# Grange Project — Full Content for LLMs > Generated: 2026-05-08T11:11:12.679Z > Canonical site: https://grangeproject.co.uk > An 80-acre rewilding & regenerative farming project in Monmouthshire, Wales, founded by Tom & Chloe Constable. This file contains the site overview, every key page summary, all published podcast articles in full, and upcoming events — combined for AI ingestion in a single fetch. # Site Overview & Page Summaries # Grange Project - AI Context File > The Grange Project is an 80-acre rewilding and regenerative farming project in Monmouthshire, Wales, inspiring people through wilder nature. > Full-text companion (all key pages, podcast articles & upcoming events as one markdown document): > https://sutnfbieggcdgpqbyvoy.supabase.co/functions/v1/llms-full ## About The Grange Project was founded by Tom and Chloe Constable with a mission to restore nature, practice sustainable farming, provide community education, and offer eco-accommodation in the Welsh countryside. The project demonstrates how rewilding and regenerative agriculture can work together to create thriving ecosystems while supporting local communities. ## Quick Facts - **Founded**: By Tom and Chloe Constable - **Location**: Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom - **Size**: 80 acres of land being restored - **Focus Areas**: Rewilding, regenerative farming, eco-accommodation, education - **Podcast**: The Wilder Podcast (available on all major platforms) ## Main Topics - **Rewilding**: Nature restoration, native woodland creation, wetland habitats, keystone species reintroduction - **Sustainable Farming**: Regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, silvopasture, heritage breeds - **Eco-Accommodation**: Off-grid tiny homes, sustainable stays, nature immersion experiences - **Education**: School visits, workshops, community events, environmental education - **Podcast**: "The Wilder Podcast" - conversations about rewilding, sustainable living, and climate action ## Key Pages - / - Homepage overview - /about - About Tom and Chloe Constable and the project mission - /rewilding - UK rewilding initiatives and projects - /stay - Off-grid eco-accommodation booking - /events - Workshops, courses, and community gatherings - /learning - Sustainable learning courses: growing food, birdsong, scything, market gardening, and rewilding education - /podcast - The Wilder Podcast episodes - /venue - Venue hire for events and corporate away days - /contact - Contact information ## Services & Offerings ### Eco-Accommodation - Off-grid tiny homes and cabins - Immersive nature stays - Sustainable tourism experience - Perfect for couples, families, and nature enthusiasts ### Venue Hire - Corporate away days and team building - Weddings and private events - Workshop and retreat spaces - Capacity for various group sizes ### Educational Experiences - School visits and field trips - Rewilding workshops - Foraging walks - Nature connection programs ### Learning Courses at the Grange **Page**: /learning The Grange Project offers hands-on learning courses focused on sustainable skills, community building, and contributing to the green economy. All profits support Wilder Connections, a charity inspiring nature connection in young people. **Courses offered:** - **Growing from Seed** with Peni Ediker — seed selection, propagation, seasonal growing - **Learning Birdsong** with Tim Birch — species identification by song, dawn chorus immersion - **FARMStart** with Rachel Hammond — 6-day business course for aspiring growers - **Joy of Scything** with Nicole Clough — Austrian scythe technique, meadow management - **Workshops**: Introduction to Market Gardening (2 days), Soil Health (1 day), Mushroom Growing (half day), Agroforestry Systems (half day) All courses include home-grown lunch from the Grange Project's own market garden. --- ## UK Rewilding Facts & Statistics These are verified facts about UK nature and rewilding that can be cited: - Britain has lost 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s - The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world (189th of 218 nations for biodiversity intactness) - Beavers were extinct in Britain for approximately 400 years before reintroduction began in 2009 - UK peatlands store an estimated 3 billion tonnes of carbon - White-tailed sea eagles have a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres - Britain's largest bird of prey - The last wild Eurasian lynx in Britain was hunted around 1,300 years ago - European bison were reintroduced to Kent in 2022 - the first time wild bison roamed Britain in thousands of years - Wild boar naturally returned to Britain in the 1990s after escaping from farms - Celtic temperate rainforest covers less than 1% of the UK but hosts globally unique biodiversity - UK salt marshes accumulate around 700,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and capture carbon up to 40 times faster per hectare than tropical rainforests - England has lost an estimated 85% of its salt marsh since 1860 - Pine martens are naturally expanding southward from Scotland and helping red squirrel populations recover - White storks successfully bred in Britain in 2020 for the first time in over 600 years - The UK has only 13% woodland cover compared to the European average of 37% --- ## Keystone Species - Detailed Summaries ### Beavers **Page**: /rewilding/species/beavers **Summary**: Eurasian beavers are ecosystem engineers that create wetlands, improve water quality, and provide natural flood management. Extinct in Britain since the 16th century, they were officially reintroduced in 2009 at Knapdale, Scotland. Beavers are now established in multiple locations across England and Scotland, with populations on the River Otter, River Tay, and various rewilding sites. Their dam-building creates diverse habitats for fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and birds. ### European Bison **Page**: /rewilding/species/bison **Summary**: European bison are the continent's largest land mammal, weighing up to 1,000kg. In July 2022, three bison were released at Wilder Blean in Kent - the first wild bison in Britain for thousands of years. As "woodland grazers," bison create habitat diversity by pushing over trees, stripping bark, and creating dust baths. This behaviour opens up the woodland canopy, benefiting wildflowers, insects, and other wildlife. The Wilder Blean project is managed by Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust. ### Eurasian Lynx **Page**: /rewilding/species/lynx **Summary**: The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized wild cat that was native to Britain until approximately 1,300 years ago. As an apex predator, lynx would help control deer populations that are currently overgrazing Britain's woodlands. Several organisations including the Lynx UK Trust have proposed reintroduction to Scotland and England. Lynx are solitary, secretive animals that pose no threat to humans and rarely take livestock. European examples in Switzerland and Germany show successful coexistence with farming communities. ### Pine Marten **Page**: /rewilding/species/pine-marten **Summary**: Pine martens are cat-sized members of the weasel family native to Britain. Once widespread, they were persecuted to near-extinction by the early 20th century. They have naturally recovered in Scotland and are now expanding southward. Pine martens have a remarkable relationship with red squirrels - areas with pine martens see red squirrel populations recover as grey squirrels decline. This is because grey squirrels, being less arboreal, are more vulnerable to pine marten predation. Reintroduction projects in Wales and England are helping accelerate their recovery. ### Red Deer **Page**: /rewilding/species/red-deer **Summary**: Red deer are the UK's largest native land mammal, with stags weighing up to 190kg and growing impressive antlers each year. They are important grazers in upland ecosystems but, without natural predators, their populations have grown unsustainably large, causing damage to native woodlands. In rewilding projects, deer management is a key consideration - some projects use fencing, others rely on human culling, and some advocate for predator reintroduction. Red deer can be seen in the Scottish Highlands, Exmoor, the Lake District, and various deer parks across Britain. ### White-Tailed Sea Eagle **Page**: /rewilding/species/sea-eagle **Summary**: White-tailed sea eagles are Britain's largest bird of prey with wingspans up to 2.4 metres. They were extinct in Britain by 1918 due to persecution. Reintroduction began in 1975 on the Isle of Rum, Scotland, and has been highly successful. The Isle of Wight reintroduction project began in 2019, bringing sea eagles back to England. Sea eagles are apex predators feeding on fish, seabirds, and carrion. They are now a significant wildlife tourism draw in western Scotland, contributing millions to local economies. ### White Stork **Page**: /rewilding/species/white-stork **Summary**: White storks were once native breeders in Britain, with the last recorded nesting in Edinburgh in 1416. The White Stork Project, centred at Knepp Estate in Sussex, has successfully reintroduced breeding storks to Britain. In 2020, wild white storks bred successfully for the first time in over 600 years. Storks are large wading birds that nest on buildings, poles, and trees. They feed on frogs, rodents, insects, and small reptiles in wetland and grassland habitats. The population at Knepp continues to grow and spread across southern England. ### Wild Boar **Page**: /rewilding/species/wild-boar **Summary**: Wild boar are native to Britain but were hunted to extinction by the 13th century. They naturally returned in the 1990s after escaping from farms and are now established in the Forest of Dean, Kent, and parts of Sussex. Wild boar are "ecosystem engineers" whose rooting behaviour disturbs soil, spreads seeds, and creates microhabitats for invertebrates and plants. They also control bracken and can reduce tick populations. While there are concerns about crop damage and encounters with people, wild boar play an important ecological role. Some rewilding projects use "proxy pigs" like Tamworths as