Herefordshire Council Annual Rivers Conference
2024
Herefordshire Council hosted its second annual Rivers Conference in partnership with the Wye and Usk Foundation and Farm Herefordshire in autumn 2024. The event focused on sustainable arable farming and healthy soils, with a range of speakers from farming, landowning, the food supply chain, and development and regulatory sectors. The presentations were well received, and there was lively discussion, led by Farm Herefordshire and Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud.
Experts from a variety of fields, including environmental, academic, land management, and regulatory sectors, came together to share their knowledge and ideas.
We plan to hold the third conference in autumn 2025 and invite anyone interested in attending or presenting to email Phosphates@herefordshire.gov.uk for more information.
In the meantime, the presentations are available to view below. We welcome any feedback.
Welcome and introduction
Morning session
View the morning session on YouTube
Speakers:
- Mark Green, Two Farmers Crisps - Exploring the challenges and sustainable solutions to crop production (potatoes, maize and beetroot)
- Emma Adams, Puffin Produce Ltd - Processor supplier potatoes sustainability target
- Ben Taylor-Davies, RegenBen - Upper Hollows regenerative potato farming
- Sarah Belton, Nutrient Neutral Ltd - ReSorb: A unique and innovative suite of Agri-tech products optimised for nutrient capture
Morning panel
View the morning panel on YouTube
- Chair - Kate Speke Adams - Mitigating Risk
Afternoon session 1
View afternoon session 1 on YouTube
Introduction to afternoon sessions by Ross Cook, Corporate Director Economy and Environment.
Speakers:
- John Joseph, Trecorras Farm - Farming for a healthier soil
- Phil Gorringe, Lower Blakemere Farm - Regenerative practices and increasing yields
Afternoon session 2
View afternoon session 2 on YouTube
Speakers:
- Andrew Osbaldiston, Ty Hayward and Stuart Hunter, Environment Agency - Tools and approaches to reduce soil and nutrient loss from agriculture
- Ben Nott, Wye and Usk Foundation - Tools and approaches to reduce soil and nutrient loss from agriculture
- Chris Greenaway - Garnstone Farms - Protecting our primary asset
Afternoon panel
View afternoon panel session on YouTube
Chair - Kevin McCloud - Soil Nutrients
2023
Building Bridges over Troubled Waters conference
Herefordshire Council and the Friends of the Lower Wye joined together to produce the ‘Building Bridges over Troubled Waters’ conference. The aim was to bring together the environmental campaigners with the agricultural sector to hear about positive things that are being done in the Wye catchment to restore the health of the River. It was the first in a series of conferences, or ‘confluences’.
A vase of water taken from the Wye that was present at the first conference was then taken to the atrium at Plough Lane where it was displayed from 9 to 23 February 2024 before it was taken to the second conference.