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
Category: Travel
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.
Visiting the Rodale Institute: a 40-year comparison of organic vs conventional farming
A write up of my visit to the Rodale Institute’s main campus, a 386-acre certified organic farm in Pennsylvania.
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
Walking the coast to coast
We’ve finally finished the coast to coast walk from St Bees Head to Robin Hood’s Bay. The journey is based on the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright, who originally devised the route in 1973 and it crosses three National Parks: the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. A thoroughly enjoyable journey that we… Continue reading Walking the coast to coast
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
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
Ethiopia Travel Notes Part I: Addis to Bahir Dar
We touched down into Addis Ababa late in the night. On the flight, we were fortunate to meet a couple, David and Joan, who had been coming to Ethiopia for the last 14 years. Recently, they had been sponsoring a student through university and subsequently helping him to start an internet cafe. Such businesses were… Continue reading Ethiopia Travel Notes Part I: Addis to Bahir Dar
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
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
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
Wine Rides: a cycle tour of English vineyards
An account of my Wine Rides holiday. Most photos courtesy of Tom Chance, to whom I’m grateful. Wine Rides Day I I start the morning with a cycle from Sutton to Orpington which involves pedalling along A-roads and navigating around Croydon. This isn’t a relaxing start to a holiday but I am glad to be… Continue reading Wine Rides: a cycle tour of English vineyards
Overcoming discrimination in Israel
The Arab Association for Human Rights (AAHR) is an NGO founded in 1988 by lawyers and community activists, working to promote and protect the rights of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel, which constitutes around 20% of the population of the state. The meeting with AAHR was the last on my trip and they painted… Continue reading Overcoming discrimination in Israel
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
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
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
Roses, DIY turbines and bumpy roads
Sharing a few photos from a road trip from Nairobi to my new home in Kisumu, West Kenya. We bumped through the beautiful Rift Valley visiting various places along the way. First stop was a gentleman named Robert who had invited us for lunch. He kindly served me my first Kenyan meal consisting of kuku… Continue reading Roses, DIY turbines and bumpy roads