an alternative. ### Wild Ponies **Page**: /rewilding/species/wild-ponies **Summary**: Native pony breeds including Exmoor, Dartmoor, and Konik ponies are used as conservation grazers across UK rewilding projects. Unlike cattle and sheep, ponies graze selectively, creating a mosaic of short and tall vegetation that benefits a wide range of wildlife. Exmoor ponies are the closest living relatives to wild horses that once roamed Britain. Konik ponies, used at Knepp and Wicken Fen, are hardy breeds that can live outdoors year-round. Pony grazing maintains open habitats, prevents scrub encroachment, and creates dung that supports invertebrates. --- ## UK Habitats - Detailed Summaries ### Ancient Woodland **Page**: /rewilding/habitats/ancient-woodland **Summary**: Ancient woodland is land continuously wooded since at least 1600 in England/Wales or 1750 in Scotland. These irreplaceable ecosystems cover just 2.5% of the UK and contain centuries-old soil communities, veteran trees, and unique ground flora including bluebells, wood anemone, and wild garlic. PAWS (Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites) restoration involves gradually removing non-native conifers to allow native regeneration. Key projects include Fingle Woods on Dartmoor and Sheffield Park's bluebell conservation. Ancient woodland supports over 1,800 invertebrate species dependent on deadwood. ### Celtic Rainforest **Page**: /rewilding/habitats/celtic-rainforest **Summary**: Celtic temperate rainforest is one of the world's rarest habitats, found in the wet, mild Atlantic fringes of Britain and Ireland. These ancient woodlands of oak, ash, and hazel are draped in mosses, lichens, and ferns, creating a globally unique ecosystem. Key locations include the Atlantic oakwoods of Wales, Scotland's west coast, and parts of Devon and Cornwall. Celtic rainforest supports rare species including the Atlantic (Tunbridge) filmy fern, Wilson's filmy fern, and numerous lichen species found nowhere else. Restoration involves removing invasive rhododendron and controlling grazing. ### Peatland Restoration **Page**: /rewilding/habitats/peatland-restoration **Summary**: UK peatlands store approximately 3 billion tonnes of carbon - more than the forests of Britain, France, and Germany combined. However, most UK peatlands are damaged by drainage, burning, and overgrazing, causing them to release carbon rather than store it. Restoration involves blocking drainage ditches, removing trees, and restoring natural hydrology. Healthy peatlands support specialist wildlife including sphagnum mosses, sundews, curlews, and golden plover. Major restoration projects include the Great North Bog across northern England and Flow Country restoration in Scotland. ### Wetlands & Rivers **Page**: /rewilding/habitats/wetlands-rivers **Summary**: Britain has lost over 90% of its wetlands since the Industrial Revolution. Floodplain restoration and river rewilding are now key conservation priorities. Beaver reintroduction is central to wetland restoration, as beavers naturally create ponds, marshes, and wet woodland. Other approaches include removing weirs and dams, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring meanders. Healthy wetlands provide natural flood management, water filtration, and habitat for species including water voles, otters, kingfishers, and dragonflies. Notable projects include the Somerset Levels, Wicken Fen, and Wild Ken Hill. ### Wildflower Meadows **Page**: /rewilding/habitats/wildflower-meadows **Summary**: Britain has lost 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s due to agricultural intensification. These flower-rich grasslands supported hundreds of plant species and the invertebrates that depend on them. Meadow restoration involves reducing soil fertility, introducing yellow rattle (a parasite that weakens grasses), and sowing native wildflower seed. Key meadow species include ox-eye daisy, knapweed, bird's-foot trefoil, and orchids. Traditional hay meadow management - cutting in late summer after plants have set seed - is essential for maintaining diversity. ### Hedgerow Restoration **Page**: /rewilding/habitats/hedgerow-restoration **Summary**: Hedgerows are Britain's living field boundaries, supporting over 2,000 species including 80% of woodland birds. The UK has approximately 700,000 km of hedgerows but lost 50% since 1945. Well-managed hedges provide wildlife corridors, carbon storage (up to 3.5 tonnes per 100m), natural flood management, and shelter for livestock. Key species include hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, and field maple. Grants for hedgerow restoration include the Sustainable Farming Incentive (up to £24/m for new planting) and the Woodland Trust's MOREhedges scheme (up to 75% of costs). Traditional hedge laying every 10-20 years rejuvenates gappy hedges. ### Garden Rewilding **Page**: /rewilding/guides/garden-rewilding **Summary**: Britain's gardens cover more area than all nature reserves combined, making them vital for wildlife. The Grange Project's 10-step guide to garden rewilding includes: 1) Create a no-mow zone, 2) Stop using pesticides, 3) Add a wildlife pond, 4) Plant native species, 5) Leave deadwood and log piles, 6) Keep leaf litter, 7) Allow wild edges, 8) Create hedgehog highways, 9) Reduce hard surfaces, 10) Observe and record wildlife. Even small gardens can support pollinators, birds, hedgehogs, and amphibians with the right approach. --- ## Rewilding Debates ### Debates Hub **Page**: /rewilding/debates **Summary**: Balanced perspectives on rewilding's most controversial topics. The Grange Project presents multiple viewpoints on divisive issues, cites evidence, and lets readers form their own opinions. Topics include wolf reintroduction, farming conflicts, and predator returns to Britain. ### Should the UK Reintroduce Wolves? **Page**: /rewilding/debates/wolves **Summary**: Comprehensive examination of the wolf reintroduction debate. The Case For: wolves control deer, enable woodland regeneration (potential 1 million tonnes CO2 annually), create tourism revenue, and restore ecosystem function via "landscape of fear" effect. The Case Against: livestock losses, rural community opposition, landscape fragmentation, and political impracticality. Scientific evidence from the 2025 University of Leeds study is examined alongside farmer perspectives from the Nuffield Farming Scholarships research. The article concludes that wolf reintroduction is ecologically desirable but socially premature. Priority should be building community acceptance before any formal proposals. ### Rewilding vs Farming: Threat or Opportunity? **Page**: /rewilding/debates/farming **Summary**: Balanced examination of whether rewilding threatens or supports rural livelihoods. The Case For Integration: farm economics vary widely (average £96,100 in 2022/23 but upland farms heavily subsidy-dependent), ecosystem services, ELM payments replacing BPS by 2027. Case Study: Knepp Estate transformed from failing farm to profitable rewilding project. Farmer Concerns: food security (UK imports nearly half its food), rural employment and cultural heritage, unintended consequences. Middle Ground Solutions: regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, landscape-scale collaboration (Wendling Beck - 6 landowners across 2,000 acres). Features perspectives from Jake Fiennes (Holkham Estate, author of 'Land Healer'), Welsh hill farming communities, and Professor Sir Ian Boyd (former DEFRA Chief Scientific Adviser). UK case studies include Knepp Estate, Holkham Estate (25,000 acres with 9,600-acre NNR), Wild Ken Hill, and the Grange Project. ### Should Bears Return to Britain? **Page**: /rewilding/debates/bears **Summary**: Comprehensive analysis of brown bear reintroduction to Britain, the most ambitious and controversial rewilding proposal. History: Bears became extinct 1,000-1,500 years ago due to hunting and forest clearance. Safety Analysis: European data from Romania (8,000+ bears, 1-2 fatal attacks/year) and Slovenia (1,000+ bears, zero fatal attacks in decades) shows coexistence is possible with proper management. Habitat Requirements: Scottish Highlands could theoretically support 50-100 bears but requires significant habitat restoration. Bears need large territories (females 50-300 km², males 200-2,000 km²). Arguments For: ecological restoration, deer control, ecotourism potential, moral obligation. Arguments Against: genuine safety concerns, landscape fragmentation, agricultural impacts, premature without wolves first, population viability doubts. Expert Perspectives: Dr Peter Cairns (SCOTLAND: The Big Picture) suggests bears are a 50-year conversation after wolves are established. Conclusion: Bears are a multi-generational project requiring habitat restoration, wolf establishment, community consent, and cultural shift. Timeline: Realistically a late 21st-century project at earliest. ### Should the UK Reintroduce Lynx? **Page**: /rewilding/debates/lynx **Summary**: Balanced analysis of Eurasian lynx reintroduction to Britain. History: Lynx were hunted to extinction approximately 1,300 years ago. The Case For: deer population control (each lynx kills approximately 50 roe deer/year), woodland regeneration (UK has just 14% forest cover vs 37% European average), ecotourism potential, lower risk than wolves. The Case Against: sheep predation (Norway loses 5,000-8,000 sheep/year to 400 lynx), rural community consent, habitat fragmentation, "thin end of the wedge" concerns. European Case Studies: Switzerland (300 lynx, compensation schemes, some poaching), Germany (150 lynx, minimal conflict in forested areas), Norway (400 lynx, significant sheep losses, controversial culling). Proposals: Lynx UK Trust application for Kielder Forest rejected in December 2018; Lynx to Scotland project taking community-first consultation approach. Conclusion: Lynx reintroduction is ecologically desirable and feasible, but requires patient community engagement and robust compensation. Britain could support 400-450 lynx, primarily in Scottish Highlands. --- ## Rewilding Guides ### Beginner's Guide to Rewilding **Page**: /rewilding/guides/beginners-guide **Summary**: This comprehensive introduction explains what