The ORFC 2026 Sessions I’d Hate to Miss

The sessions I’m prioritising, the Substack speakers to catch, and what I’m listening for

I’ve been to the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) in person before, and I won’t pretend it doesn’t sting a bit to be doing it from a laptop this year.

But needs must. I’m working abroad, work has been thinner than I would like lately, and I could not justify the cost of the flight this year. Supporting my family comes first.

The upside is this. ORFC has made it genuinely possible to take part online, and I’m going to be watching closely, partly because I miss it, partly because it’s one of the few places where the conversations feel like they’re actually about the future of farming, not just the optics, and partly because I want to turn what I learn into something useful for you.

Two quick things

First, if you’re a subscriber here, consider this your heads up. I’ll be sharing my ORFC reflections after the conference, what landed, what felt like fluff, what felt quietly important, and what I think it means for UK farming and food security.

Second, you can still join ORFC online.

Register here https://orfc.org.uk/book-orfc-2026-tickets/

If you’re an online delegate outside of Western Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, you can join for free using the bursary option.

What you can watch online

I’m not going to reproduce the whole programme here, but I will add a screenshot of the online timetable below so you can see what’s available at a glance.

Read the programme and plan a few sessions in advance, because there are so many good ones, and if you are attending in person it matters even more since rooms fill up fast, although some of the best sessions are the ones you do not plan for and simply wander into.

The Substack Sessions

A quick, unofficial list of sessions featuring Substack writers, in case you want to prioritise a few.

Online

• Book Talk: Finding Lights In A Dark Age, Building Local Agrarianism - Chris Smaje, Thu 8 Jan, 12.45PM to 13.30PM GMT

• Wild Service, Why Nature Needs You - Nicola Chester, Thu 8 Jan, 18.00PM to 19.20PM GMT (This one lands at 2am for me in Malaysia, so I will be catching it on replay on YouTube.)

• Farmer Perspectives, Pathways to Healing People and Planet - Ben Raskin, Fri 9 Jan, 09.00AM to 10.20AM GMT

In person

• Wholesalers’ Role In Progressive Agriculture - Hugo Harrison, Thu 8 Jan, 11.00AM to 12.20PM GMT, St Columba’s United Reformed Church, Hall

• Workshop: Older Landworkers, Beginning, Continuing, Handing On - Jackie Bridgen, Thu 8 Jan, 16.00PM to 17.20PM GMT, St Columba’s United Reformed Church, Hall

• Growing A Love For Pulses In Schools - Mallika Basu, Fri 9 Jan, 09.00AM to 10.20AM GMT, St Columba’s United Reformed Church, Hall

• Venison, Quality Meat With A Positive Impact - Carrie Starbuck, Fri 9 Jan, 09.00AM to 10.20AM GMT, Town Hall, St Aldate’s Room

If you’re a Substack writer speaking at ORFC, or you know one I’ve missed, reply in the comments with your session title and time and I’ll add it.

What I’ll Be Watching and Why

This is my actual watchlist, the sessions I’m prioritising, and what I’m hoping to get from them.

Thursday

Opening Plenary, Assembly Room - I always start here. The opening plenary sets the tone, and it’s usually where you get the big reminder of why people keep turning up to ORFC, and last year I loved James Rebanks’ remarks about resilience, which felt like grounded optimism that doesn’t insult your intelligence.

Resistance and Renewal, a debate on glyphosate, Newman Room - I’m interested in chemical free farming anyway, and this feels like one of those sessions where you’ll get a proper clash of views rather than polite agreement. It’s chaired by Helen Browning, the Soil Association chief exec and a major organic producer in her own right, with Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network on the panel, so I’m expecting it to be both practical and political.

The Magic of Trees for Livestock, Woodshed - I’m fascinated by agroforestry, and I want more than the headline benefits. Professor Jim McAdam has been running silvopasture trials since 1989, so I’m hoping for proper, down to earth detail, what actually works, what’s wishful thinking, and what the livestock welfare and parasite control benefits look like in real systems.

Updates From the Frontier of Soil Science, Assembly Room - I want to keep learning about soil health, and I’m curious about the point where tech and AI becomes genuinely useful on farm rather than just shiny. Josiah Judson from the Soil Association is speaking, and I am hoping this session gets into what these tools can actually do for decision making, not just what they can do in a lab or a demo.

Friday

A Q and A with the EFRA Committee, Digital Hub - This feels unmissable. With farming policy shifting, food security under genuine pressure, and family farms being squeezed from every direction, I want to hear what the EFRA Committee think their priorities are for 2026, and whether they sound like people who understand what’s happening on the ground.

The Demise of Plant Based Foods, Cause for Celebration or Concern, Woodshed - I’m really looking forward to this. Plant based, UPFs, Veganuary, industrial meat, it’s all tangled together, and the debate is often more tribal than thoughtful. Rob Percival is chairing, and I loved his session on UPFs last year, so I’m expecting this to be sharp and properly argued.

Farm Deep Dive, Diversification with Great Cotmarsh Farm, Assembly Room - I love a real case study, especially when it is about how small farms actually make money without losing the plot. Great Cotmarsh are doing organic and Pasture for Life certified meat, and they have built a whole diversification ecosystem around fibre, dyes, tanning and outreach, which is the kind of thing people talk about but rarely pull off, so I want to hear what is working and what is harder than it looks.

Perennial Protein, How UK Nut Farming Is Healing Land and Communities, Assembly Room - Agroforestry again, because I can’t help myself. I’m especially interested in the UK nut farming pioneers, including Andrew Kent from Glastonbury Nut Farm, and what the market actually looks like once you strip away the hype.

A Small Ask and a February Teaser

If you’ve found my writing useful this year, the reporting, the commentary, the occasional rant, the trying to make sense of it all, the simplest way to support it is to become a paid subscriber.

I’m keeping my ORFC reflections free for everyone because I want as many people as possible in the conversation. Paid subscribers are what make it possible for me to keep doing this work, especially when I’m writing around family life and a limited number of hours.

In February I’m also starting something new for paid subscribers!

A monthly AgStacker Roundtable live discussion on Substack, plus a written Q & A thread that will stay open so you can add questions even if you cannot make the live session.

The first roundtable is planned for Sunday 15 February at 1pm UK time and 8am Eastern US.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, you can upgrade any time. If you’re already paid, thank you. You’re the reason I can keep showing up here, thank you!

H x

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