October 2025
The valuable role that native breeds, including Ancient Cattle of Wales, play in regenerative agriculture was highlighted at the beginning of October at the 2025 Marches Real Food and Farming Convergence (MRFFC), held at Square Farm, near Monmouth.
Our Treasurer, and keen ACW keeper, Jessi Stephens, was part of a panel of farmers and graziers undertaking regenerative practices, where she described the importance of the attributes that these animals offer, including hardiness in extreme weather, the ability to live on only pasture and pasture products, and their generally robust health. These qualities mean that they are economical to keep, which is a great help for new farmers getting started in the industry.
In a wide-ranging discussion, panellists Jessi, Ben Taylor-Davies (more commonly known as Regen Ben), Joe Ryder (Gwent Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Grazing Officer) and organic farmer and host of MRFFC in 2025, Rob Whittle, provided much advice for farmers wishing to know about regenerative farming. The session was chaired by Chris Taylor, an agronomist. The MRFFC took place on the 3rd and 4th October and this was its third year. It explored how to build local food systems in the Marches and offered a variety of sessions from collaborative farming at the estate scale to improving school meals to practical farm walks.
Picture: Dan Taylor (agronomist), Ben Taylor-Davies (Regen Ben), Jessi Stephens (ACW, Wallsend Farm), Joe Ryder (Gwent Wildlife Trust) and Rob Whittle (Square Farm) discuss regenerative farming at MRFFC.