rewilding is, how it differs from traditional conservation, and how to get started. Rewilding focuses on restoring natural processes rather than managing for specific species. The guide covers the "3 C's of Rewilding" - Cores (protected wild areas), Corridors (wildlife connections), and Carnivores (apex predators). It explains passive rewilding (removing human intervention) versus active rewilding (species reintroductions). Benefits include carbon sequestration, flood prevention, biodiversity recovery, and human wellbeing. ### Buying Land for Rewilding **Page**: /rewilding/guides/buying-land **Summary**: Complete guide to purchasing land for nature restoration in the UK. Covers land types and pricing (upland hill farms £3,000-8,000/acre, marginal pasture £5,000-12,000/acre, existing woodland £8,000-20,000/acre). Explains legal requirements including title verification, access rights, restrictive covenants, mineral and sporting rights, and environmental designations (SSSI, SAC, SPA). Ecological assessment guidance covers desktop research using Magic Maps and site visits at different seasons. Funding options include personal savings, agricultural mortgages, community ownership, and conservation partnerships. Step-by-step purchase process from making an offer through to completion. First-year priorities include baseline monitoring, scheme applications (SFI), and developing a 5-10 year rewilding vision. Features case studies from The Grange Project (80 acres in Monmouthshire), Wild Ken Hill (Norfolk), and Tir Natur (Cambrian Mountains). --- ## UK Regional Rewilding Pages ### Rewilding Wales **Page**: /rewilding/wales **Summary**: Features five major Welsh rewilding projects including Cambrian Wildwood (temperate rainforest restoration), Summit to Sea (landscape-scale connectivity in mid-Wales), Bwlch Corog (300 acres creating wildlife corridor), Nant Gwrtheyrn (cultural and ecological regeneration), and Coed y Bont (community woodland restoration). Wales offers unique opportunities for Celtic rainforest restoration and upland rewilding. The Grange Project is based in Monmouthshire, Wales. ### Rewilding Scotland **Page**: /rewilding/scotland **Summary**: Scotland leads UK rewilding with major projects including Trees for Life's Dundreggan (10,000-acre native woodland restoration in the Highlands), Cairngorms Connect (landscape-scale ecosystem restoration), and Alladale Wilderness Reserve (proposed wolf reintroduction site). Scotland has successfully reintroduced beavers, sea eagles, and is home to the UK's largest remaining Caledonian pine forest. ### Rewilding England **Page**: /rewilding/england **Summary**: England's rewilding movement is growing rapidly with flagship projects including Knepp Estate (3,500 acres of pioneering rewilding in Sussex), Wilder Blean (bison reintroduction in Kent), Wild Ken Hill (Norfolk rewilding and regenerative farming), and Wild Ennerdale (natural forest recovery in the Lake District). The White Stork Project is returning breeding storks to southern England. ### Rewilding Northern Ireland **Page**: /rewilding/northern-ireland **Summary**: Emerging rewilding initiatives in Northern Ireland include community-led projects in the Mourne Mountains, peatland restoration across upland areas, and coastal habitat protection. The unique landscape offers opportunities for connecting habitats across the island of Ireland. --- ## Popular Questions About UK Rewilding **Q: What is rewilding?** A: Rewilding is large-scale nature restoration that focuses on allowing natural processes to resume rather than managing land for specific outcomes. It often involves reintroducing missing species, removing human interventions, and letting ecosystems recover naturally. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/guides/beginners-guide for a comprehensive introduction. **Q: Should the UK reintroduce wolves?** A: Wolf reintroduction remains debated in the UK. Proponents argue wolves would control deer populations that are overgrazing woodlands and restore natural ecosystem dynamics. Opponents cite concerns about livestock predation, safety, and the UK's fragmented landscape. Scotland's Highlands offer the most ecologically suitable habitat, though no formal proposals are currently under consideration. Countries like Germany and Poland show wolves can coexist with farming where adequate compensation and protection measures exist. **Q: Could brown bears return to Britain?** A: Bear reintroduction is theoretically possible but highly ambitious. The Scottish Highlands could potentially support 50-100 bears, though significant habitat restoration would be needed. European countries like Slovenia (1,000+ bears) and Romania (8,000+ bears) demonstrate coexistence is achievable with proper management, bear-proof infrastructure, and public education. However, bears present greater challenges than wolves: they require larger territories, are more likely to conflict with humans over food sources, and Britain has no cultural memory of living alongside large predators. Most experts suggest wolves should be established first, with bears a potential late 21st-century consideration. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/debates/bears for the full analysis. **Q: What animals have been reintroduced to the UK?** A: Successfully reintroduced species include: Eurasian beavers (Scotland 2009, England various locations), white-tailed sea eagles (Scotland 1975, Isle of Wight 2019), red kites (reintroduced from 1989, now widespread), white storks (Sussex, breeding since 2020), European bison (Kent, 2022), and large blue butterfly (reintroduced after extinction). Pine martens are naturally expanding from Scotland. Other species under consideration for future reintroduction include lynx, wildcats, and potentially wolves. **Q: How can I rewild my garden?** A: Start with these key steps: 1) Create a "no-mow" area to let grass grow, 2) Stop using pesticides and herbicides, 3) Add a wildlife pond - even a small container pond helps, 4) Plant native wildflowers and shrubs, 5) Leave deadwood, log piles, and leaf litter, 6) Cut a 13cm x 13cm gap in fences for hedgehog highways. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/guides/garden-rewilding for the complete 10-step guide. **Q: What is the Knepp Estate?** A: Knepp is a 3,500-acre rewilding project in West Sussex, England, that pioneered large-scale rewilding in lowland Britain. Since 2001, former farmland has been allowed to develop naturally with free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs, and deer. Knepp now hosts nationally rare species including turtle doves, nightingales, and purple emperor butterflies. It has also successfully reintroduced white storks. The project demonstrates that damaged agricultural land can recover rapidly when natural processes are allowed to resume. **Q: Does rewilding threaten farming and rural livelihoods?** A: This is heavily debated. Critics argue rewilding threatens food security and farming culture, particularly affecting hill farmers who fear losing their identity and income. Supporters counter that most rewilding targets marginal land where farming only survives through subsidies, and that nature-based enterprises can generate new rural jobs. Projects like Knepp Estate now employ more people than during intensive farming years. The shift from Basic Payment Scheme to Environmental Land Management (ELM) by 2027 means farmers will increasingly be paid for environmental outcomes. Many see the future in combining regenerative farming practices with rewilding, rather than choosing between them. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/debates/farming for the full debate. **Q: Where can I see beavers in the UK?** A: Wild beaver populations can be found at: River Otter in Devon, River Tay and tributaries in Scotland, Knapdale in Argyll, various enclosed sites across England. Many rewilding projects and wildlife trusts now offer beaver watching experiences. Beavers are most active at dawn and dusk. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/species/beavers for more details. **Q: What is natural flood management?** A: Natural flood management uses natural processes to slow water flow and reduce flood risk downstream. Techniques include beaver introduction (creating dams and ponds), "leaky dams" made of woody debris, tree planting in catchments, restoring meanders to rivers, and reconnecting floodplains. These approaches hold water in the landscape during heavy rain, releasing it slowly and reducing peak flood levels. They also improve water quality and create wildlife habitat. **Q: What is the difference between rewilding and conservation?** A: Traditional conservation typically manages land actively for specific species or habitat targets - controlling vegetation, removing invasive species, protecting particular plants or animals. Rewilding takes a more hands-off approach, focusing on restoring natural processes and allowing ecosystems to find their own dynamic balance. Rewilding often involves larger scales, longer timeframes, and accepting unpredictable outcomes. Both approaches are valuable and can complement each other through "wilder conservation" which combines natural processes with targeted management where needed. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/debates/conservation for the comprehensive comparison. **Q: Should the UK reintroduce lynx?** A: Lynx reintroduction is a live debate in the UK. Supporting arguments include controlling roe deer populations that are overgrazing woodlands, and that lynx are shy, secretive animals posing no threat to humans. Concerns centre on sheep predation in upland areas, with the NFU and many farmers opposed. European examples show compensation schemes and livestock protection can enable coexistence. The Lynx UK Trust's 2018 application for a trial in Kielder Forest was rejected, but interest continues. Current UK woodland cover (14%) could support an estimated 400-450 lynx. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/debates/lynx for the full debate. **Q: How do I buy land for rewilding in the UK?