Harmony in Food and Farming

A two-day conference, organised by the Sustainable Food Trust and hosted by Llandovery College, a participant in the

Harmony pilot schools initiative.

Llandovery CollegeLlandovery

Wales

July 10-11th 2017

Draft Programme

9:00 - 10:00 Registration tea & coffee

10:00 - 10:45 Opening Session

Welcoming RemarksGuy Ayling, Warden, Llandovery College

Opening Address The Harmony Principles in Food and Farming Patrick Holden, Chief Executive Sustainable Food Trust

10:45 - 11:15 Keynote Speech “Harmony: A New Way of Looking at our World”Speaker tbc

11:15 - 12:30 Exploring the Harmony Philosophy and Principles

Natural Capital - Tony Juniper, Professor of Harmony in Practice, Lam-peter University

Education and Food - Richard Dunne, Headteacher, Ashley School

The Circular Economy- Dame Ellen MacArthur, The Circular Economy - tbc

Music and Agriculture - Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Conductor

12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Sourced from local producers

Monday 10th July

In his book, ‘Harmony, A New Way of Looking at Our World’, The Prince of Wales shares his insights about the timeless laws and principles which permeate everything around and within us, an understanding of which can enable us to make better sense of the world in which we find ourselves. He also suggests that we will be best placed to address the climatic, ecological and public health challenges of our time, if our actions are informed by a deep understanding of these principles. During the conference, our keynote speakers will explore the ways in which Harmony Principles manifest in food, agriculture and other spheres, including the environment, education, health and music. A range of parallel sessions will follow, in which speakers will share their insights about principles of Harmony in food and farming and other related fields. On the afternoon of the second day of the conference, there will be a series of field trips to local producers.

We expect the conference to attract over 300 participants from a wide range of backgrounds, with a particular emphasis on individuals with an active interest in food and farming. There will be a strong participatory element, made possible through a diverse programme which will include 4 sets of parallel sessions, each with a choice of themed elements. This will provide the opportunity to go into more depth than would be the case if the conference remained in plenary throughout. Our aim is for around 60% of the parallel sessions to focus in one way or another on food and farming, with the remainder covering a range of related issues, including education, music and faith.

Theme

The conference food will sourced as locally and sustainably as possible and served by the producers themselves where appropriate. The conference will also include a cultural programme.

Participants

Food and cultural programme

08:00 - 9:00 Tea and Coffee

9:00 - 10:30 Parallel Sessions

Harmony and the Carbon CycleExploring opportunities for the harmonious transformation of future food and farming systems - how can farmers become a part of the climate change solution through more integrated and diverse farming systems?

Harmony, Diets and Health Exploring the extraordinary transformative power of the digestive sys-tem, its connection with the ‘soil as the stomach of the plant, and the connectivity between farming practice, diets, food quality and public health.

Sacred Life and Death in Livestock FarmingWe live in a world where economic pressures have dehumanised live-stock farming through industrial scale centralised production and slaugh-tering facilities. Can Harmony thinking inform a transformation of atti-tudes and practice with farm animals, both in life and in death?

Music of the SpheresCan we build a bridge between the mathematical laws which inform the musical scale, the movement of celestial bodies and the principles and practices of harmonious agriculture?

10:30 - 11:00 Break

11:00 - 12:30 Parallel Sessions

Harmony and Biodynamic Agriculture Exploring the ways in which the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, which inspired the development of biodynamic farming, connect with the Harmony philosophies, principles and practices. How can these ideas extend their influence to the whole of agriculture?

Local Food Systems: Towards New ModelsHow can Harmony Principles inform the design of re-localised food sys-tems with key staple food sourced from local producers wherever possi-ble. This session will focus on Wales as a case study.

Building Harmony Through Reconciling Systemic Discord How can we reconcile the systemic tensions which are giving rise to disharmony throughout the world using the newly evolving discipline and practice of constellation therapy?

