential of fattening sheep no longer fit for breeding. He farms for biodiversity. The more diffferent plants they eat the happier they are and the better they taste. He sells his sheep to Philip Warren who in turn sell to London’s top chefs.

Simeon Day is a FWAG South West adviser providing support and specialist advice to farmers across six counties on hedgerows, traditional orchards, agroforestry and trees outside of woodlands. He has worked with trees for over 25 years where his roles have taken him from arboriculture in Australia to delivering landscape scale conservation projects across the UK, via managing Nature Reserves and running Treehuggers, an environmental contractor and consultancy business.

George became Chief Executive of the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) 26 years ago in January 1997, having worked at the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in Whitehall, London, and in the Country Landowners Association (CLA) headquarters. George has represented the TFA on the Rock Review Tenancy Working Group and the Tenancy Reform Industry Group, since its formation, and was a member of Amaeth Cymru, the Welsh Government Strategic Framework Partnership Group for agriculture.

Delivering expertise in developing a UK wood supply chain through growing crops of various targeted Eucalyptus species. Eucalyptus Renewables are involved with various DESNZ projects delivering establishment, and silvicultural protocols with a primary objective of creating a thriving and sustainable timber crop in UK.

Jeremy has been feeding willow to lambs and cattle for two years. Feeding willow has been an important part of his livestock diet and he is now looking to make the benefits of willow more accessible to more farmers.

Hilary’s role focuses on supporting Scottish farmers and crofters to reduce their emissions while continuing to produce high quality food, including through planting and managing trees on their land. She co-runs the Integrating Trees Network with Lyn White, a farmer-led initiative which aims to encourage more farmers and crofters to plant trees.

Ashley is an interdisciplinary researcher with research interest in the benefits of trees on farms and integration of forestry with other land uses. Ashley is also a Lecturer in Forestry and the deputy course director of the BSc Forestry and Woodland Management degrees at Bangor University.

Ashley Hardaker

Amanda Illing jointly runs Wakelyns in Suffolk, a longstanding organic agroforestry pioneer, now evolving to embrace ‘short food chains’ and enterprise stacking. She has particular experience of the way in which Wakelyns has brought together a range of different people and activities in a collaboration with results greater than the sum of its parts

Hannah has previously coordinated and carried out research projects on farm by working closely with farmers and agricultural businesses to optimise the impact and applicability of the research. Hannah’s work includes bespoke trials which feed into the Farm Carbon Calculator, the advisory work and knowledge transfer and her interests focus around the business and environmental sustainability of farms, and her favourite days include discussing innovations on farm around a kitchen table.

Dr. Hannah Jones

Josiah is a postgraduate researcher in the School of Geography investigating soil benefits and public goods associated with agroforestry

Phil is a crofter on the Sleat Peninsula of the Isle of Skye on a 3ha wooded croft with his family. An experienced wildlife tour guide, Director of Reforesting Scotland and member of the Nature Friendly Farming Network Steering Group.

Eleanor has a range of experience in the fresh produce and farming sector. As a Technical Officer at LEAF, she is working on a range of projects addressing tree health, net zero strategies and others that strengthen LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management principles and sustainable farming standard.

After 18 years’ in the financial sector in London and Tokyo as an equity salesman and corporate analyst, David now leads the CarbonStore team. He helps landowners to register, validate and verify woodland creation projects with the Woodland Carbon Code and generate saleable and increasingly valuable carbon credits.

David McCulloch

Prof Steve Newman is part of Abacus Agriculture and is advising UK farms and estates on profitable nut tree agroforestry options. He is co-editor of the leading textbook on “temperate agroforestry systems” now in its second edition.

Professor Steve Newman

Jim worked in Argyll as Forest Management and Harvesting Forester, Woodland Officer and Woodland Creation Officer in NW England, led the Defra Forestry Investment Zone Pilot in NE Cumbria, engaging with community, landowners and industry to explore how to increase woodland creation, identifying new approaches like agroforestry, before taking up the role of Agroforestry Development Manager in the National Grants and Regulations team.

Rafael Pompa is a PhD Candidate in the Ecology and Agrienvironmental Research Programme at the University of Reading, and a Farm Advisor at the Westcountry Rivers Trust.

Liza J Randall is a chartered rural surveyor and agricultural valuer with the Woodland Trust, with specific interest in agricultural law, landlord and tenant matters and agroforestry. Formerly an advisor in public relations for food and farming lobbying groups, equestrian sport and a national veterinary charity, with a stint as a magazine editor and author of two books.

Carolyn farms a diverse farming operation at Ashridge court farm, North Tawton. She finishes beef slowly on a mosaic of habitat; including a newly planted Silvopasture system designed to offer shelter and shade and mineral rich browse for the cows.

