Dan Powell & Rebecca Laughton

'Why Small Farms Matter'

Dan and Rebecca will be on the Food for Thought stage on Sunday 27th May

Dan has been farming since 1982. For more than 10 years he worked as an adviser helping farmers move their farms over to organic farming methods and training them in organic farming methods. He has worked at River Cottage for six years developing and managing the farm at HQ to produce high quality pork, poultry, beef and lamb for the kitchens and courses here. He also runs the Smallholding Course.

For twenty years, Rebecca has combined organic farming and market gardening with research and campaigning on behalf of small scale farmers. For five years she lived at the low impact community of Tinkers' Bubble, managing 40 acres of orchards, pasture, gardens and forestry plantation without the use of fossil fuels. In recent years she has been an active member of the Landworkers' Alliance, conducting research into the productivity of small farms, taking part in the "People's Food Policy" creation process and campaigning for a Horticulture Renewal Programme to train and support new growers. She is also a tenant grower at Tamarisk Farm, in Dorset, and supplies pubs and local shops with seasonal organic vegetables.