The team from Sustainable Food Cornwall are brimming with new ideas and enthusiasm now they’re back from two action-packed days at the 2025 Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC).
Director Matthew Thomson, co-ordinator Claire Judd, and directors Becky Fry and Peter Lefort, all travelled through the snow to the in-person conference from 9-10 January in Oxford. Director Charlotte Barry participated in the online conference sessions from her home in Cornwall.
Summing up the overall experience, Matthew said it was incredibly useful to be part of the annual national conversations about local food plans and partnerships taking place in Oxford Town Hall.
“It was great to connect with so many amazing people working to make food great again like Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, Food Plymouth, and Devon Food Partnership,” Matthew said.
“And to meet up with Cornish growers and farmers like Soul Farm in Flushing and Rumbullion Farm, near Saltash who are helping us with our work locally.
“It was a tremendous privilege to be part of such a strong Sustainable Food Cornwall line-up.”
The SFC team took part in a wonderful mix of sessions ranging from integrated pest management, scaling up the market garden, and the economics of sustainable horticulture to soil science, land reform, and livestock and biodiversity.
SFC director Peter Lefort has been part of the ORFC team from its early days. Every year he plays a vital role at the in-person conference working behind the scenes as a technical support manager.