Carolyn Richards

Over the last twenty years Oli has also worked – and continues to work – on a variety of environmental projects and campaigns. Previously Oli co-founded Equinox Housing Co-op in Manchester and Landmatters Co-op, a 42 acre permaculture community in Devon

Farmer, founder and creator of Britain’s largest supplier of organic veg boxes, Riverford. Guy is an inspirational, passionate and opinionated figure in the world of organic farming and has long since challenged business norms.

Guy Singh Watson

Jeremy Smith has been a Chartered Surveyor and Land Agent in Exeter for over 8 years, working with a diverse variety of clients in the South West. He brings a wealth of expertise and a personal touch second to none.

Ben has focused on sustainable private equity and venture capital investments across Europe and the UK over the past fourteen years with a long history of successfully selecting and establishing new markets, while managing teams to deliver value through development and growth. Ben is an advocate for the natural environment and financing projects which drive change as well as excellent returns with a current focus on agroforestry enterprises.

Phil joined NSA in 2011, after 15 years leading the Soil Associations support work for organic farmers. With 25 years of livestock and arable farming under his belt, he is committed to ensuring sheep are recognised for the holistic role they play in uplands and lowlands, and keen sheep farming finds a way to maintain its tradition and culture while making technical advances to meet future challenges and opportunities.

Clive Thomas is a Senior Advisor for the Soil Association, specialising in regenerative forestry including trees and woodland on-farm. He is currently involved in advocating for a farm-scale forestry model for the UK, where woodland is managed as a farm enterprise to help diversify the range of farmed products and services.

Experienced Arborist and Tree Officer with experience working in the Local Authority and Environmental services industry.

Rosemary is a researcher at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience. Her work focuses on the transformation and democratisation of our food systems through the application of agroecological principles. She is currently working on a research project, AGROMIX, looking at the transition to agroforestry and mixed farming.

I work within the Biodiversity team at CAFRE where I focus on upland and lowland farm biodiversity. I manage an agroforestry unit where I have demonstrated a range of different tree guards to prevent damage from grazing livestock and browsing mammals. The demonstration farm site is used for agroforestry scheme promotion and policy development.

Lyn joined Scottish Forestry in Autumn 2019 in a new role as Forestry and Farming development officer, working to promote a more integrated approach to farming and forestry in Scotland and improve the understanding within forestry sector of farming and the opportunities to work more effectively together. Previous to this Lyn had worked for the Soil Association Scotland since 2002, as a Farming and Land Use Development Manager, running the Farming for the Future programme.

David’s parents, Ann & Martin Wolfe, established pioneering organic agroforestry at Wakelyns in Suffolk from 1994. David and his family have evolved the project - with a wider range of activities and people now based on site and visiting - through short food chains, enterprise stacking, accommodation and courses and events. In 2021 David initiated Agroforestry Open Weekend which this year involved 40 sites, with much more planned for 2024.

Henry is a firm believer and proponent in Agroforestry being central to livestock systems, practising various methods of Silvopasture with his suckler beef herd.

Sophie has been based at RSPB Hope farm since 2018 first as a research intern, then managing a project looking at Carbon emissions and biodiversity trade-offs in agriculture and currently as Assistant farm manager. During her time, she has learnt a lot about the challenges and rewards of managing a nature friendly arable farm and had the opportunity to share those learnings with farmers, policy makers and scientists across the UK. She has implemented and is managing an alley cropping research trial on the farm with a view to understand how it performs for the farm business, carbon footprint, and biodiversity.

Caroline has over 26 years of forestry and wood supply chain experience. Her focus is on working with businesses to grow the homegrown timber industry through supply chain innovation and resource resilience.

Caroline Ayre MICFor

Castle Fruit Farm has been farmed by the Bentley family since 2002. The farm consists of some 130 acres under orchard crops. They are specialist growers of tree-ripened apples, pears, and plums, and producers of prize-winning cold-pressed pear and apple juice. Sustainable production methods integrate beneficial natural, biological and cultural processes into modern farming practices using the most appropriate technology. The complete process of growing the fruit, storage, grading and packing is carried out at Castle Fruit Farm.

Michael Bentley

Liz is an agricultural professional having worked in the industry for over 30 years with ADAS, EFFP and the Soil Association, advising farm business and supply chains, always with a focus on sustainability. In her current role as CEO of the Farm Carbon Toolkit she is responsible for leading the organisation through a period of rapid growth as interest in their services expands.

Dr Matthew Brown is Co-CEO of VernaEarth, a UK start-up building software to help people manage land sustainably, focussed around the (c)ForestFounder platform. Before co-founding Verna, Matthew led the climate change mitigation team at Defra and held third sector and academic roles.

Dr. Matthew Brown

Managing the secretariat function of the Wilder Carbon Standard for Nature and Climate and overseeing the development of the project and approved buyer pipeline.

