The Oxford Farming Conference

Friday 1st September, 2023

09:00
TICKETS NOW ON SALE

2024 Logo

OFC2024 - 3 to 5 January  - Oxford & Online

In-person and digital tickets now on sale

To book your seat, click here

Wednesday 3rd January, 2024

11:00
OFC Registration Opens

The registration desk will open at the Examination Schools, ready for early check-in if you would like to collect your name badge and programme. Please note it will close at 4pm at the Examination Schools.

12:00
OFC24 Inspire Gathering

This event is only for the 2024 OFC Inspire Cohort, and will run from 12:00 to 13:30 at the Examination Schools.

12:01
OFC24 Scholar Gathering

This event is only for the 2024 OFC Scholar Cohort including the Breaking Barriers, and will run from 12:00 to 14:30 at the Examination Schools.

17:00
Partner session: Building climate resilience for the Biggest Job on Earth with BASF

The biggest challenge facing today’s society is building resilience in the face of a continuously changing climate. Farmers are facing the brunt of extreme weather events and global warming could cause a 30% reduction in food production worldwide. This does not change the fact that an ever-growing population needs to be fed and we must find ways to build a more resilient food production system.

Join BASF at the Oxford Natural History Museum for OFC's first partner session of 2024 - a panel session hearing from farmers trialling novel interventions to tackle the effects of climate change and hear a global perspective of the agriculture industry as we look to future proof our food security and care for the natural environment. In keeping with the conference theme of diversity, speakers will share unique insights from different locations, soil types and farming philosophies.

Joining the panel will be:

•    Mary Boote, Chief Executive Officer, Global Farmer Network
•    William Pitts, second generation farmer in Mears Ashby Northamptonshire & founder of Project Fortress, farming on handslope clay
•    Hannah Darby, forth generation farmer near Huntingdon, farming primarily on the Fen with black organic soil
•    Martin Andersson, eight generation farmer, farming a wide rotation in Skåne, Sweden

This session will run from 17:00 to 18:00 at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History followed by an opportunity to network with panellists and guests. Refreshments will be provided.

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

18:00
Fieldwork Book Club, in partnership with OFC and book signing (booking required)

This session will run from 18:00 to 19:00 at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History

There are limited tickets for this session which will be available to book from mid-October via the OFC booking site (if you have already booked your main conference ticket, there will be an option to log back in and add this to your booking via your member portal).

 

19:00
Chairman's Welcome Reception

OFC24 Chairman, Will Evans, officially opens the conference during this special reception at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. A complimentary drink and light nibbles will be available and, for 2024, this event is included in the conference ticket.

This reception is included in your main conference ticket, but space is limited so we do ask that you book a place. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, there is an option to log back in and add this to your booking via your member portal. A link can also be found in your booking confirmation.

This event will run from 19:00 to 20:00

21:00
OFC and Agrespect Joint Social Evening

An informal social, hosted by OFC in partnership with Agrespect, delegates are invited to meet at All Bar One to enjoy an evening catching-up with friends. Space is limited so please see note below.

This event will run from 21:00 to 23:00, and you will be required to show your OFC badge to gain access. Space is limited and will be on a first-come basis.

Please note, whilst the bar will be open, All Bar One will not be serving food during the evening.

Thursday 4th January, 2024

07:00
The Mike Potter Memorial Run

A gentle run enjoying some of the streets of OFC, with runners meeting at the entrance of the Examination Schools.

07:15
OFC Registration Opens

Registration will open at the Examination Schools

07:30
Chapel Service - Morning Prayers

Hosted at the University College Chapel from 7:30 to 8:00

08:00
Partner session: Latest news and developments from the Agri-Tech Centres with Agri-Tech Centres

Come and hear about the latest developments in agricultural innovation from the Agri-Tech Centres’ expert team.  

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

08:00
Partner session: Regenerative agriculture - hype or hope? with NIAB

As we face the challenges of climate change and growing crops that are healthier, environmentally friendlier and profitable, can we sustainably intensify the way we produce food? The technologies and strategies behind regenerative farming stand at the intersection of these challenges. But there is a need to provide the science to scale-up and underpin its credibility.