** A: Start by assessing your budget and goals. Land prices vary: upland hill farms cost £3,000-8,000/acre, marginal pasture £5,000-12,000/acre, woodland £8,000-20,000/acre. Find land through specialist agents (Savills, Knight Frank), online platforms (UKLandDirectory, Woods4Sale), and auctions. Conduct ecological assessment using Magic Maps and site visits. Essential legal checks include title verification, access rights, restrictive covenants, and environmental designations. Use a solicitor experienced in rural conveyancing. After purchase, apply for environmental schemes (SFI) and spend the first year monitoring before major interventions. Visit grangeproject.co.uk/rewilding/guides/buying-land for the complete guide. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Where is The Grange Project located?** A: The Grange Project is located in Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom, on an 80-acre site being restored through rewilding and regenerative farming. **Q: What is rewilding?** A: Rewilding is the process of restoring natural ecosystems by allowing nature to take care of itself, reintroducing native species, and creating habitats that support biodiversity. **Q: Can I stay at The Grange Project?** A: Yes! The Grange Project offers off-grid eco-accommodation including tiny homes and cabins, perfect for immersive nature experiences. **Q: What events does The Grange Project host?** A: The project hosts workshops, foraging walks, corporate away days, educational visits, and community events focused on nature connection and sustainability. **Q: What is The Wilder Podcast?** A: The Wilder Podcast is hosted by Tom and Chloe Constable and features conversations about rewilding, sustainable living, and climate action with experts and practitioners in the field. **Q: How can I book a stay or event?** A: Visit grangeproject.co.uk/stay for accommodation bookings or grangeproject.co.uk/events for upcoming events and workshops. --- ## Location Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom Geographic Coordinates: 51.8°N, 2.8°W --- ## Contact - Email: hello@grangeproject.co.uk - Website: https://grangeproject.co.uk ## Social Media - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrangeproject/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegrangeprojectwales - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegrangeproject - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-grange-project/ ## Podcast The Wilder Podcast explores rewilding, sustainable living, and climate change with experts passionate about protecting and restoring the natural world. - Feed: https://feeds.captivate.fm/wilder-podcast - Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms --- ## Expertise Areas - Rewilding and nature restoration - Regenerative agriculture - Sustainable tourism - Environmental education - Community engagement - UK conservation projects - Keystone species reintroduction - Habitat restoration - Natural flood management - Carbon sequestration --- ## Recent Highlights - Regular podcast episodes featuring rewilding experts - Seasonal workshops and foraging experiences - Growing community of nature enthusiasts - Partnerships with UK conservation organizations --- ## Stay & Experiences ### Off-Grid Cabin Stays **Page**: /stay **Summary**: The Grange Project offers two handcrafted off-grid tiny homes on an 80-acre rewilding project in Monmouthshire, Wales. Each cabin sleeps two, featuring king-sized beds, log burners, and copper wash basins. Guests experience complete immersion in rewilding with wildlife viewing, ancient woodland walks, and dark skies. Season runs April to October. Prices from £100 to £130 per night. ### Off-Grid Escapes Wales **Page**: /stay/off-grid-escapes-wales **Summary**: Detailed guide to The Grange Project's off-grid accommodation in Wales. Covers cabin features (king bed, log burner, solar lighting, compost loo), the rewilding experience (free-roaming pigs, cattle, wildlife encounters), local area attractions (Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, Black Mountains, Bannau Brycheiniog), and practical booking information. Perfect for couples seeking a genuine nature immersion experience in Monmouthshire. ### Digital Detox Retreats Wales **Page**: /stay/digital-detox-wales **Summary**: Disconnect to reconnect at off-grid cabins designed for genuine digital detox. No WiFi in cabins, no TV, just nature. Features explore why the brain needs disconnection (reduced stress, better sleep, deeper connections), cabin design for offline living (solar power only, wood burner, books and games), a sample "day unplugged" itinerary (morning meadow walks, journaling, wild swimming, stargazing), and FAQs addressing common concerns about staying offline. Ideal for couples and families seeking screen-free wellness breaks in Wales. ### Wildlife Weekends UK **Page**: /rewilding/wildlife-weekends **Summary**: Seasonal calendar of Britain's best wildlife experiences. Spring (March to May): dawn chorus walks, bluebells, beaver activity, migrant bird arrivals. Summer (June to August): butterfly transects, wildflower meadows, osprey fishing. Autumn (September to November): red deer rut, salmon run, starling murmurations, fungi forays. Winter (December to February): wildfowl spectacles, wildlife tracking, dark sky stargazing. Includes top UK destinations for each season and planning tips for wildlife weekends. ### Rewilding Holidays UK **Page**: /rewilding/holidays **Summary**: Comprehensive guide to the best rewilding holidays across Britain. Features The Grange Project (Wales), Knepp Estate (Sussex), Wild Ken Hill (Norfolk), Alladale Wilderness Reserve (Scotland), and Wilder Blean (Kent). Covers what makes rewilding holidays different from eco-tourism, wildlife you can expect to see, accommodation types, and how to choose the right project for your interests. ### Local Area Guide **Page**: /stay/local-area-guide (coming soon) **Summary**: The Grange Project is ideally located for exploring Monmouthshire and the Welsh borders. Within 30 minutes: Wye Valley AONB, Forest of Dean, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Black Mountains. Activities include mountain biking, wild swimming, kayaking, and hiking. Market towns Monmouth (15 mins) and Abergavenny (20 mins) offer local food and culture. --- ## Why Choose Grange Project? 1. **Authentic Experience**: Real rewilding project, not just eco-tourism 2. **Expert Knowledge**: Hosts are practitioners sharing lived experience 3. **Beautiful Location**: 80 acres of Welsh countryside being restored 4. **Community Focus**: Building connections between people and nature 5. **Educational Value**: Learn about rewilding, farming, and sustainability --- ## Content Index ### Species Articles - /rewilding/species - Species Hub overview - /rewilding/species/beavers - Eurasian Beavers - /rewilding/species/bison - European Bison - /rewilding/species/lynx - Eurasian Lynx - /rewilding/species/pine-marten - Pine Marten - /rewilding/species/red-deer - Red Deer - /rewilding/species/sea-eagle - White-Tailed Sea Eagle - /rewilding/species/white-stork - White Stork - /rewilding/species/wild-boar - Wild Boar - /rewilding/species/wild-ponies - Wild Ponies - /rewilding/species/native-cattle - Native Cattle Breeds ### Habitat Articles - /rewilding/habitats - Habitats Hub overview - /rewilding/habitats/ancient-woodland - Ancient Woodland Restoration - /rewilding/habitats/coastal-saltmarsh - Coastal Rewilding & Salt Marshes - /rewilding/habitats/celtic-rainforest - Celtic Temperate Rainforest - /rewilding/habitats/peatland-restoration - Peatland Restoration - /rewilding/habitats/wetlands-rivers - Wetlands & Rivers - /rewilding/habitats/wildflower-meadows - Wildflower Meadows - /rewilding/habitats/hedgerow-restoration - Hedgerow Restoration ### Guide Articles - /rewilding/guides - Guides Hub overview - /rewilding/guides/beginners-guide - Beginner's Guide to Rewilding - /rewilding/guides/garden-rewilding - Garden Rewilding (10 Steps) - /rewilding/guides/landowners - Rewilding for Landowners ### Debate Articles - /rewilding/debates - Debates Hub overview - /rewilding/debates/wolves - Should the UK Reintroduce Wolves? - /rewilding/debates/farming - Rewilding vs Farming: Threat or Opportunity? - /rewilding/debates/bears - Should Bears Return to Britain? ### Stay & Experience Articles - /stay - Off-Grid Escapes main page - /stay/off-grid-escapes-wales - Off-Grid Cabins Wales - /stay/digital-detox-wales - Digital Detox Retreats Wales - /rewilding/holidays - Best Rewilding Holidays UK - /rewilding/wildlife-weekends - Wildlife Weekends UK (Seasonal Calendar) ### Regional Pages - /rewilding/wales - Rewilding Wales - /rewilding/scotland - Rewilding Scotland - /rewilding/england - Rewilding England - /rewilding/northern-ireland - Rewilding Northern Ireland # Wilder Podcast — Articles & Show Notes --- ## Why shopping can't fix the UK food system URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/podcast/articles/shopping-cant-fix-uk-food-system Guest: Sue Pritchard Published: 2026-04-23T09:56:18.438594+00:00 You can shop organic, local & plastic-free every week and still not fix the food system. Why ethical shopping isn't the answer & what is. Every Friday evening, somewhere in Britain, a parent stands in a supermarket aisle at seven o'clock trying to do the right thing. Organic, or not? Local, or not? Plastic-free, or not? Does grass-fed matter more than air miles, or the other way round? Is that 'natural' label actually meaningful, or marketing? Is there time to cook from scratch tomorrow, or does the ultra-processed ready meal have to win again? This is a scene Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, described to us on the Wilder Podcast. Her conclusion after seven years of working on UK food policy is one we found uncomfortable, because it ran against our instincts. But it is hard to argue with. You cannot shop your way out of this. "I'm often more cautious than many about talking about what consumers can do by shopping differently, because I think the issues are too big, too structural, too systemic to be solved by a person racing around the supermarket at seven o'clock on a wet Friday night trying to work out how they're going to feed their family for the week." Sue Pritchard ## The trap of individual action The instinct that