Musician-turned-farmer Andy Cato of Wildfarmed will be addressing East Anglian farmers at a conference this week.

The co-founder of Wildfarmed, who is also one half of the Grammy-nominated electronic music duo Groove Armada, is a keynote speaker at Writtle Farmers' Conference on Wednesday, February 7.

He will be joined Tim Lang, the Emeritus Professor of Food Policy at City University London, and Groundswell’s John and Joanna Cherry.

The annual event takes place at Writtle University College near Chelmsford from 11am to 5.30pm. Tickets can be reserved via Writtle Farmers’ Club.

Fifteen years ago, an article about the environmental and health consequences of food production inspired Andy Cato to sell his rights to Groove Armada songs and buy a farm in France and he has been in the practical challenges of "farming that combines food and nature" since.

"It’s fantastic to see that the dial is moving and Writtle are leading the way - both teaching and bringing together people who are trying to make a positive difference,” he said.

Andy spent a decade trying to find a more restorative and sustainable way of growing food. He was awarded the 2020 Laureate Nationale for innovation in agroecology and the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole.

Now back in Britain, and farming as a tenant of the National Trust, Andy and his Wildfarmed colleagues want to help farmers move towards soil-focused farming - and make food available on the high street at affordable prices.

“In my years as a farmer, gaining first hand experience of what an incredibly difficult and often very lonely profession it is, a key lesson was that knowledge exchange and collaboration are fundamental if we are to move towards systemic change,” he said.