12:30 - 13:00 Closing Session

Tuesday 11th July14:00 - 15:30 Parallel Sessions

The Farm Ecosystem Despite the diversity of the natural order, monocultures which character-ise intensive farming are precipitating mass extinctions in plants, animals and the soil. How can principles of Harmony be reflected in a healthy and diverse farm ecosystem?

The Circular Economy We live in a world where economics no longer serves the interest of the planet and its people. Can this disconnection be rectified through the creation of an economy where everything in nature is properly valued, reused and recycled harmoniously?

Harmony and Education How can principles of Harmony be embedded most effectively into ed-ucation, both in theory and in practice? Can this enable cross- curricula ‘enquiries of learning’ to be more cohesive, purposeful and meaningful?

Science and HarmonyScience is catching up with intuition and breaking new boundaries in un-derstanding the Harmony Principles. In this session, led by Rupert Shel-drake, we will explore some of these connections, including pilgrimage, meditation, and gratitude

15:30 – 16:00 Break

16:00 – 17:30 Parallel Sessions

Eating as an Agricultural ActEach time we eat, we are playing a direct part in extending the agricul-tural ecosystem beyond the farm gate. Through the prism of cheese, bread, meats and wine, speakers will share their stories of how they are exploring of the bridge between raw materials on the farm and the food we eat.

Farming in Harmony with NatureModern farming methods have ghettoised nature, confined it to the margins of otherwise intensively farmed land. How can the diversity of nature, in all its forms, be reintegrated into farming systems as a whole?

Harmony Principles in Farm ArchitectureHow can the design of farms and farm buildings be beautiful, functional and best express a sense of place? Themes include landscape architec-ture and urban food system design.

19:00 Evening reception followed by ‘slow food’ meal sourced from and served by local producers

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

13:30 - 16:30 Field Trips

Strata Florida Abbey This visit will feature a ruined Cistercian Abbey dating back to the 11th century - one of the key spiritual centers of West Wales. A charitable foundation has recently been established to purchase and restore the adjoining traditional Welsh farmhouse and buildings, with a view to rein-tegrating the story of the farm, which played a crucial role in the devel-opment of the Abbey, as a key element of the visitor experience.

Bwlchwernen Fawr - Holden Farm Dairy (via Watson and Pratt farm shop)This visit will feature a walk round Wales’s longest established organ-ic dairy farm, established in 1973. This now extends to 300 acres and includes a herd of 80 Ayrshire cows, aiming to move towards self-suffi-ciency in nutrients, animals feeds, and animal bedding by providing milk for the on-farm production of Hafod, a raw milk cheddar style cheese. This cheese is produced in a purpose-designed new facility and cheese store situated immediately adjacent to the milking parlour, all of which will be included in the visit.

Blaencamel Farm Blaencamel, established in 1974 by Peter Segger and Anne Evans, is arguably one of the longest established examples of a fully integrated, sustainable, organic horticultural enterprises in the UK. A wide range of vegetable and fruit crops are grown for sale through farmers’ mar-kets, wholesales, direct sales and through a ‘shop’ with an honesty box. Approximately 10 acres of the 44 acre holding is devoted to vegeta-ble and fruit production, including one and a half acres of polytunnels. There is also a well-established composting system.

Troed y Rhiw Farm and coastal walk Troed y Rhiw is a relatively newly established organic horticultural hold-ing situated around 1 and half miles from a beautiful beach at Cwmtydu. The holding also incorporates two holiday let barn conversions. Nathan Richards and his wife Alicia Miller grow a wide range of vegetable and fruit crops which they sell through local farmers markets, a box scheme and wholesaling, as well as ‘captive’ sales to visiting holiday makers. This visit will include a trip to the beach with optional swimming!

18:00 onwards

End of conference celebratory reception BBQ and party.Hosted by Patrick and Becky Holden at Bwlchwernen Fawr / Holden Farm Dairy