James Allen
2024
James is a 1st generation farmer who, with his wife Katie, regeneratively graze their cattle and sheep at Great Cotmarsh Farm with nature as a key stakeholder in the business. They are passionate about the fibre story, with Katie championing wool and producing a knitwear collection from the sheep as well being in the process of building a natural dye garden and ‘kitchen’ on the farm. Meantime, James in working on the leather story and building a traditional oak bark tannery for cattle hides on the farm.
My Sessions
Dung Beetle Safari
Sally-Ann Spence
Claire Whittle
James Allen
Bruce Thompson
Join us on a tour of dung pats hunting for dung beetles. Dung beetles are vitally important insects improving the quality and structure of soil, cleaning pastures, reduce parasite burdens in livestock and providing a variety of other crucial services. Changes to agricultural practices and intensification have had significant impacts on them; particularly wormer use […]
Dung Beetle Safari
Sally-Ann Spence
Claire Whittle
James Allen
Bruce Thompson
Join us on a tour of dung pats hunting for dung beetles. Dung beetles are vitally important insects improving the quality and structure of soil, cleaning pastures, reduce parasite burdens in livestock and providing a variety of other crucial services. Changes to agricultural practices and intensification have had significant impacts on them; particularly wormer use […]
Reviving Hides & Skins as Valued Livestock Products
Alice Robinson
Lesley Mitchell
James Allen
Mike Redwood
John Mettrick
For regenerative livestock to be viable and sustainable, the non-edible outputs must be considered and valued. Historically, abattoirs were able to derive significant value from hides and skins but the market and infrastructure for these has largely collapsed due to the rise of synthetics and cheap imports. Yet these products not only make full use […]