Bonnie Welch

With so much evidence pointing to the positive impacts of nature-based activities on improving mental and physical wellbeing, as well as reducing reoffending, it seems like an ideal time to promote gardening and horticulture in all UK prisons.

To live in harmony with nature, we too must become stewards of natural capital, acknowledging and nurturing vitally important species like bees, the original stewards of the land.

For Syria, small-scale, autonomous farming offers a model of inspiration for the challenges that lie ahead in terms of weakened food security, the use of food as a weapon and the vulnerability of farming livelihoods. In the long run, planting it as an idea may well be the most important thing to do.

While hunger is a prevalent form of malnutrition in developing countries, malnourishment can also be found far closer to home, here in the UK, where its impact is significant and increasing. NHS England calls malnutrition a “common problem”, affecting millions of people in the UK.

There are other clear commonalities between pilgrimage and farming, grounded in the idea that the land itself is holy and that our interaction with, and care of the land, is of great significance. Farmers understand the value of the natural capital found within the fields –  its soil, sources of water and other resources are crucial to the health of the land and the endeavour of farming.

“How can the design of farms and farm buildings be beautiful, functional and express a sense of place?” This was the central question explored by Mark Hoare, Kim Wilkie and Stephanie Evans during their parallel session “Harmony Principles in Farm Architecture” at the Harmony in Food and Farming conference earlier in July.