Barleybird, The Bean Store, Brampton Depot, Beccles (2026)

09/04/2026

Spend two evenings at Hodmedod’s HQ in Suffolk, plus a farm visit - diving into the story of our food – and how it could be grown differently – with 10% off if you book now 🌱

Barleybird is running an Introduction to Agroecology, a three-part course exploring the ideas, practices and people shaping more resilient food systems.

Whether you’re a grower, cook, creative or simply curious about food or farming, this course is for you. Beginning with two evening sessions at the Bean Store near Beccles, followed by a full-day visit to the beautiful , expect a mix of discussion, real-world examples, interactive activities and time on the land.

Together, we’ll explore:

- the differences between organic, regenerative and agroecological farming
- the journey from grain to bread
- how our food choices connect to wider global systems
- and what a more localised, diverse & climate-resilient future could look like

Join us at Hodmedod’s on Thursday 14th May & Thursday 21st May, 6.00pm-8.30pm, and on Maple Farm, Saturday 23rd May, 10am-4pm.

Use code INTROSAVER for 10% off when booking before April 19th. Full details about this course – and similar courses in Norfolk and London – at the link in bio.

If agroecology relates to your working life, this course is ideal for continual professional development (CPD).

barleybird

12/03/2026

Curious about how our food is grown and how farming could work better for people and the planet?

Barleybird is running the first of four short 'Introduction to Agroecology' courses exploring the ideas, practices and people shaping more resilient food systems. Designed for anyone interested in farming, food and sustainability, the course combines discussion, real-world examples and time on the land.

The first course runs across two evening sessions in London at e5 bakehouse, followed by a full-day visit to two beautiful farms in Suffolk - Maple Farm, Kelsale & Fellows Farm. Together you’ll explore the differences between organic, regenerative and agroecological farming, learn about the journey from grain to bread, and meet farmers and food producers working to build more diverse and climate-resilient farming systems.

Dates:
📍 21 April – evening session, London
📍 28 April – evening session, London
🌾 9 May – full-day farm visit in Suffolk

The course fee is £375, including transport to the farm, lunch and refreshments. Places are limited: https://barleybird.org/events-workshops-training/intro-to-ag-course1-2026

If you can't make this one, this course will be running three more times in other locations across the East and South-East during May and June. To see the full programme and locations, head here: https://barleybird.org/events-workshops-training

10/03/2026

Diverse communities, diverse crops 🌾🥬

We recently gathered for a community meal in Colchester, bringing together people who had taken part in the farm visits as part of our Diverse Communities, Diverse Crops project, along with other members of the local community.

Food was cooked and shared by participants using their own cultural recipes, alongside vegetables from the market garden. The dishes included some of the crops explored in the project’s informal trials – including amaranth, dudhi leaves and shark fin melon – as well as whole grains like naked oats and wheat from , which we’d been discussing as potential alternatives to white rice.

One important theme that emerged during conversations in both Colchester and Ipswich was the impact of diabetes within these communities. Many traditional dishes rely heavily on white rice and refined flour, often alongside high sugar and fat diets and limited opportunities for exercise. At the same time, there was strong interest in exploring wholegrain rice alternatives and in whether crops like karela (bitter gourd), known in many cultures for supporting blood sugar management, could be grown more widely in the UK.

Just as importantly, the meal was a chance to strengthen the relationships built throughout the project. Cooking and eating together is a powerful way to create connection, share knowledge and celebrate culture.

16/02/2026

🌱 Barleybird Seed Swap 2026 🌱

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Saturday at Hodmedod’s HQ for this year’s Barleybird Seed Swap. What a wonderful way to kick-start the growing season – tables covered in seed packets, conversations flowing freely, and a real sense of shared purpose in the room.

What an incredible turnout it was – we estimate that over 300 people took part - twice the number we had in 2025, so we were overwhelmed... in a good way! The Seed Swap has become an integral part of Barleybird’s aim to empower and engage people to change the food system.

