Blog
 |
Keep in touch with the Food Alliance Blog - sign up here Follow on Instagram here, Facebook here Here's where you can see what's happening for good local food in Herefordshire. From local food events, through farming to food waste - we use the Sustainable Food Places topics so you can see the things you're interested in at a glance. Click on each one for more information or scroll down the most recent. Contact us to tell us what's going on in your part of the County and sign the food charter to add your voice! |
We had 2 really fun school trips at the Gorringes inspiring Lower Blakemere farmthis summer. A huge thank you to Heather and Phil and their amazing team..
We had a sell out at our first Feast on the Farm event in collaboration with Herefordshire Meadows!
Wicton Farm, Bromyard, is an exemplar in high welfare, sustainable dairy farming and they need your help!
England's Land Use Framework (LUF), is the government's first coordinated plan for how land across the country should be used. It sets out how land can best meet multiple demands - from food production to housing, major infrastructure, water management and nature recovery. The plan aims to manage competing demands, seeking multiple benefits for any location, and to make sure the right land uses are priortised in the right places, including considering any knock-on effects.
Farmers, conservationists and community members came together for a discussion on the topic of “Food vs. Nature?” hosted by Ledbury Food Group and Sustainable Ledbury. Panellists shared their insights and took questions from the floor, as the discussion explored some of the most complex challenges facing Herefordshire: how do we support thriving food production while restoring nature and protecting our rivers?
We recently announced our first date in the diary for our Feasts on the Farm project at Lower Blakemere Farm - exploring all things worms and composting, with HFA Feasts on the Farm to be serving up a delicious soup freshly made from local ingredients too!
Unfortuantely, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, this event will now be postponed. We thank you for your interest, and will let you know as soon as we have more Feasts on the Farm dates to share.
This year’s Borderlines Film Festival — the UK's largest rural film festival — offered a rarebit treat: two short films from the BBC archives that reframed local food through a 50 year lens, and documented the role of food in local culture and identity.
This week there have been streams and lakes appearing where they have never, in my twenty years living in Herefordshire, been before. Driving anywhere has become what I imagine it’s like being in a monsoon; with pot holes becoming invisible in the multiple enormous puddles.
Guest blog from alliance member and farmer, Heather Gorringe... Herefordshire has been chosen as the pilot county for an exciting new regenerative farming programme supported by the Royal Countryside Fund, working with Herefordshire Rural Hub and the Regenified certification scheme – and that is something our whole county can be proud of.
We are delighted to annouce that Herefordshire Food Alliance has been awarded Awards for All funding from the National Lottery to fund our Farm Link - Feasts on the Farm project. Hurrah!
We are proud to share the news that John and Julie of Trecorras Farm near Ross on Wye were awarded the prestigious "Soil Farmer of the Year" award jointly by Farm Carbon Tool Kit and Innovation for Agriculture at Groundswell in July 2025.
A huge thank you to Mark and Kitty and the team at Perrystone Farm for allowing us to bring the years 5 and 6 from Fownhope Primary school on 7th July.
We are very pleased to let you know that Six Inches of Soil will be shown at the Courtyard Theatre in Hereford on Tuesday 3rd June at 5.45pm. Another great opportunity for those of you who have not seen it yet. You can make a night of it as the showing has been timed to fit with David Attenborough's "Ocean" which will be screened at 7.45pm. We are also delighted to say that Ellie Chowns MP will be recording a special video introduction to the film too. BUY TICKETS HERE!
Journey to regenerative Farming.. a regenerative agriculture mentoring project. Cherry Taylor from 'Action on Climate Emergency Monmouth' shared a brilliant report about three Monmouthshire farms who received mentoring from regenerative farmer Ben Taylor-Davies, aka 'Regen Ben', who was on our Six Inches of Soil panel in Llangrove last year, as well as hosting our Autumn 2023 Breakfast Feast.
The anouncement is broadly welcomed, as is the governments intention to join up government departments to tackle the complex and urgent reform of the food system.
However, it is disappointing to see so little representation from civil society, public health, environment, nature-friendly farmers, food partnerships and pioneers of local and regional action that will be so integral to a national Food Strategy's success.
It was super inspiring to meet the team at Perrystone Farm who manage the stock there and at the neighbouring Brockhampton Estate. The team is made up by Mark, his wife Hazel, and recent recruits, Kitty and partner James, who bring their experience of working with other progressive farm systems in Herefordshire and beyond.
Herefordshire Food Alliance is part of The Marches Partnership which is a partnership with Powys, Monmothshire, Shropshire that seeks to create a food system for the Marches fit for future generations. We need your help with a bit of market research!...please share this with your networks. !
Our next Six Inches of Soil event will be in Blakemere hosted by Heather Gorringe of Wiggly Wigglers at Lower Blakemere Farm, Blakemere. HR2 9PX on Friday 14th March from 6-9.30pm. We'll be hearing all about the farm's involvement with the Ridge to River Nature Recovery Scheme alongside our usual format of delicious local food (from the Duchy Estate) and Q&A.
Producer Spotlight on Chapel House Farm, Craswall
Simon and Anita Dale farm in Craswall and Much Dewchurch and are a great example of field to fork eating, closing the food loop in Herefordshire's Golden Valley. They are an inspiration!
Herefordshire have produced the first draft of a county wide nature recovery map – and now they want your input.
As part of the national strategy for encouraging nature recovery all counties in England are currently producing maps showing the existing nature assets, corridors and stepping stones for nature and trying to identify land that has potential for nature recovery.
Six Inches of Soil moves to the west of the county on 28th February when we head to St. Peter's Hub, Peterchurch.