WHAT IS THE ORGANIC GROWERS GATHERING?
The Organic Growers Gathering is organised by growers for growers. From small scale fruit, vegetable, herb and flower growers to land workers, crafters and purveyors of folk music from across the UK. Whether you’re a master of the soil or a new entrant gaining experience seeding your ideas, there is something here for everyone.
We gather to network, skill share, build community, discover and learn. Expect lots of practical sessions, workshops, breakout spaces for skill sharing and networking. As well as organic vegan food, live music, sauna and wellbeing space as part of a small festival.
The gathering is hosted at the Hardwick Estate, including Tolhurst Organic CIC, one of the longest running organic farms in the UK renowned for pioneering, ethical stock free organic standards. Set in the beautiful South Oxfordshire countryside.
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
And to answer it, we have to explore a couple of related ideas. What does it mean to have an annual gathering of the organic growing community? Why does this thing exist? It started because we love growing. It started because we love our farms and we love the land. We knew that there were other people like us out there, and we wanted to provide a space for all of us to come together and talk about what it is that we do.
In boring terms, it is currently a limited company because that is what makes sense after 3 years at the size that we are. We are looking at becoming a not-for-profit when it reaches a point where that is justified, but this is about so much more than just a tax designation.
We recognise that in order to build stability and resilience within the organic community, something like this is necessary. We all do important work, and we need something to rally around, somewhere to support each other and somewhere to learn from each other. It has evolved, and it will continue to evolve, but underneath it all it remains the same. It is organised by growers, for growers. And it will stay that way.
SUPPORTED BY
OBJECTIVES & PURPOSE
OBJECTIVES & PURPOSE
EDUCATIONAL & PRACTICAL SKILLS
We are committed to a programme that shares on hands-on learning experiences, practical workshops, farm-hacks, breakout spaces, constructive panel discussions, presentations, demonstrations and farm tours.
OPEN & INCLUSIVE
Platforming the voices from the fields, we open up the programme to the community of organic growers to share their on farm experiences at the OGG. Sessions are interactive, with time for questions during the sessions.
SHARED LEARNING
As growers, we gather our aligned organic networks to provide a range of sessions to offer a diverse ecosystem of ways to share knowledge and learn from one another. Co-creating a multi-generational, diverse, educational collective space, with frolics of fertile and ungovernable celebration of our connection to the land.
ACCESSIBILITY
Support from partners and sponsors enable us to provide subsidised entry as ‘Bursary Tickets’ in order to make this event accessible to all, as organic growers are some of the lowest paid workers in the UK.
GROWER OUTREACH
This will be a cherished event by approximately 500 attendees. The programme will be shared with many more through social media, press, and recorded live talks with a desire to live stream the event this year.
ORGANIC
The UK needs to catch up with other European countries like Germany who have many more organic events, and the movement is growing. The catering at OGG will be organic vegetables from farms and also vegan, with gluten-free options too.
STRENGTHEN NETWORKS
We are cultivating alliances between farming networks and platforming growers voices for a more resilient community farming future, part of a ripening food and land justice movement. Standing in solidarity with one another, we are strengthening our food networks, building resilience in our community and planting seeds for other possible ways to work together.
EDUCATIONAL & PRACTICAL SKILLS
We are committed to a programme that shares on hands-on learning experiences, practical workshops, farm-hacks, breakout spaces, constructive panel discussions, presentations, demonstrations and farm tours.
OPEN & INCLUSIVE
Platforming the voices from the fields, we open up the programme to the community of organic growers to share their on farm experiences at the OGG. Sessions are interactive, with time for questions during the sessions.
