A PRIZE fund will help farmers make the transition to a regenerative farming system.

Regenerative farming could provide the answer to healthier soils, farm business resilience and food security. And a major new conference which seeks to explore these links is offering a £5,000 prize fund.

LandAlive, which takes place on November 22 and 23 at the Bath and West Showground, Somerset, is bringing together expert farmers and speakers to explain how the whole food supply chain can become more resilient, profitable and environmentally sustainable.

The new prize fund has just been announced, and will officially launch at LandAlive, offering two farmers or farm advisers in south-west England £2,500 each towards a two-year regenerative farming programme called Roots to Regeneration.

“We must support our farming communities to evolve and respond to the increasing impacts of climate change,” says Carol Paris, chief executive at the Royal Bath and West Society.

“The prize fund, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Grocers, aims to stimulate innovation in farm business models in response to climate change, biodiversity loss, soil health, animal welfare, and – importantly – supporting farmer wellbeing.”

Tamara Giltsoff, a co-founder of LandAlive, says those who want to apply for the prize can follow a simple application process, outlining their objective for joining the programme. First, they need to register their interest by booking a consultation at rootsofnature.co.uk/roots-to-regeneration/. The programme starts February 2025 and is run by regenerative agriculture leader Caroline Grindrod and farmer Clare Hill.

The programme comprises a mix of practical and technical learning, thinking about the bigger picture on the farm, the farm business model, and the impact of the farm within the local economy and community.

Clare and Caroline will both be speaking at LandAlive, while the other 50 plus speakers include a wide range of farmers, consultants, scientists, environmentalists, food processors and human health experts. Book tickets at www.landalive.co.uk.