We had an amazing time at our first Oxford Real Farming Conference 2026, connecting with hundreds of like-minded people committed to changing the way we live on the land sustain ourselves in balance with nature.

We came away enriched from sessions exploring the frontiers of soil science, food access, international solidarity work, and a pesticide-free environment for the more-than-human world. We reaffirmed our belief that seeds are central to the future of food and farming.

We also contributed a session to ORFC in collaboration with the Land Stories Collective based in Bristol. Our session titled "Growing Solidarity: Za’atar and the Seeds of Palestine" was an opportunity to share our work in raising awareness of Palestinian rights to seed and food sovereignty. Since 2024, Exeter Seed Bank is twinned with the Palestine Local Seed Bank through a project initiated by the Land Workers Alliance. For our session we focused on Za’atar, the herb and spice mix that runs deep in the culture of Palestinian daily life.