It was a joy to see so many growers – seasoned and first-time alike – swapping seeds, stories and practical tips for the months ahead. From generous contributions of saved seed to the tree saplings kindly shared by the Suffolk Tree Warden Network, the spirit of community was everywhere. Red Hat Orchards’ red walnuts sparked plenty of curiosity, and the guided tour of the Bean Store, mill and bakery was a highlight for many.

Events like this remind us that resilient food systems start locally, with people willing to share knowledge, seed and enthusiasm – and we’re already looking forward to next year. Subscribe to Barleybird newsletters through our website to hear about future events.🌾

11/02/2026

Diverse Cropping in East Anglia 🌾

On a cold but sunny day on Maple Farm, Kelsale, a group of farmers from a range of arable farms across Suffolk and Essex came together to discuss how we might create more diverse cropping systems in East Anglia – and how these systems might support a more diverse, localised food economy which better meets our need for safe, nutritious and affordable food.

We learned of existing projects and opportunities with examples from Gaina , Carrie , Josiah , Robyn & Fred and Mike .

We looked at practical ways to widen rotations, grow a greater range of crops and create resilient markets closer to home. We explored ideas for shortening supply chains between farmer, miller, baker and eater. These chains are not just about more direct supplies of nourishing food – they are also about culture and tradition, shared values, trust and relationships. They honour and celebrate cereal grains which are embedded in the landscape and community from where they came, and where they will be tasted and enjoyed.

Thanks to our funders and for hosting such an inspiring day.

05/02/2026

With our annual Seed Swap happening this Saturday, what better time to honour seeds as a precious resource – and saving them as a practical act of resilience. But how does this relate to agroecology?

By saving seed, growers reduce reliance on purchased inputs, increase self-sufficiency, and build local networks of mutual support. And over time, locally saved seeds adapt to local soils and conditions, becoming better suited to place and climate. Whatever scale you’re growing at, swapping and saving seed supports three of the key agroecology principles:

🌱 Fairness - protecting traditional knowledge and fair intellectual property rights e.g. open source seeds

🌱 Input reduction - increasing self-sufficiency, reducing reliance on purchased seed

🌱 Co-creation of knowledge - farmer-to-farmer exchange, transfer of knowledge and good practices

Come along to the Barleybird Seed Swap and help grow a more resilient, diverse and fair food system – one seed at a time.

03/02/2026

Looking ahead to our Seed Swap on Saturday, we're reflecting on how the simple act of saving and sharing seed connects deeply to the principles of agroecology, particularly fairness and the co-creation of knowledge. Seeds aren’t just the start of our food – they’re the foundation of who controls it.

Around the world, traditional seed varieties are being lost, while seed production and patenting is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few global companies. As Vandana Shiva reminds us: “When you control seed, you control food.”

Seed swaps offer an alternative. They protect knowledge, support fair and open approaches to seed sharing, and keep seeds in the commons, where they belong. They’re also places of learning, where growers share stories, skills and experience season to season.

Whether you’re growing on a windowsill or farming at scale, seed saving is about connection – to land, to people, and to food systems rooted in care rather than control.

What seed saving tip would you like to share with other growers this season?

27/01/2026

We're looking forward to seeing many of you next weekend as we come together once more to share seeds, growing tips and food stories at our annual free Seed Swap at the Hodmedod Bean Store!

With tree sapling giveaway, walnut samples and more, find full details here: https://barleybird.org/events-workshops-training/seed-swap-2026

07/01/2026

🌾 Diverse Cropping - Farmer Workshop 🌾

Calling all farmers in Suffolk & Essex! Are you interested in diversifying your cereal production? Curious about local, direct routes to market? Want to learn from farmers and food businesses already doing it?

Barleybird is inviting those who farm in and around the Suffolk & Essex Coast/Dedham Vale National Landscapes to explore how increasing crop diversity can build resilience, open up new opportunities and strengthen local food systems.

📍 Maple Farm, Kelsale
📅 Tuesday 20 January
💷 £15 for the full day (includes lunch + a diverse grain tasting)
🎟 Funded by Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape

On the day you’ll:

🌾 Discover the findings from this summer’s Diverse Communities, Diverse Crops project (Gaina Dunsire, Barleybird) and moves towards potential local procurement opportunities (Carrie Phoenix, Natural Habitat

🌾 Hear the story of local pioneering food producer Hodmedod, their diverse food crops, and alternative routes to market from Josiah Meldrum

🌾 See Maple Farm's diverse crops, stone-ground mill, closed-loop poultry and agroforestry systems on a farm tour led by Mike Mallet.

