Project Process. Part 1: Orienting — Preparing the Ground
Discover how the Roots and Rhythms project began with intentional connection, shared vision, and a commitment to a life-centred approach at Lopemede Farm.
This is the first in an ongoing series about the Roots and Rhythms project process. In these posts, we share insights and learnings from each stage of the project, documenting how a life-centred approach reshaped our relationship with land, community, and nature.
Why We Did This?
The Orienting stage aimed to unite our multidisciplinary team around a shared challenge, fostering deep connections with each other and the land. Our journey began with intention, heart, and a commitment to making time for genuine connection and clarity. This was our first opportunity to gather, feel the energy of the land, and start building the relationships that would guide our work.
Our goals were to form the team around shared aims, vision, roles, and principles for collaboration. We aimed to create a document summarising our co-created principles to guide our efforts, ensuring everyone was clear about project timeframes, key dates, approaches, goals, and roles. Establishing both digital and physical homes for the project, accessible to internal and external audiences, was essential. We sought to connect with the farm in meaningful ways that honoured its central role in the project while publicly communicating the project's vision and goals. A review and update of our risk register were also crucial.
Aligned with the 8 Shields framework from Jon Young, whose teachings on deep nature connection guided our approach, this stage corresponded to the North/North-East phase, a time of preparation and listening. It’s a period of dormancy and quiet reflection, setting the stage for vibrant new beginnings.
How We Did It?
Kick-Off at Lopemede
On 14th December, the Roots and Rhythms team gathered at Lopemede Farm, marking the project's opening. The farm, nestled in a winter landscape of bare trees and misty horizons, became a place of potential and possibility.
We began the day with an opening circle around a fire, where the warm, earthy scent of foraged hawthorn and rosemary tea mixed with the damp December air. We paused, expressed gratitude to the land, acknowledging our context in it and its central role in our work. Eddie, the farmer at Lopemede, read us a poem by John Roedel, ‘My brain and heart divorced’. This ceremony set a tone of respect and reverence for the place that would host our endeavours.
“…your heart's obsession with
the fixed past and your mind's focus
on the uncertain future
your lungs are the perfect place for youthere is no yesterday in your lungs
there is no tomorrow there either
there is only nowthere is only inhale
there is only exhale
there is only this momentthere is only breath”
The day balanced personal and professional elements, head and heart, embodied experience and considered questioning, through a variety of activities, including:
Sharing Stories and Hopes: We took time to listen deeply to each other’s stories and hopes for the project, connecting through our shared commitment to nature. This exercise fostered empathy and aligned our intentions, reminding us of the emotional and personal reasons for our involvement beyond the professional.
Farm Walk: A tour of the farm allowed us to witness the landscape and connect with its rhythms. We saw the ongoing work to develop habitats through agroforestry and wetland creation. As we walked, the sight of red kites soaring overhead, the sound of Wagyu cattle in the distance, and the soft squelch and pull of sodden soil brought the farm to life, reminding us of the intricate relationships of life we were a part of.
Collaborative Principles Development: We spent time collaboratively developing the principles that would guide our work and shape the moral habitat of the project. This exercise was crucial for ensuring that our efforts were aligned and that we were all committed to a shared set of values. The principles emphasised listening, empathy, and adaptability, mirroring the natural rhythms we sought to emulate.
Preparing the Ground for Collaboration
A significant amount of groundwork had been laid before this day to ensure it could be focused on connection and clarity. Months of preparation, including work on proposals, plans, spreadsheets, budgets, and contracts, ensured the team and finance were in place. This allowed us to start the project with clarity and intention, making the most of our time together.
What Did We Learn?
We learned that beginning with a strong foundation of shared values and clear intentions is essential for a collaborative project like this. The time we spent connecting with each other and the land set a positive tone for the work ahead. We realised the importance of balancing personal and professional elements and how creating space for both can strengthen our collective efforts.
One of the lessons learned was the value of deep listening and reflection before diving into action. This period of dormancy and preparation allowed us to align our goals and approaches, ensuring that we were all moving in the same direction.
What Would We Do Differently?
Reflecting on this stage, we recognise the need for even more engagement with the local community from the outset. Building relationships with neighbours and local stakeholders could have enriched our understanding and added valuable perspectives to our project from this first moment. Additionally, spending more time in nature with the team, perhaps through more active participation in work with Eddie on the farm, could have brought a different perspective.
With care and wild wishes,
Julian and George
On behalf of the Roots and Rhythms team
Let's Connect and Explore Together!
We’re eager to connect and learn from others who share our passion for land, community, and creativity. If our work at Lopemede Farm resonates with you, or if you have experiences or challenges to share then we’d love to hear from you. Let’s explore how our journeys intersect or how we might be able to support you.
If you’d like some inspiration for how to apply these approaches then check-out From Surviving to Thriving: a pocket guide to life-centred practices for farms, landscapes, and their stewards. The booklet features a curated a selection of practices designed to help reconnect farming, communities, and nature.