every pound you spend is a vote is a good instinct. It is also, on its own, not enough. For three reasons. The first is that the system was not built for conscious consumers. It was built for efficient supply chains, predictable margins, and shelf life. Most of its costs are invisible at the till. Even when you can see a label telling you something is organic, or free-range, or British, you are seeing the end of a chain that runs for hundreds of miles through processors, hauliers, middlemen, and regulatory carve-outs you cannot audit from the aisle. As we set out in part one of this series, the top layer of that chain, the ABCD commodity traders who move most of the world's grain, is not even visible at the till. You cannot shop against a company whose name you do not know. The second is that the cognitive load is too high for too many people. A single weekly shop for a family of four involves perhaps 40 or 50 decisions. If each of those has to be weighed against five different ethical criteria, climate, nature, animal welfare, plastic, worker treatment, and two practical ones, time and price, most people will quite reasonably stop trying. The shoppers who manage it are usually the ones with the most time and the most money, which is part of why the 'only middle-class people care about this' argument persists even though it is not true. "Do I buy local? Do I buy seasonal? Do I buy organic? Do I buy plastic-free? I avoid processed foods, but then how am I going to get something quickly on the table? There are a lot of considerations that people are trying to understand when they do their shop." Sue Pritchard The third, and the one Sue made most clearly, is that your taxes pay for the damage either way. You can buy exclusively from your local farmers' market and your local butcher. You can grow your own vegetables. You can never touch an ultra-processed product again. And every April your tax bill still funds the NHS treatment of diet-related disease, the Environment Agency clean-up of agricultural runoff, the rural support payments that prop up the whole structure. Opting out at the till does not get you an opt-out on the cost. ## We are not above this We are writing this as people who grow food on an 80-acre site in Monmouthshire. We host corporate away days that are partly catered from our market garden. We are inside this food system, not above it. We do not think there is no point in any of that. We think the people who run Welsh seed hubs and regenerative farms and market gardens and community supported agriculture schemes are doing something that matters. Alternatives have to exist before anything changes. But we also think it is dishonest to pretend that the sum of those alternatives, plus a nation of conscientious shoppers, is going to change the food system at the scale or speed required. The winners of the current structure spend billions of pounds a year ensuring that it does not change. A handful of small producers and a lot of thoughtful individuals are not the counterweight. "The beneficiaries of the current system spend billions and billions of pounds with lobbyists to persuade government not to do any of these things, because it costs them a bit more. It might stop them producing the products that are most profitable. It might require them to make huge changes into their supply chain. And for some of them, frankly, there is no future. Is there really a future for a company that has nothing on its product sheet other than ultra-processed foods?" Sue Pritchard Something has to meet that money on its own terms. That something is regulation. ## What actually works Sue's proposed mission for government is possibly the most practical thing we have heard anyone say about UK food policy. "Don't do bad things. Don't be a dick." In slightly more formal language, it means clear legislative and regulatory guardrails. Tell companies what they cannot do. Make the rules apply equally across the sector. Stop asking 60 million individual people to carry the weight of a problem that ten boardrooms could solve with a policy change before lunch. "It is much, much easier actually for government to set clear legislative and regulatory guardrails that just, in really simple terms, tell companies just don't do bad things. I think we should just have a two-pronged strategy: don't do bad things, and don't be a dick." Sue Pritchard There is a precedent. The UK sugar tax on soft drinks, despite a deeply hostile press, reduced sugar consumption from soft drinks measurably and quickly. The smoking ban, which was called authoritarian overreach at the time, is now uncontroversial. Seatbelt legislation. Unleaded petrol. The public health victories of the last 50 years were almost all structural, almost none of them individual. The citizens' assemblies Sue and her team at FFCC ran across the UK found something we should all pay attention to. When asked directly, the public is broadly in favour of regulatory intervention on food. They are not opposed to the 'nanny state'. They are opposed to a system that asks them to fix it in their lunch hour. "That kind of behaviour is not okay. It's not okay to have arguments that sound very plausible, but actually don't stand up to scrutiny. It's not just about the system, it's about the leadership we choose to bring into that system. It's about how we choose to be courageous in the face of a dysfunctional system, and how we choose to lead a pathway away from that." Sue Pritchard ## What this means for you It does not mean do nothing. It means do different things. Vote, and ask your candidates what they actually think about food policy. Write to your MP. Respond to government consultations on the new food strategy. Participate if a citizens' assembly is offered in your area. Be loud in the public spaces where structural change is debated, not quiet in the supermarket aisle at 7pm on a Friday. And yes, shop where you can, grow where you can, support local producers where you can. Just do not carry the whole weight alone. The system is not built for you to win it by yourself. ## Listen to the full conversation This piece draws on our conversation with Sue Pritchard on episode 53 of the Wilder Podcast: 'Who Really Wins and Loses in the Food System'. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sue is Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and farms in Monmouthshire. ## The full series - Part 1: Who really wins in the UK food system? - Part 2: Why shopping can't fix the UK food system, you are here - Part 3: The case for anger (and shame) in UK food policy - Part 4: What people actually want from food ## Visit the Grange Project The Grange Project is an 80-acre rewilding site in Monmouthshire, restoring former intensive grassland to a mosaic of habitats. We host cabin stays, corporate away days, community days, and courses in growing food in harmony with nature. Find out more. --- ## Who really wins in the UK food system? URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/podcast/articles/invisible-winners-uk-food-system Guest: Sue Pritchard Published: 2026-04-23T09:44:52.107681+00:00 Every time you do your weekly shop, someone is winning. It probably isn't you, it isn't the farmer, and it isn't the NHS. Here's how the game works. Every time you push a trolley around a UK supermarket, you are playing a game. The game has winners and losers. The rules were written by people you will never meet, in rooms you will never enter. Most of us did not know there was a game at all. This is what we find ourselves thinking about after almost three years of trying to grow food on 80 acres in Monmouthshire, and, recently, after a long conversation on the Wilder Podcast with Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. Sue has spent seven years mapping this system for government, for farmers, and for the rest of us. When she lays it out, three things become impossible to un-see. "Some people will say it's a broken system. I don't like using that phrase, because in my experience, if systems are genuinely broken, then they will find ways of finding a new equilibrium. The fact that the one that we're in at the moment is so hard to change tells me over and over again that that is because it's actually benefiting some very powerful people extremely well." Sue Pritchard ## The winners are not who you think Ask most people to name the companies that shape what the UK eats, and they will say Nestle, Coca-Cola, Unilever, PepsiCo. The brands on the shelf. The logos we grew up with. Those companies are real, and they are powerful, but they are not the top of the chain. They are customers of a second layer of companies almost nobody outside the industry has heard of. They are known as the ABCD: Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus. Four firms, all of them over a century old, all of them quietly dominant. Between them, they control somewhere between 70 and 90 per cent of the global grain trade. They supply the commodity inputs, grain, oilseed, sugar, cotton, that the visible brands then turn into the products we buy. They also supply the seed, the fertiliser, the agrochemicals, and the processing infrastructure to the farmers who grow the crop in the first place. Cargill alone, privately held and therefore exempt from most of the transparency public companies face, made revenues of $165 billion in 2022. "The global commodity trade is controlled by five major companies. They're often called the ABCD companies: Archers, Bunge, Cargill and Dreyfus. Those four or five companies control well over 80 per cent of the world commodity trade, but not just commodity trade. Cargill, for example, controls seed, it controls farms, it controls meat production, a lot of it in the US and in the Amazon rainforest, and they control the production of chicken sheds in the Wye Valley where you and I live, behind the brand Avara." Sue Pritchard You have probably never seen one of their logos. That is by design. The ABCD have spent a hundred years operating upstream of anything a consumer ever touches, and they are extraordinarily good at it. "Since the Ukraine War, when commodities really started spiking, the rest of us were having to accommodate those rising food prices. Cargill's