Coming from a family that has farmed tree crops in Kent for generations Tom specialises in hazelnuts, having undertaken a Churchill Fellowship to research their production internationally. Tom is also a committee member for the Kentish Cobnut Association, whose mission is to conserve and promote British hazelnuts.

Upland Agroforester farming mangalitsa pigs at Brodoclea, a 430 acre regenerating woodland in north Ayrshire. Winner of this years Scotlands finest woods award for The Young Peoples - Farm Woodland. Find out more at thewoollypigcompany.com

Helen Chesshire is lead farming advocate for the Woodland Trust, responsible for working with the farming sector and policy makers to promote the benefits of trees on farms. She has been the Woodland Trust lead on a recently completed Defra ELM Test on agroforestry and grew up on a livestock farm.

Helen Chesshire

Jon is Joint Head of Natural Capital and advises rural clients on all areas of ESG. He focuses on carbon net zero strategies and biodiversity net gain. He specialises in providing practical advice to farms and rural estates on the environmental considerations of land and built property

Steph Dunn James represents the fourth generation within family-run business Frank P Matthews Tree Nursery located in Worcestershire, one of the largest tree nurseries in the UK. We grow over one million container grown and bare root, fruit and ornamental trees every year for supply into garden centres, mail order companies, commercial growers and our very own Tree Shop. Our wide selection of fruit and ornamental trees, soft fruit and hedging is grown here on the nursery in Worcestershire by our very skilled nursery workers. We continue to extend our interests on behalf of customers to breeders and nurseries. This co-operative approach has started with extensive trial plantings at our site in Worcestershire and the prospect of adding some very interesting varieties to our range.

Steph Dunn-James

I am a first generation farmer, and a medical doctor, based in Yorkshire. We grow organic milling cereals, with the goal of providing nutritious food for local people whilst working in harmony with our environment. We recently planted a 50 acre silvoarable system with a four way mix of hardwoods for coppicing.

Emma is an ecologist with a special interest in ancient and veteran trees. She is a member of the UK Wood Pasture and Parkland Network.

Andy Gray is chairman of M C Kelly Ltd a catering butchers, venison processors, and FarmWilder’s regenerative meat boxes. He also farms, quarries, produces dogfood (the Farmer’s Dog). He is an experimental agriculturalist, with multiple trials with Rothamsted and the British Trust for Ornithology. One of those trials is participating in the twelve-year Silvopasture Networks trial. Also, chairman of the Devon County Agricultural Association, and trustee of the Westcountry Rivers Trust.

Bee Happy Plants based at Lakehayes Organic Nursery, is a small family run business, established and put into Soil Association organic conversion in 2002. Now run by Sarah and daughter Joy, with help from other family members, various local part-time and seasonal workers; all have contributed to what has become an efficient production line of seed-raised, organic, wild species plugs, plants and more seeds.
Bee Happy Plants & Seeds was awarded a grant through Innovate UK funded by Defra, a competition to put into action a solution to problems facing farmland and environment in general. This is an interactive database called APP4FUTURE which provides practical, information for farmers to find pollinator-centric agroforestry trees which also provide benefits to farmland and even diversification income for products such as high value medicinal honey, which may soon be in high demand to replace antibiotics

Sarah Holdsworth

Academically a natural scientist, Joey’s prior roles include senior policy positions at the House of Commons, Organic Research Centre, and Welsh Government. He is committed to promoting citizen science & wider engagement, and involved with grassroots orchard & forestry groups across Wales. So no surprise that he’s currently experimenting with a circular mycorrhizal feeding system using high salicylic ramial willow mulches on two new pear orchards.

Becks Illingworth

Chris Jones is from a multigenerational farming family, living and farming in Cornwall. He farms Woodland Valley, an organic livestock farm which has been managed as a Carbon sink since 2009 and has established wood pasture across a third of the land area and protected his stream with a river buffer. Woodland Valley has hosted the Cornwall Beaver Project since 2017.

Tom Kemp brings together a lifetime of woodland and tree experience and four years trialing pigs in a variety of woodland and agroforestry settings. Check out his pigs' instagram @four_legs_good_

Sarah Langford is the Sunday Times best selling author of ‘Rooted: How Regenerative Farming Could Change The World’. She manages an organic arable and pasture farm in Suffolk.

Rory has extensive experience working with trees and the natural environment in a diverse range of practical, scientific and policy roles. Currently he is a Senior Policy Advisor with the Defra Agroforestry Policy Team where he is working on agroforestry scheme development for the new Environmental Land Management Schemes.

