Early in January, fresh into the new year, a group of us from HG Walter made our way to Oxford to attend the two-day Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC). For those unfamiliar, the ORFC is a vibrant event packed with panel discussions, workshops, film screenings, social events, and storytelling sessions, all aimed at transforming the nation’s food and farming systems. It brings together a diverse crowd of passionate individuals - young and old - united by a vested interest in the UK’s farming landscape and its pressing challenges. The energy was palpable from the moment we stepped through the doors of Oxford Town Hall. The diversity of attendees was remarkable, ranging from farmers to politicians, students to seasoned experts, urbanites to rural folk, and vegans to butchers. While everyone shared a common goal, their varied approaches sparked lively debates and pointed questions for the panellists - the buzz of that initial energy carried through into every session we attended. Over the course of the two days, recurring themes began to take shape, framing the conference narrative. Three stood out: agroecology, insufficient investment in sustainable farming, and the urgent need for greater education about the issues at hand. One session, titled ‘How farmers can contribute to meaningful food systems’, featured George Young, an agroecological farmer from South Essex. He emphasised the importance of biodiversity through ruminant farming: “If you want to bring in ecology, bring in ruminants.” This simple statement encapsulated a key takeaway from the conference - that the future of healthy farming lies in balance and biodiversity. Young shared his experiences of fostering biodiversity, describing how letting nature back in had brought previously absent species like dung beetles and hen harriers back to his land. This story resonated deeply with what we’ve seen among the farms we source from across the UK. For instance, Tom Calver at Westcombe Dairy recently celebrated the return of dung beetles to his fields due to adopting “wilder” farming practices. Another prominent topic at the conference was the severe lack of government funding and the gaps in current policies, which make them challenging for farmers to embrace. The Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), supposedly moving forward with new schemes announced, was a key point of concern. Stuart Roberts, a livestock farmer from Hertfordshire and former employee of Defra and the Food Standards Agency, likened ELMS to “one of those jigsaw puzzles with loads of blue-sky pieces that are difficult to do.” Finally, there was a recurring emphasis on education - or the lack thereof. While the importance of teaching children about food and farming has been discussed for years, the need to educate adults, who influence change now, often goes overlooked. Educating children is essential to preparing future caretakers of the planet, but time is of the essence, and we need to change habits today. People must learn where their food comes from, understand the processes behind it, and engage with this knowledge practically. The final panel of the conference featured a stellar lineup of influential figures in agriculture and sustainable food: Darina Allen (Ballymaloe Cookery School), Simon Fairlie (The Land magazine), and Patrick Holden (Sustainable Food Trust), moderated by journalist and broadcaster Dan Saladino. Among the many topics discussed, there was a clear call to action for more education on being a conscious consumer. The panel argued for using high-quality, well-reared animal fats instead of vegetable oils and stressed that food is medicine: if we eat well, we can reduce our need for medical care. However, these habits won’t take root unless education reform is prioritised. Our first experience of the Oxford Real Farming Conference was one of listening, learning, and reflection. It left us contemplating the key topics raised by some of the country’s leading voices in farming. We look forward to attending in the years to come, hopeful that the big questions will begin to yield tangible answers and solutions.