Reflections From Meeting Eric Toensmeier

Eric Toensmeier is the author of several books focused on perennial cropping systems, biodiversity, and nutrition. His research, writing and experience, have led him to be a contributor to Project Drawdown, an appointed lecturer at Yale University and an international trainer. His book, The Carbon Farming Solution has been a valuable resource for building my… Continue reading Reflections From Meeting Eric Toensmeier

Crop Diversification in America’s Corn Belt

This case study was written to accompany my Nuffield Farming Scholarship journey and report and accompanies my recent blog: Helping Companies To Scale Up Regenerative Farming: Lessons from the Sustainable Food Lab.  Key takeaways The Crop Diversification in the Corn Belt initiative is a project that’s been run by the Sustainable Food Lab since 2016.… Continue reading Crop Diversification in America’s Corn Belt

Scaling Regen. Ag: Lessons from the Sustainable Food Lab

In Vermont, I met with Elizabeth Reeves from the Sustainable Food Lab, an organisation that works to implement large-scale sustainability change in the mainstream food system. We discussed their experience in working to build a more regenerative agricultural system, engaging conventional farmers and good companies.

Eigg Time

It’s morning and gusts of wind beat against our off-grid, timber bothy. We can hear the wind bellowing down the chimney stack, causing puffs of smoke to burst out of the wood burner as we fire it up. It’s been raining on and off for days. I found a telescope and from our bothy I… Continue reading Eigg Time

Traversing the Cuillin Ridge

The Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye is one of Britain’s greatest mountaineering challenges. It involves 4,000 meters of ascent and descent along 12km of continuous Alpine terrain, where weather conditions can turn quickly, scuppering the chances of a successful traverse. With this in mind, I approached this expedition with some trepidation, especially with… Continue reading Traversing the Cuillin Ridge

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Ethiopia Travel Notes Part II: The Simeon Mountains

The town of Debark rests at the foot of the Simien Mountain range, a Unesco World Heritage Site in northern Ethiopia that’s marked by steep cliffs and breathtaking canyon-style gorges. We’re going trekking for four days and this is where we meet our guide and our rather elaborate support team. Hiring a guide feels luxurious… Continue reading Ethiopia Travel Notes Part II: The Simeon Mountains

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Meall a’ Bhuachaille

It was our last day in the Cairngorms. The mountain weather report looked bleak: frequent showers and the chances of a cloud free Munro below 20%. We woke in our wild camping spot by Loch Morlich, had breakfast then went for a swim, following the 1.5km route suggested by some swimmers we met the evening… Continue reading Meall a’ Bhuachaille

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Hiking Sgurr nan Gillean

I’m hoping for a light breeze to clear away the midges. That’s all it takes yet the air remains still and they hover in their millions outside our camper van at the Glen Brittle Campsite. There’s a sadistic type of pleasure in satisfying the itches but I try not to indulge. I feel sorry for… Continue reading Hiking Sgurr nan Gillean

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Glencoe Open Water Swim

Beautiful hillsides and mountains towered over the lightly misted loch as we pulled on our neoprene wetsuits. We were here for the five kilometre Glencoe swim. Due to patchy weather conditions on the days leading up to the event, the swim route had been simplified. Rather than looping around an island on Loch Leven, we… Continue reading Glencoe Open Water Swim

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Sketches of Israel & Palestine: Bethlehem to Nablus via The Dead Sea

Travelling towards the Dead Sea from Bethlehem, we are dropping in altitude. We stop at Sea Level point along the Judean River. The landscape has slowly shifted from green to an arid, dry desert landscape with very few trees. Some shrubs exist and you can see how grass grows in the areas that receive more… Continue reading Sketches of Israel & Palestine: Bethlehem to Nablus via The Dead Sea

Sketches of Israel & Palestine: Checkpoint 300

It’s 4.30am and I’m in a car park next to checkpoint 300. The wall that overshadows us was erected in 2004 and is considered illegal under international law. It sits 2km within Palestinian territories, as marked by the green line. This checkpoint is the gateway that Palestinians living in Bethlehem must pass through each morning… Continue reading Sketches of Israel & Palestine: Checkpoint 300

Sketches of Israel & Palestine Part I: Settlers

One of the first meetings on my trip to Israel and Palestine was with Ardie Geldman, an Israeli settler that lives on the Efrat settlement, south of Jerusalem. Ardie is originally from Chicago, Illinois and made aliyah to Jerusalem with his wife in 1982. He has six children and works as a fundraiser. Searching for… Continue reading Sketches of Israel & Palestine Part I: Settlers

Kitengela glass

For my last day in Kenya I headed to Kitengela glass, a quirky art site in the middle of some dusty open plains south of Nairobi. Dotted along the driveway are statues popping over the stone walls, a few camels and some gloriously fat pigs. We walked into the main glass blowing house, a sort… Continue reading Kitengela glass

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L’Esparance, Rwanda

Soon Rwanda may be a country with no orphans. A claim the government will make once it has completed a programme that will close all the orphanages and relocate the children into the homes of relatives. In theory, having children living with families rather than in institutions seems a good move but in practice, is… Continue reading L’Esparance, Rwanda

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Hell’s Gate, Lake Naivasha

Notes from a weekend trip to Hell’s Gate, Lake Naivasha, November 2011.  On Saturday we awoke at sunrise and cycled from Fisherman’s Camp to the park, through rolling hills past the enormous, intensive, under-cover, flower farms. It was roughly 12km to the park and we entered through the Ol Karia gate where there lies an expansive network… Continue reading Hell’s Gate, Lake Naivasha

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