🌾 Learn how an innovative local grain economy is developing amongst farmers, millers and bakers in the South West from Robyn Minogue and Fred Price.

Places are limited - book online here: https://barleybird.org/events-workshops-training/farmer-workshop

07/11/2025

🌾 Sharing Food, Stories and Seeds of Connection 🌿

Last week we held a beautiful community meal in Ipswich as part of our Diverse Communities, Diverse Crops project! Over 30 people came together to share food and one another’s company, with Kurdistani, Afghani and Kosovan cooks working side by side to prepare delicious dishes like dolma, pilao and burek.

The cooks told us they loved not only cooking their own traditional foods, but also learning about others’ dishes and traditions. The vegetables came from just four miles away at , continuing the close relationship we’ve built with the farm and the communities we’ve been working with this summer. We also used amaranth from Bennison Farm Community Supported Agriculture, one of the fascinating crops we’ve been growing as part of the project.

It was a wonderful atmosphere - along with our cooks, we welcomed people from Thailand, the Philippines, Lesotho and Mauritius, plus our farmers, Ryan and Richard. Before the meal there was a presentation to share photos from the summer and reflections on what we’ve learned: about farming, cultural traditions, and most of all, each other.

Breaking down barriers through shared food, knowledge and laughter, this is what growing community looks like. 💛

Huge thanks to the staff and clients from Suffolk Refugee Support and to our funders Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape

23/10/2025

Why Soil Matters 🪱 Reflections from Halesworth Produce Market

At this month’s Halesworth Produce Market, Gaina from Barleybird shared a selection of delicious and diverse pulses, grains and seeds from Hodmedod alongside information about Barleybird’s work, from our Introduction to Agroecology course to the next Seed Swap early next year (dates to be confirmed soon 🌱).

To get people thinking about where their food comes from and how it’s grown, Gaina took along two contrasting soil samples, taken just 10 metres apart.

One, from a farmed field, was pale, dry and clumpy, with little organic matter and no scent. The other, from the adjacent woodland, was dark, crumbly, rich with life and that beautiful earthy smell - “it smells like autumn,” one visitor said 🍂

We can’t grow crops in woodland, of course, but we can learn from it. By regenerating our soils through agroecological practices like agroforestry, cover cropping, and reduced tillage, we can build soil health, increase biodiversity and resilience, and produce nourishing food for all.

Gaina also shared samples of YQ wheat from Fellows Farm and modern barley grown near Halesworth. The striking contrast illustrated the strength of diverse, deep-rooted, climate-resilient crops. The YQ wheat, just as its creator Martin Wolfe of Wakelyns envisioned, thrived even in this summer’s drought and will soon be turned into delicious local bread at e5 bakehouse

Agroecology shows that healthy soil means healthy food, healthy ecosystems and healthy people. That’s why both Hodmedod and Barleybird champion farming systems that work with nature and the soil, not against it 🌍

Stay tuned for details on our next events and workshops!

17/10/2025

Community Connections at the Halesworth Produce Market

The new home for the , St Mary’s Church, felt so warm and welcoming last Saturday. It was lovely to see some familiar faces alongside new stalls and producers.

Gaina was there representing Barleybird, supporting the market in its new venue, and she was delighted found herself among friends, Hilary with her wonderful stall of food-themed second-hand books, and Mili from , who makes the most beautiful, nourishing bakes 🍰

Both Hilary and Mili took part in our very first Introduction to Agroecology course at Maple Farm one year ago and since then, the connections and collaborations that have grown from that course have been so heartwarming.

Another participant, from the Forestry Commission, recently organised a farm walk at Maple Farm exploring organic agroforestry systems, a perfect example of how ideas and relationships from Barleybird’s work continue to grow and ripple outward 🌾

It’s wonderful to see a community coming together to share food, knowledge and support, the very essence of agroecology in action 💚

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