Farm Woodland Forum annual conference, Reading - May 18th/19th 2026
This year's theme is:
“The best time to plant a tree was 40 years ago. The second-best time is now"
The conference begins immediately after the 2026 Agroforestry Open Weekend, allowing attendees to combine travel and accommodation for both events.
Day 1 Monday 18th May: Little Hidden Farm, Hungerford.
We will begin the conference, meeting at 11:00 to visit the farm’s well-established 30+ year old row-based agroforestry system. The farm tour promises to highlight:
- The system’s original planning and purpose
- Changing circumstances and management
- Adaptation to new objectives
- Costs of change
- Value of the system to the farming enterprise
- What wood-based produce can be utilised effectively
- Importantly, with the benefit of hindsight, what might be done differently today
Day 2 Tuesday 19th May: Reading University.
Indoor sessions combining in person and remote presentations of 15 – 20 minutes. These will cover:
- How to plan, manage, and market agroforestry systems effectively to support the wider business
- The importance of instilling economic values to farmers' decision making
- The value of established agroforestry systems
- for research
- for inspiring new planting
- challenges and opportunities over the life of an agroforestry system
- intergenerational changes
- Long term vision for agroforestry-based value chains
- How to support agroforestry systems during establishment
For details and tickets :
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/farm-woodland-forum-annual-meeting-2026-mon-may-18th-tues-may19th-tickets-1985355836752
If you are interested in attending please can you try and confirm registration by Friday 17th April.
Please submit abstracts for presentations and posters for the event using the link below:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/TEkm73rp3L
Bursaries
2x for students, 2x for farmers, see details on booking form
send applications to BRaskin@soilassociation.org
Any questions contact:
aormerod2015@gmail.com