This session will discuss NIAB’s vision of regenerative farming; that it shares with sustainable intensification and precision agriculture the aim of optimising productivity – producing more from less – while at the same time protecting and improving the condition of the land and surrounding environment.

Speakers:   

  • Professor Mario Caccamo – CEO, NIAB  
  • Dr Elizabeth Stockdale, Head of Farming Systems, NIAB  
  • Dr Juno McKee, Director of Ventures, NIAB  
  • TBC - Antony Yousefian, VP Climate and Circularity, Wilmot

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back into your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

09:00
Conference Commences & Chairman's Welcome

OFC24 Chairman Will Evans opens the conference. Please note, that doors to the main auditorium will close promptly and not open again until the break, so please try to be seated by 9am. Our business lounge is open for anyone who arrives after the doors have closed and hosts a live stream. This area can also be used for anyone who wishes to work while the conference is running.

09:20
OFC Report

The OFC report is presented, looking at the diversity of supply chains.

10:10
Politics Sessions

The renowned OFC Politics session will bring together discussion and debate for the year ahead.

11:15
Time for a Coffee and Natter

The conference breaks for 30-minutes to stretch legs, grab a coffee and natter with fellow delegates

11:45
Food Innovation and Opportunities

A panel will explore innovations and opportunities to produce and supply food, for a diverse population and to provide a sustainable farming business.

12:30
Lunch
13:00
Partner session: “So what do we really want from food?” with Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.

People want healthy, affordable food that doesn’t cost the earth and they don't want to sacrifice standards for low prices. They want governments and businesses to make the food system healthier, more sustainable and fairer for farmers. But how is this really going to work? Hear from innovative farmers, local leaders and food businesses who are tackling this knotty problem, with creative ways forward.

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

13:45
Afternoon Conference Commences

The afternoon conference will commence promptly at 14:00.

14:00
From Waste to Opportunity

We hear how three individuals/businesses have utilised food waste to generate opportunity for the farming and food sector.

14:45
How diversity can strengthen farmers' resilience in the face of climate change

An international and UK perspective

15:15
Food and Drink - bringing people together

A farmer, distiller and chef share their journey of bringing people together over food and drink.

15:55
Frank Parkinson Lecture: Westmorland Family - A Story of Rural Diversification

Sarah Dunning OBE, Chair of Westmorland Limited, shares her family story of innovation and inspiration, in this session titled "Westmorland Family - A Story of Rural Diversification"

16:30
Conference Closes

The conference closes, and delegates are invited to continue networking during our partner events.

16:45
Partner session: Financing a just and regenerative transition for UK agriculture with WWF

WWF-UK and NatWest have published a Roadmap for Financing a Regenerative Agricultural Transition in England. This Roadmap explores how to mobilise investment for regenerative agriculture, including the roles of the supply chain, financial institutions, governments, and farmers, to effectively distribute costs and risks of the transition. This session marks the launch of the roadmap, and will be an interactive discussion of the concrete recommendations for actors along the value chain that will support farmers through the initial period of the transition. The recommendations are supported by a series of workshops, interviews and economic modelling including practical input from farmers and growers, which we will draw on in our introduction.

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

16:45
Partner session: Understanding how we can bring new entrants into agriculture through apprenticeship with Lantra

This session will cover research which has been undertaken by Lantra to understand the barriers to farm businesses hiring apprentices. It will include recommendations for farm businesses, industry and policymakers, with the aim of apprenticeships being a key pillar in a new entrants strategy for the industry.   

Speakers:   

  • David Llewellyn, Lantra Chair  
  • Corrina Urquhart, Director of External Relations (Lantra)

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

16:45
Partner session: Measuring Impact, Maximising Potential: Driving the Regenerative Transition Forward with Map of Ag

Explore the future of sustainable agriculture with Map of Ag and their panel of speakers, featuring Jonathan Lane, Managing Director for ADM Agriculture, and Hugh Martineau, Technical Director of Sustainability. Facilitating this enlightening discussion is Anna Powell, Consultant at Map of Ag.  

Johnathan will discuss his experiences, including the challenges and opportunities presented, in engaging farmers to deliver a joint impact. Together, they will explore approaches to regenerative farming and their measurement and reporting. This session is your gateway to a more resilient, regenerative agricultural landscape.

