The CRT at Groundswell Agriculture Festival

The CRT team was out in force at Groundswell Agriculture Festival and had an incredible time soaking up knowledge and connecting with more than 10,000 passionate attendees. 

The two-day event started with a surprise appearance from HRH the Prince of Wales, who delivered the festival's ‘thought for the day'. 

He said regenerative farming is not a fringe alternative but “it must be a foundation stone for British agriculture to help us rebuild the health of our nation.” 

HRH The Prince of Wales at Groundswell
Photo by Andrew James, CRT Head of Content

HRH The Prince of Wales sharing 'Thought for the Day' at Groundswell
Photo by Andrew James, CRT Head of Content

The CRT's panel discussion in the Wildlife Trusts' marquee

While attending a host of talks, discussions and workshops was a brilliant opportunity for the CRT, our highlight must be our own talk, which was kindly hosted by the Wildlife Trusts in their marquee. 

With our tenant farmers Matt Elphick, of Brays Farm, and Tim Scott, of Lark Rise Farm, we spoke to a packed tent about how farmers and conservationists can find common ground to work together.  

Chaired by Helena Darragh, our Head of Conservation, she also spoke with Vince Lea, our conservation officer at Lark Rise and Helen Bailey, Land Advisor for The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire. 

Building on the charity’s aims to educate people about nature-friendly farming and how healthy ecosystems support food production and our health and wellbeing, we were delighted to answer so many questions from the audience too. 

Here are some of the highlights from our staff who attended Groundswell- and are already looking forward to next year! 
 
Andrew James, Head of Content: “I sat next to a young cattle farmer who, like me, wanted to listen to American farmer Gabe Brown talk about the importance of regenerative farming. After the talk, I asked him what he thought. He immediately replied that he was so inspired he wanted to start on his regen journey as soon as he got back to his farm. I couldn't help wondering how many other young farmers in the audience were equally enthusiastic and ready to rethink the way they farm.” 
 
Helena Darragh, Head of Conservation: “It was wonderful to share the work of the CRT alongside panel members. The general atmosphere at Groundswell is really uplifting and a lovely reminder that this is why we support our farmers to farm the way they do. It’s part of a much bigger movement to transform our food and farming systems. I also loved catching up with external colleagues from other organisations, such as from Wildlife Trusts, and making new connections to help with our jobs when we’re back to day-to-day work. 

“I enjoyed learning about some new and exciting funding to support research and innovation on farms through the Defra ADOPT programme as well as learning some top tips in the talk on the limiting factors of soil, such as identifying and resolving compaction issues and working on sandy soils, which will be applicable to better understanding our properties.” 

Vince Lea, Conservation Officer: "My overall take from the two days was a sense of optimism that a lot of the problems caused by intensive farming could be addressed by the more ecologically sound way of thinking about soil and making it productive. The large number of young people around the event gives me cause for optimism, although it will require some landownership or mindset changes in the incumbent agricultural community to achieve this shift. I learned about the ecology and importance of dung beetles in a practical hands-on investigation of cow pats and a fascinating follow up talk. I am looking forward to starting an investigation into these at Lark Rise Farm now that we have a bit of dung on the farm with our sheep flock."

Rebecca Dutton, PR & Policy Officer: “Listening to Prince William speak was a huge highlight as well as seeing him so engaged as he wandered around the stands at Groundswell. I found the talk on Telling the Regenerative Story: Farming in Media & Culture very interesting, with some top tips for social media and creating impactful stories around farming.” 

Kerriann McLackland, Head of Estates: “The talk on the eFBT created by the Crown Estate in collaboration with the Tenant Farmers Association reinvigorated my belief that we are at the forefront of landlord-tenant relationships in the 21st century. We are putting our tenants in the driving seat in the search for the most effective nature-friendly farming methods for each farm and working collaboratively to achieve jointly developed outcomes for nature, agriculture and people. This was the energy boost I needed to keep evolving the way we work and the nature of the agreements that we have.” 

Hannah Bosence, Farm Manager at Bere Marsh Farm: “My main takeaway from Groundswell was the level of excitement bubbling around the place. You could feel the energy of people finding talks interesting, having ideas and being excited. It was infectious!” 

Julie Robins, Marketing Manager:  “It was great to see so many people at the fantastic Groundswell 2025 event. The panels I attended were superb, sharing inspiring ideas and approaches to regenerative farming.” 

How to support us

If you want to help us protect local wildlife and habitats, you can join as a CRT Friend, attend our in-person and online events and volunteer on one of our farms. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your inbox.