A Chartered Forester and ICF Registered Consultant, Simon has over 25 years of public and private sector experience in the UK forest industry. He has detailed knowledge of funding opportunities for woodlands, hedgerows and trees and is keen to promote the multiple benefits which well-designed, productive tree planting can provide landowners looking to diversify their rural business.

Simon Marrington

Secretary and Adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers since 1995 dealing with practical and policy questions in all parts of the UK, liaising with governments and other bodies over developing issues. Has written and spoken widely on tenancy, land use, taxation, environmental and other subjects. Co-author of Agricultural Valuations and other texts, including TRIG’s guidance on woodland planning by willing tenants and landlords.

Working on agri-environment schemes in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire I quickly became interested in traditional orchards. Advising on traditional orchard silvopasture systems for 15 years. I planted my own orchard 12 years ago which is my own experimental plot. I am passionate about Perry Pears, making my own Perry and Cider. I took up the NE agroforestry role last year which has given me an insight into many forms of agroforestry.

Geoffrey Newman

Seren graduated from the University of York with a degree in Environmental Geography and went on to pursue an MSc in Aquatic Science at UCL. She entered the Rivers Trust movement and has worked in various roles for the last 8 years: she now leads the DEFRA-funded Woodlands for Water project.

Seren Patterson

Ruth manages 20 hectares of farm woodland in North Wales with partner David Brown. Still in conversion from plantation to continuous cover forestry, the hardwood thinning’s are already producing about 5 tonnes of planked timber, 1000 fence posts and 50 tonnes of firewood a year.

Ben has worked in the commercial growing world for nearly 30 years and has a wide range of practical horticultural experience, starting his career growing vegetables for chefs, box schemes and farm shops.

He is Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry for the Soil Association. He keeps his hand in on the field implementing the pioneering agroforestry system here at Eastbrook Farm.

He also works as an independent advisor, trainer and an author, writing books for children and grownups, including most recently “The woodchip handbook” and “Plant a tree – retree the world”

Understanding Ag is one of the world’s leading education providers for regenerative farms. Its team combines practical farming experience with scientific expertise to mentor across all farm types and growing conditions.

Kyle Richardville

Rosy is a first year PhD student in the University of Reading’s Sustainable Land Management department. She is a food systems thinker, environmental consultant, campaigner, and physicist by background!

Dan specialises in regenerative agriculture practices including agroforestry schemes and act as a grazier for the Woodland Trust and National Trust.

Adrian Southern is an arborist and great lover of trees and trained as an environmental scientist with a PhD in catchment management with over 35 years of experience. He is currently working in a UK-wide role as Head of Landscape Delivery with the Woodland Trust and works closely with the Riverscapes partnership as one of its founding members.

Dr. Adrian Southern

Dr Tom Staton is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Agroforestry Systems at the University of Reading. He is currently working on projects investigating the biodiversity, environmental and economic benefits of agroforestry in the UK and Europe. His PhD research investigated plant and insect biodiversity, natural pest control, and pollination in agroforestry systems in arable contexts in the UK.

Becky manages the Innovative Farmers programme, working closely with farmers, advisors, researchers and industry bodies on the development of field labs and advocates for more farmer-centric R&D. She manages the grant scheme, assists with development of field labs and creates opportunities to showcase and discuss the innovative practices trialled in field labs. Before this, Becky worked in organic certification, environmental reporting for a water company and in social housing on holiday hunger and food waste programmes. She has an MSc in Environment and Development with a focus on global and local food systems and life-cycle analysis in the cut flower supply chain.

Colin Tosh is Senior Agroforestry Researcher at the Organic Research Centre. He specialises in modelling of agroforestry systems, working on the Agromix and REFOREST EU projects, and the Defra Agroforestry ELM Test. He and colleagues have developed the carbon calculation frameworks for the NEIRF Agroforestry Carbon Code project

Daan is responsible for the definition, implementation and review of BSI's strategy for market development. His passion for consumer goods has taken him on an extensive career in finance with HJ Heinz and Unilever, followed by various positions with global sustainability organisations. He is driven by a strong sense of purpose and thrives on working with purpose-driven organisations.

Daan Van der Wekken

I am a new entrant farmer on 100 acres in Stroud. We are a mixed farm aiming to demonstrate that small-scale regenerative farming can be viable. We have a market garden, beef cows, a tree nursery and agroforestry. The agroforestry is nuts and fruit in various combinations over 20 acres.

Sally Westaway is a researcher with practical experience of agroforestry. She runs an organic CSA in Cornwall and has planted over 1000 trees to protect the veg from Atlantic storms. She is also completing a part time PhD researching the trade-offs and synergies in ecosystem service provision of different spatial configurations of trees on farms.

Peter Wilderspin

An experienced conservation professional with many years spent across the sector, now specialising in delivering nature-based solution finance to drive greater investment in conservation and scale-up delivery to a landscape-scale.

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