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Blending Blackcurrants, Biodiversity, and British Farming Innovation = Ribena!
Review kindly written by Isac Omar, who is studying for an MSc in Agriculture & Development at University of Reading after completing a degree in Information Technology.
Thanks to the Early Career Innovators’ Forum at Agri-TechE, I had the pleasure of visiting one of 35 British blackcurrant growers across the UK – Rosie Begg. She is the Farm Director at Gorgate Farm, which consists of 100 ha of blackcurrants, 75 ha of arable land in the Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme and a further 150 ha of grassland, lakes and woodland.
Besides teaching us about the various varieties and challenges in cultivating this British superfruit, Rosie shared her passion for regenerative agriculture and her 30-year plan for the land. She spoke on pond restoration and being amongst 24 farmers along the rare chalk-fed river Wensum where they work together to improve biodiversity, soil & water quality across 10,000 ha.
As a young, aspiring development-practitioner myself, I find it inspiring to learn from a new generation farmer’s perspective on agricultural practices and vision. I’ll be looking forward to following Rosie’s journey on this meaningful endeavour. The future is bright!
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