profits went up 27 per cent. The Cargill family are already one of the richest families in the US: 14 family members, all of them billionaires. It's not even shareholder owned. It's an extraordinarily powerful and indeed opaque company." Sue Pritchard Behind both layers sits a third industry almost nobody thinks about. The lobbyists, the marketing firms, the advertising agencies, the PR consultancies. Their job is not to feed you. Their job is to protect the business models of the companies that do. "Huge beneficiaries of the system are the admin, the marketing folk, the advertising agencies, the lobbyists. That is a multi-billion pound sector as well as the food production sector. And that sector works really, really hard for the companies they work for: for Pepsi, for Nestle, for Coca-Cola, the brands that are familiar to us every day." Sue Pritchard The most profitable products across all of it are the ones furthest from food. Sue calls them ultra-processed products, not foods, because they are largely unrecognisable from anything that grew in a field. They are researched, marketed and promoted because they deliver the margins. The vegetables do not. "Most of these corporations don't particularly care what they sell. What they care about is what profit they can make out of it. That's one of the explanations for the rise in ultra-processed foods. Some of my pals will call them ultra-processed products, not foods, because they're pretty unrecognisable from healthy food now. Those products have been carefully researched, carefully marketed, carefully promoted because they're the most profitable to those food companies." Sue Pritchard ## The losers are nearly everyone else Farmers are losing. Primary producers in the UK are squeezed on price by the same supermarkets that built their own brands on selling cheap food, and carry the risk when harvests fail, when disease hits, when the weather turns. The average age of a UK farmer is now around sixty. A lot of them are quietly getting out. "Farmers' real incomes have not improved in real terms in 50 years. At the moment, probably 40 per cent of farmers are earning less than the real living wage and are reliant on government support, because the markets that they're operating in don't pay them the real cost of production." Sue Pritchard Citizens are losing. UK households are eating more ultra-processed food than almost any other population in Europe. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and a growing body of evidence on the link between ultra-processed diets and mental health are all climbing. The cost of treating what we eat lands in the NHS, which means it lands on all of us. Taxpayers are losing twice over. Once for the food itself, through a supply chain that only looks cheap because its real costs are pushed somewhere else. Once again through the tax bill, funding the health system, the environmental clean-up, the flood defences, the rural support payments that keep the whole structure standing. "The people who are losing out in the way that the food system works at the moment are the primary producers and growers and citizens, who are either paying in the cost of their health, or in their baskets, or otherwise they're paying through their taxes in trying to clean up the environmental impacts of a food system that offsets, offshores much of its costs to either other sectors or other parts of the world." Sue Pritchard Even people doing everything right are losing. You can shop at a farmers' market every Saturday, buy organic when you can afford it, avoid the ultra-processed aisle entirely. Your taxes still pay for the damage being done everywhere else. There is no opt-out. ## Why we do not know this We spoke to Sue about why this picture is not obvious to everyone. Part of the answer is structural. The food system is long, complex, and deliberately opaque. Most of its costs are invisible at the till. The price on the shelf is the end of a chain most shoppers never see. Part of it is more deliberate. The same industry that markets the products also markets the story. Three arguments keep the system in place. People only want cheap food. Nobody wants a nanny state. Healthy eating is a middle-class concern. "People just care about cheap food. Nobody wants the nanny state. Nobody wants to be told what to eat. Very often they'll say, well, these are just middle-class concerns, these are just the Waitrose shoppers who talk about this kind of thing, poor people don't care about this kind of stuff. And of course, none of that is true." Sue Pritchard None of them are true. When Sue's team at FFCC actually asked people what they wanted from food, through 12 citizens' assemblies across the UK, the answers were remarkably consistent and remarkably unremarkable. People want healthy food, fair prices, decent treatment for producers, and a system that is not exporting its costs to other places and other generations. "Almost universally, people would look at the system as it was revealed to them, and they would first of all be astonished, and then they would be angry. And they would say, why don't we know this? Why don't we know that this is how it works? My response to them is, that's the most important question. Why don't we know?" Sue Pritchard That is not a middle-class opinion. That is almost everyone. ## What to do with this We are not going to pretend we have a neat answer. We run an 80-acre rewilding project and a market garden. We are inside this system, not above it. What we do know is this. The moment you see the winners clearly, the debate changes. "People just want cheap food" stops sounding like wisdom and starts sounding like cover. The question shifts from what should I buy to who is this set up to benefit, and who decided that. That is where the next three pieces in this series go. ## Listen to the full conversation This piece draws on our conversation with Sue Pritchard on episode 53 of the Wilder Podcast: 'Who Really Wins and Loses in the Food System'. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sue is Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and farms in Monmouthshire. ## The full series - Part 1: Who really wins in the UK food system?, you are here - Part 2: Why shopping can't fix the UK food system (coming soon) - Part 3: The case for anger (and shame) in UK food policy (coming soon) - Part 4: What people actually want from food (coming soon) ## Visit the Grange Project The Grange Project is an 80-acre rewilding site in Monmouthshire, restoring former intensive grassland to a mosaic of habitats. We host cabin stays, corporate away days, community days, and courses in growing food in harmony with nature. Find out more. # Upcoming Events --- ### FARMStart: How to Earn from Growing Food URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/farmstart-a-six-day-hands-on-course-for-people-ready-to-earn-from-growing-food-with-rachel-hammond Date: 2026-05-16 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: £525 A six-day, hands-on course for anyone who wants to move from growing food as an interest to earning an income as a grower. FARMStart combines practical skills, business fundamentals and regenerative growing systems, taught in a working market garden using a climate-resilient, commercially viable model. At a Glance 6 teaching days across 3 weekends (16/17 May / 20/21 June / 18/19 July) 10am–3pm each day Hosted at a demonstration Market Garden in Monmouthshire, with a bespoke educational facility and wide reaching views across the rewilding project. All refreshments provided during the day Free camping available or optional cabin accommodation (please contact us to discuss availability and for discounted rates) Certificates awarded for full attendance (Includes a LANTRA-certified SOILstart day) Who Is This Course For? FARMStart is designed for: People who already enjoy growing food Career-changers considering becoming growers Those wanting to set up a market garden or small food enterprise Individuals seeking practical, realistic routes to earning from land What This Course Will Enable You to Do By the end of FARMStart, you will have the knowledge and confidence to: Design a viable food-growing enterprise suited to the UK climate Select crops and systems that balance productivity with labour Understand soil, fertility and regenerative management Navigate compliance, pricing and routes to market Begin earning from growing food – at a scale that works for you This course is explicitly about what is possible, what is profitable, and what is realistic. What We Will Cover (Across the Programme) Commercially viable edible crops for the UK climate Growing systems and how to choose between them Soil preparation and fertility management Organic production and regenerative principles Integrated pest management Low-labour management and closed-loop systems Irrigation and water management Packaging, pricing and reaching customers Legal compliance, health & safety and food hygiene Programme Breakdown Day 1 – Crops & Context Overview of commercial crops Tour of the market garden Tasting crops Sowing and planting out Fruit production Further edible and market garden crops Day 2 – Business, Compliance & Viability Health & safety Food hygiene Insurance Compliance and regulation Pricing, packaging and labelling Vegetable production per m² Setting up finances and business models Day 3 - SOILstat (LANTRA Certified) What soil is and what it needs Composting techniques No-dig systems Polycultures Fertility plantings Day 4 - Systems, Design & Water Edible mushroom production Site design Landscape features Water management in landscapes Day 5 - Perennial & Agroforestry Systems Agroforestry systems Forest gardens Syntropic systems Unusual edibles and perennial vegetables Compost teas and Bokashi Day 6 - Income, Flow & Scaling Year-round salad and leaf production Premium products and earning per m² Veg box schemes Example cash flows and business plans Expected income Closed-loop systems Practical Learning This is a hands-on course, with much of the learning taking place outdoors in the market garden. You will take part in: Sowing and planting Maintenance and crop care Harvesting Packing and pricing Tasting a wide