Interview with Laura
Can you tell me about the idea that is at the centre of your work?
Working alongside farmers to farm sustainably with the future in mind.
Why is that something that matters to you?
I’ve always felt passionately about the need to do as much as we can to look after the environment around us. Farmers are the custodians of much of the land in England, Supporting them with advice, funding and encouragement feels meaningful to me. Alongside managing our countryside, they feed us and are therefore responsible for our daily nutrition and therefore our health and overall wellbeing. Getting the chance to work directly with people who have such an important role that affects us all and our environment is certainly something that drives me.
Was there a pivotal moment that set you on this career course?
I recently found workbooks from when I was age 7 and I had written that I wanted to work for Greenpeace. I’m not sure how that was introduced to me as neither of my parents were particularly interested in nature campaigning. It was at a time when Greenpeace were in the press with images of protesters trying to stop the whaling. I recall being so moved by them and thinking all I wanted to do was save a whale. I don’t think that desire to work for Greenpeace or to save any animal ever really left me.
A turning point in my career was when I shifted from traditional nature conservation when I was managing some amazing nature reserves. I felt restricted by the nature reserve boundaries, and felt I was working on an eco- island where I wasn’t connected to the wider landscape and everything that was going on across our countryside. At this point I started my post graduate studies at Harper Adams and the Royal Agricultural University and combined my life long loves of farming and conservation and drove forward my landscape scale career.
Who do you need to communicate to or persuade in your projects? what communication challenges do you face doing so?
Mainly farmers. The family farms who may be trying to support two or three families on their farm can be hardest to persuade as they don’t have the luxury of taking time to reflect and to transition to a different system or style of management just due to debts and cash flow.
I can’t think of a specific communication challenge. I always meet face to face with farmers on their farm as I know this style of communication works best, and importantly that farmers generally solve the problems and have the answers, I’m just there to create the space and conversation. As with all good relationships, these things take time, and trust. The hardest thing about working with farmers is getting the invite to the farm if you aren’t known or connected to the area and locals. Once I am there, it is plain sailing and certainly the highlight of my work.
What would be your dream project?
I’ve been lucky enough to have a few dream projects over the past four years, so I am now able to visualise it and be more ambitious. I would love to access funding to facilitate a landscape scale project to combine nature friendly, healthy food production and conservation where we design the system with an indepth understanding of the soil and a thorough inventory of the natural assets present and locally available. I strongly believe we can feed our communities with nutrient dense food while looking after the water, soil, air, and all the habitats that support our precious flora and fauna.
If you could ask one thing of everyone reading this what would it be?
Think about the countryside and nature you want when you buy your food. We all eat three times every day and our choices for the food we put inside us has a direct impact on the environment and nature. We have the ability to make this a positive or negative impact three times every day.
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