The Resilient Smallholding: Planning for Extreme Weather & Other Setbacks

The recent decade has seen one form of extreme weather after another, making life challenging for those working on the land – and weather patters are predicted to become ‘stuck’ more often, making both flood and drought more likely. The concept of ‘resilience’ – the capacity to ‘bounce-back’ and thrive after negative events – has emerged as a means of planning for and dealing with adverse weather and a changing climate, as well as other potential setbacks (such as a financial crisis or ‘oil-shock’/resource shortages). Resilience-building includes small-scale solutions and larger/long-term designs, ranging from planting hardy and multi-purpose crops to digging swales and setting aside a 'sacrificial paddock'. The course will comprise taught sessions that set out practical solutions relevant to smallholdings with livestock and horticulture.