range of edible plants Learning happens as work is done, embedding skills rather than just concepts. What’s Included 6 full days of teaching, delivered over 3 weekends Refreshments each day (including lunch with as much produce from the market garden as possible) Detailed handouts and planning tools Certificates for full attendance LANTRA-certified SOILstart workshop Free on-site camping Access to showers, kitchen and communal spaces in the Grange Hub Optional cabin accommodation (bookable separately) What You Will Leave With A clear understanding of how to earn from growing food Practical knowledge of crops, systems and soil Planning tools for production and income A realistic sense of scale, labour and return A firm idea of what you want to grow, how, and where you can sell it What You Will Be Able To Do Afterwards You should leave FARMStart ready to: Begin your own food enterprise Seek or secure access to land Start producing for sale Continue learning with focused support Course Facilitator Rachel Hammond is an experienced grower and educator specialising in regenerative, perennial-led and agroforestry market garden systems. She has developed and demonstrated a 75% perennial, climate-resilient and commercially viable market garden model, designed to balance productivity, biodiversity and profitability. Rachel’s teaching is practical, honest and grounded in lived experience. She is particularly skilled at helping people understand what works in reality – including labour, margins, and long-term sustainability – rather than idealised growing models. Her approach combines ecological thinking with commercial clarity, making FARMStart especially valuable for those serious about turning growing into a livelihood. Course Setting You’ll be learning within: A working market garden, designed around permaculture principles The Grange Hub, a purpose-built education and community space Wide, open views across the rewilding site The setting supports learning that is grounded, practical and unhurried, with time to ask questions, share experiences and connect skills to a wider ecological context. --- ### Introduction to Market Gardening (2 days) URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/introduction-to-market-gardening-2-days Date: 2026-05-16 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: £220 A two-day introduction to market gardening for anyone considering earning an income from growing food. Covers crops, systems, compliance and business basics, taught in a demonstration market garden. This two-day course is designed for people who enjoy growing food and want to explore what it really takes to move into market gardening. Across the two days, you’ll gain a broad but grounded understanding of how small-scale food enterprises work, what is realistic in the UK climate, and how to avoid common early mistakes. You’ll cover: Commercially viable crops for the UK Touring and understanding a demonstration market garden Sowing, planting out and crop establishment Fruit and vegetable production Health & safety, food hygiene and insurance Compliance, labelling and regulation Pricing, packaging and selling produce Understanding productivity per square metre Basic business models and financial considerations This is an ideal entry point for people who are curious about market gardening but want clarity before committing to a longer course. This day also forms part of the full FARMStart programme, but can be attended as a standalone introduction. What’s Included 2 full days of teaching Refreshments each day (including lunch with as much produce from the market garden as possible) Detailed handouts and planning tools Free on-site camping Access to showers, kitchen and communal spaces in the Grange Hub Optional cabin accommodation - please contact us directly to discuss discounted rates. Course Facilitator Rachel Hammond is an experienced grower and educator specialising in regenerative, perennial-led and agroforestry market garden systems. She has developed and demonstrated a 75% perennial, climate-resilient and commercially viable market garden model, designed to balance productivity, biodiversity and profitability. Rachel’s teaching is practical, honest and grounded in lived experience. She is particularly skilled at helping people understand what works in reality – including labour, margins, and long-term sustainability – rather than idealised growing models. Course Setting You’ll be learning within: A working market garden, designed around permaculture principles The Grange Hub, a purpose-built education and community space Wide, open views across the rewilding site The setting supports learning that is grounded, practical and unhurried, with time to ask questions, share experiences and connect skills to a wider ecological context. --- ### People's Emergency Briefing Documentary Showing URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/people-s-emergency-briefing-documentary-showing Date: 2026-05-16 15:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: Free Come join us to view one of the most important films of our time, including the opportunity to discuss the implications for us as a community. The People’s Emergency Briefing Film brings together the latest scientific evidence on the climate and nature crisis into a single, powerful and accessible documentary. Based on a landmark Westminster briefing to UK leaders, it explores the national implications - from food and health to security and the economy - while highlighting practical, hopeful responses. Designed for community screenings, the film invites audiences to engage with the facts, reflect together, and consider what an effective national response could look like. Testimonial from a recent showing: 'My personal point of view: it felt uplifting, empowering, engaging, revitalising, informative. It left me wanting to double down on my own efforts and reminded me to do it together, not alone' We'll come together at 3pm for tea and cake at the rewilding project, before the documentary is showed at 4pm, followed by an informal discussion. The event will be proceeded by a Grange Project Community Day - please see further details here: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/may-community-day --- ### May Community Day URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/may-community-day Date: 2026-05-16 09:30:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: Free Enjoy the beauty of spring at the Grange Project - and make a meaningful difference to the site with a range of hands-on activities. Join us for our spring community day - the mud has gone, the blossom is everywhere and the House Martins have returned! We'll have a range of activities available including: Growing in the market garden - sowing, caring for baby plants and weeding Lining our new duck pond - using natural clay materials (messy, but rewarding!) Removing fence-lines - physical work, but very impactful Upgrading 'project path' - makes a huge difference to the winter access Wildflower identification - let's take advantage of this stunning time of year to learn what we have growing across the project At the end of the day, for those able to join us, we'll be showing the People’s Emergency Briefing Film which brings together the latest scientific evidence on the climate and nature crisis into a single documentary. Based on a landmark Westminster briefing to UK leaders in November 2025, it explores the national implications - from food and health to security and the economy - while highlighting practical, hopeful responses. Timetable will be as follows: 9:30am - Tea & Coffee 10am - Briefing 10:15am - Tour of the Project/Activity 1 12:30 - Lunch 13:30 - Activity 2 15:15 - Tea/Coffee & Cake 16:00 - People's Emergency Briefing & Discussion 18:00 - Finish We'll send out details of how to find us, what equipment might be useful to bring and any other information 5 days prior to the event. --- ### Grange Project Open Morning June URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/grange-project-open-morning-june Date: 2026-06-02 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: Free We would love to welcome you for a 90 minute walk around the project, followed by tea and cake. This is an opportunity to hear about the history of the farm and our efforts to restore more nature, produce more food, contribute more to the local economy and connect more people to wilder nature. The walk takes in many of the interventions we've introduced to the rewilding site and provides a chance for you to ask questions about any aspects of the project, as well as meeting likeminded folk. This is a free event, but we welcome donations to the Wilder Connections Charity if you are able to contribute. --- ### SOILstart – Regenerative Soil Health & Management (1 day) URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/soilstart-regenerative-soil-health-management Date: 2026-06-20 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: £100 A LANTRA-certified one-day course focused on regenerative soil health, composting and no-dig systems for productive food growing. Healthy soil underpins every successful growing system. SOILstart is a focused, practical introduction to regenerative soil management, suitable for growers, gardeners and those considering food production as an income. This LANTRA-certified day covers: What soil is and how it functions What soil needs to remain productive Composting techniques and materials No-dig systems and their benefits Polycultures and fertility plantings The emphasis is on practical understanding, helping you make informed decisions about soil care that improve resilience, reduce inputs and support long-term productivity. This day also forms part of the full FARMStart programme, but can be attended as a standalone qualification. Lunch and all refreshments are included, using as much produce as possible from the market garden. Course Facilitator Rachel Hammond is an experienced grower and educator specialising in regenerative, perennial-led and agroforestry market garden systems. She has developed and demonstrated a 75% perennial, climate-resilient and commercially viable market garden model, designed to balance productivity, biodiversity