The Farm of the Future Climathon continues a programme of NICRE-funded work with rural communities to develop locally relevant net zero solutions. This Climathon, delivered in partnership with Strutt and Parker, was held on Tramway Farm, a predominantly arable farm of 480 acres with some pasture and woodland which lies on the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire border, on the 1st and 2nd February 2024.
Participants were asked “What might a climate resilient farm of the future look like?”. In the morning of the 1st, they learned about climate action in the Cotswolds National Landscape, the Royal Agricultural Society’s Farm of the Future guide, adaptation and mitigation on farms, and the host family’s priorities for their farm in a webinar.
There was also an opportunity to discuss initial ideas for a climate resilient farm in breakout rooms. Emerging themes included climate resilience, food production, retail and shorter food chains, community engagement and accessibility, biodiversity and new nature markets, and energy and biomass.
The morning of the 2nd began with a farm walk led by Strutt and Parker colleagues. Following this opportunity to get to know the farm, and other participants, everyone gathered at Blackwell Village Hall for a workshop. The remainder of the day was dedicated to deliberating and developing potential solutions for Tramway Farm, which served as a case study example for farms of a similar type. Positive, collaborative discussions paved the way for six team presentations on ways in which Tramway Farm could be developed into a climate resilient farm in line with the family’s priorities, including through business and community engagement, and farming systems designed to support both nature and the farm business. Each team received feedback on their solutions from three panellists.
A report of the event will be available on the NICRE research page soon. We are planning our next Climathon event in collaboration with Forest of Dean District Council. More details for the event on the 25th and 26th April will be announced on our social media in due course.