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

18:45
OFC Oxford Union Debate

The OFC Debate is one of the highlights of the conference, hosted in the Oxford Union and with a motion selected to create plenty of discussion. 2024 motion:  "This house believes that farming for food is holding back nature recovery in protected landscapes

20:00
Post-Debate Supper

Hosted in Christ Church Hall, the post-debate supper offers a special setting to end the first full day of conference. Tickets are limited and charged at £90 plus VAT for a three-course meal, including wine, and can be booked at the same time as your conference ticket, or by logging back into your member area.

Friday 5th January, 2024

08:00
Partner session: Future farming: landscape diversity in 2050 with Woodland Trust

Join the Woodland Trust and the Nature Friendly Farming Network, for breakfast and a lively discussion on how landscape diversity will need to be a key component of a healthy, functioning farming sector in 2050. Building on the conference theme of ‘The Power of Diversity’ explore how nature-based solutions can help ensure that by 2050 we will have farming systems that deliver healthy food, a healthy environment, and a healthy society.  

Whether through agroforestry delivering environmental services and product diversity, or min tillage enhancing soil health this session will have a panel of practitioners who will share their experiences and inspire you to act

Chair:

  • Sarah Langford confirmed  

Panel:   

  • Martin Lines Arable Farmer & CEO NFFN
  • John Pawsey Organic Farmer
  • Claire Whittle – Regen Vet
  • NFFN Farming Champion – tbc- livestock upland farmer

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

08:00
Partner session: Farming a Greener Future – The diverse role of livestock with AHDB

The agriculture sector is under intense scientific, media and public scrutiny, negatively linked to global warming, nature decline and decreasing human health.  AHDB and ITN Business’ ‘Farming a Greener Future’ raises awareness and understanding of the importance of livestock, and its role in feeding the population sustainably. But the role of livestock goes beyond the programme’s themes, with emerging farm-based evidence, scientific advancement and scrutiny of data revealing livestock has a unique and invaluable role within society. Following a short screening of the programme, the session explores the diverse role of livestock in sustainable farming systems, nature recovery, climate action and food security

Speakers:   

  • Professor John Gilliland OBE, Environment Consultant at AHDB
  • Kate Arthur, Lead Nutritionist at AHDB

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

08:00
Partner session: UK Farming Land Tenure at a Crossroads? with CAAV

The need for improved faming productivity together with the focus on environmental and net zero issues put great pressure of rural land, its use and occupation.  Agricultural tenancies, business arrangements and, indeed, land ownership are all under stress.  This session will look at some of the issues and ways forward.   

Speakers: 

  • Jeremy Moody, Secretary and Adviser to the CAAV

There are limited tickets for this session so we encourage pre-booking. If you have already booked your main conference ticket, log back in to your ticket and add this to your booking via your member portal. Click here to amend booking.

09:00
Conference Commences

OFC24 Chairman Will Evans opens the final day of the conference. Please note, that doors to the main auditorium will close promptly and not open again until the break, so please try to be seated by 9am. Our business lounge is open for anyone who arrives after the doors have closed and hosts a live stream. This area can also be used for anyone who wishes to work while the conference is running.

09:25
Diversified Leadership - could farming do better?

A panel share their experience of leadership in the agricultural sector, and how they have adapted to meet different challenges and opportunities.

10:05
Getting People into Agriculture - could diversity fix farming recruitment?

Diversity of work patterns and benefits, skill sets, nationalities and geographical locations, to name a few topics, brings this Question Time style session to life.

10:50
Time for a Coffee and Natter

The conference breaks for 30-minutes to stretch legs, grab a coffee and natter with fellow delegates

11:20
Inspiring Farmers

One of our most popular sessions each year.

12:10
Inclusive Farming

How do we ensure farming is inclusive for everyone, regardless of their circumstances? We close the conference with a keynote speaker.

12:30
Conference Close and 2025 Chairman Announced

OFC24 Chairman Will Evans reflects on the conference and introduces the 2025 Chairman.

12:45
Lunch

Lunch is served from 12:45 to 14:15 allowing you time to continue reflecting on the conference, and catching-up with friends.

OFC24 Logo

Find out more about OFC24, view the programme, speakers and book your tickets, here

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