and profitability. Rachel’s teaching is practical, honest and grounded in lived experience. She is particularly skilled at helping people understand what works in reality – including labour, margins, and long-term sustainability – rather than idealised growing models. Her approach combines ecological thinking with commercial clarity, making FARMStart especially valuable for those serious about turning growing into a livelihood. Course Setting You’ll be learning within: A working market garden, designed around permaculture principles The Grange Hub, a purpose-built education and community space Wide, open views across the rewilding site The setting supports learning that is grounded, practical and unhurried, with time to ask questions, share experiences and connect skills to a wider ecological context. --- ### Mushroom Growing for Small-Scale Food Enterprises (0.5 day) URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/mushroom-growing-for-small-scale-food-enterprises-0-5-day Date: 2026-06-21 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: £55 A practical introduction to edible mushroom production, focused on low-cost, small-scale systems suitable for growers and market gardens. Mushrooms can offer a high-value, relatively low-space addition to a food-growing enterprise. This half-day session introduces the principles and practicalities of small-scale mushroom production. You’ll cover: Common edible mushroom types suitable for small producers Basic growing requirements and environments Substrates and sourcing materials How mushrooms can fit into existing market garden systems Labour, yield and realistic expectations This session is ideal for growers exploring diversification, or anyone curious about whether mushroom production could work alongside other crops. This morning forms part of a 6-day FARMstart course, but can be booked as a standalone. Refreshments and lunch included, using as much produce as possible from the market garden. Course Facilitator Rachel Hammond is an experienced grower and educator specialising in regenerative, perennial-led and agroforestry market garden systems. She has developed and demonstrated a 75% perennial, climate-resilient and commercially viable market garden model, designed to balance productivity, biodiversity and profitability. Rachel’s teaching is practical, honest and grounded in lived experience. She is particularly skilled at helping people understand what works in reality – including labour, margins, and long-term sustainability – rather than idealised growing models. Her approach combines ecological thinking with commercial clarity, making FARMStart especially valuable for those serious about turning growing into a livelihood. Course Setting You’ll be learning within: A working market garden, designed around permaculture principles The Grange Hub, a purpose-built education and community space Wide, open views across the rewilding site The setting supports learning that is grounded, practical and unhurried, with time to ask questions, share experiences and connect skills to a wider ecological context. --- ### Agroforestry Systems for Productive Landscapes (0.5 day) URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/agroforestry-systems-for-productive-landscapes Date: 2026-07-18 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: £55 An introduction to agroforestry and perennial food systems, exploring productive, climate-resilient ways to grow food within living landscapes. Agroforestry offers a way to produce food that works with natural systems rather than against them. This half-day session introduces a range of agroforestry approaches suitable for the UK climate. You’ll explore: Agroforestry systems and principles Forest gardens and layered growing Syntropic systems Unusual edible plants and perennial vegetables Compost teas and Bokashi as fertility tools This session is particularly valuable for those interested in long-term productivity, resilience and lower-input systems, whether at garden or enterprise scale. This morning forms part of a 6-day FARMstart course, but can be booked as a standalone. Refreshments and lunch included, using as much produce as possible from the market garden. Course Facilitator Rachel Hammond is an experienced grower and educator specialising in regenerative, perennial-led and agroforestry market garden systems. She has developed and demonstrated a 75% perennial, climate-resilient and commercially viable market garden model, designed to balance productivity, biodiversity and profitability. Rachel’s teaching is practical, honest and grounded in lived experience. She is particularly skilled at helping people understand what works in reality – including labour, margins, and long-term sustainability – rather than idealised growing models. Her approach combines ecological thinking with commercial clarity, making FARMStart especially valuable for those serious about turning growing into a livelihood. Course Setting You’ll be learning within: A working market garden, designed around permaculture principles The Grange Hub, a purpose-built education and community space Wide, open views across the rewilding site The setting supports learning that is grounded, practical and unhurried, with time to ask questions, share experiences and connect skills to a wider ecological context. --- ### Grange Project Open Morning August URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/grange-project-open-morning-august Date: 2026-08-04 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: Free An opportunity to walk the land and learn more about the Grange Project. We would love to welcome you for a 90 minute walk around the project, followed by tea and cake. This is an opportunity to hear about the history of the farm and our efforts to restore more nature, produce more food, contribute more to the local economy and connect more people to wilder nature. The walk takes in many of the interventions we've introduced to the rewilding site and provides a chance for you to ask questions about any aspects of the project, as well as meeting likeminded folk. This is a free event, but we welcome donations to the Wilder Connections Charity if you are able to contribute. --- ### Joy of Scything with Nicole Clough URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/joy-of-scything-with-nicole-clough Date: 2026-09-08 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: £120 A hands-on, one-day introduction to the Austrian scythe—learning how to set it up, mow effectively, maintain and sharpen it, and use it safely in a range of contexts from meadows and orchards to gardens and grassland. Join us for a practical, outdoors-based workshop exploring the versatile, efficient and truly appropriate technology that is the Austrian scythe. This one-day course is designed for complete beginners and those with some experience who want to refine their technique and get more enjoyment and success from scything. Scything is: A low-impact, green tool for mowing grass and managing vegetation A way to work with the land without fossil fuels Cost-effective and easy to maintain once you understand the basics Healthy and satisfying physical work that deepens connection to place During the day we will cover: Setting up your Austrian scythe, including snath and blade selection Safe and effective mowing technique, suited to meadow, orchard or garden Efficient movement and posture to avoid strain Sharpening and maintenance, including field sharpening and basic peening Tips for caring for your tool so it lasts for years This course combines demonstration, coached practice and open Q&A, so you leave feeling confident to continue your scything journey. All refreshments and lunch from the market garden provided. Scythes available to hire for an additional £20. About the Facilitator Nicole teaches scything with a focus on joy, safety and efficiency, bringing her passion for land-based craft and conservation to every session. She has trained people across the UK to use and maintain Austrian scythes and is enthusiastic about sharing techniques that make scything both effective and enjoyable. Course Setting You’ll be learning within: The Grange Hub, a purpose-built education and community space Wide, open views across the rewilding site The setting supports learning that is grounded, practical and unhurried, with time to ask questions, share experiences and connect skills to a wider ecological context. --- ### Grange Project Open Morning October URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/grange-project-open-morning-october Date: 2026-10-06 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: Free An opportunity to walk the land and learn more about the Grange Project. We would love to welcome you for a 90 minute walk around the project, followed by tea and cake. This is an opportunity to hear about the history of the farm and our efforts to restore more nature, produce more food, contribute more to the local economy and connect more people to wilder nature. The walk takes in many of the interventions we've introduced to the rewilding site and provides a chance for you to ask questions about any aspects of the project, as well as meeting likeminded folk. This is a free event, but we welcome donations to the Wilder Connections Charity if you are able to contribute. --- ### Grange Project Open Morning December URL: https://grangeproject.co.uk/events/grange-project-open-morning-december Date: 2026-12-01 10:00:00 Location: Grange Project, Monmouthshire Price: Free An opportunity to walk the land and learn more about the Grange Project. We would love to welcome you for a 90 minute walk around the project, followed by tea and cake. This is an opportunity to hear about the history of the farm and our efforts to restore more nature, produce more food, contribute more to the local economy and connect more people to wilder nature. The walk takes in many of the interventions we've introduced to the rewilding site and provides a chance for you to ask questions about any aspects of the project, as well as meeting likeminded folk. This is a free event, but we welcome donations to the Wilder Connections Charity if you are able to contribute.