Introducing Roots and Rhythms:
A life-centred project exploring farm futures through nature recovery and nature connection
On the outskirts of Thame, a 160-hectare area known as Lopemede Farm is gearing up for a transformative journey. Eddie, a fourth-generation farmer with a three-decade dream, is on a mission—to restore biodiversity on the farm through nature recovery and create more opportunities for everyone to reconnect with nature.
Thanks to support from Innovate UK, Roots and Rhythms came to life. The six-month project is a collaboration, fuelled by a life-centred, systems-aware design approach. Our aim, to support Eddie and guide others through this intricate landscape.
Questioning Norms
The challenges are undeniable—farming finances are in flux, the UK is lagging in nature protection, and one in six species faces extinction. But here's the twist—with farmers overseeing 71% of the UK's land, a government committed to net zero by 2050, and a growing understanding that nature connection boosts well-being, opportunities for positive change are emerging.Â
Roots and Rhythms is stepping into this challenge with hope and optimism. It’s not just about net-zero environments; we're diving into finance, ecological crises, biodiversity, health, public access, education, food, and agriculture, acknowledging the interconnectedness of these themes.
Life-Centred Design
We believe in transformative outcomes through transformative approaches. This is life-centred by design, shifting from an ego-centric worldview to an eco-centric one. From ‘separateness’ to ‘interconnectedness’. Humans aren't at the centre; we’re part of nature; our actions have consequences on the whole. If you want to dive deeper into our process and the principles guiding us then you can read more here.
Where Are We Headed?
Roots and Rhythms revolves around Lopemede Farm, our living canvas for exploring life-centric design's potential to shape better decisions for farmers and land managers. We're exploring widely —considering local communities, businesses, and nature as stakeholders, aiming for behaviour change aligned with nature-positive and nature-connected land use.
Our hope is to create a regenerative vision and business model for Lopemede Farm that enables the health of all life (nature including people) to flourish for generations into the future — and guide other farms to do the same.
The intended outcomes?
A locally-appropriate vision and plan, that embeds nature as a stakeholder into the long-term future of Lopemede Farm. Â
A quick-start guide to support other farmers and land managers to make life-centred decisions specific to their location and community.
The identification of further opportunities and next steps for commercialisation and dissemination.
Meet the Team
Our collaboration involves a team of diverse skills and experiences (stay tuned for proper introductions soon!):
Beyond our focused group, we'll work with experts, advisors, and communities to ensure locally fitting visions emerge.
What's on the Horizon?
Through this project, we will dive into several enquiries including:
Can nature recovery and nature connection find a harmonious balance?
Where does the business of farming the land intersect with a ‘life-centred’ approach to farming with and for life on the land?
How can farms like Lopemede shape long-term visions beyond the lifetime of current generations?Â
As we embark on this project, we intend to share our process, experiences and learning in the open. If you want to follow along then please sign up to the email list and get in touch with us if you have questions, feedback, or suggestions.
With care,
Julian (GET LOST STUFIO) and George (Ruleo)