Meet the Future of Farming – WILDFARMED

WHAT IS WILDFARMED?

Wildfarmed is the leading regenerative farming and food business.

Wildfarmed is the food and farming business on a mission to accelerate the world’s transition to regenerative agriculture and make regeneratively-farmed food accessible to everyone.

Founded in 2018 by Andy Cato, George Lamb and Edd Lees, Wildfarmed has bxuilt a network of farmers, businesses and consumers who are all working together to fix our broken food system.

Unlike conventional farming methods, Wildfarmed grows wheat, oats and barley in a way that actively supports nature — in healthy, living soil, as part of regenerative farming systems. As a result, our farms are helping to increase biodiversity, improve soil health, minimise water pollution, and reduce carbon.

Wildfarmed are passionate about increasing people’s awareness of how the food we eat is grown and improving our collective understanding of the impact it has on the environment. We believe that the food choices each of us make every day play a key role in helping move us towards a more resilient future.

How did the Wildfarmed idea start?

Nearly twenty years ago, our co-founder Andy Cato began learning about the environmental impacts of industrial farming and put his music career on hold to figure out how to grow food with nature and better support farmers.

Andy was inspired to buy his own farm in France and began experimenting with regenerative farming methods; those that worked in harmony with nature, rather than against it.  After much trial and error, the bread being baked from the wheat grown at the farm  started to make waves in the local community. Shortly after, he later joined with Edd Lees and George Lamb to start Wildfarmed and build a team capable of turning award-winning regenerative systems into a real business.

Today, the Wildfarmed family is made up of our network of farmers up and down the country and over 1,000 best-in-class food businesses of all shapes and sizes from artisan bakers and Michelin-star chefs to nationwide chains, global catering companies, and major retailers all using our regeneratively farmed wheat, oats and barley.

How are most wheat and oats farmed today? & What is regenerative agriculture

Today’s conventional farming methods typically rely on monocultures and the heavy use of chemicals and machinery in order to grow crops successfully. Over time this way of farming has stripped the soil of vital nutrients and reduced biodiversity, agricultural productivity and soil health.

Our approach to regenerative farming, flips this completely on its head and instead focuses on using farming methods that put nature first. Regeneration, simply put, is about returning something that has been lost. And the vast majority of British fields (as well as those all over the world) have lost their life and soul. Nature loves a party – with a diverse range of plants and animals thriving together as part of one ecosystem – and regenerative farming aims to bring back this party and create a system where nature and food production can exist hand in hand for centuries.

And how does Wildfarmed approach farming?

At the moment there is not a precisely defined term, like “natural” or “healthy”, regenerative is a word anyone can use. At Wildfarmed we wanted to create a framework that meant our customers could be assured our grain is grown in a way that puts nature first and that improves biodiversity, soil health, water quality and reduces carbon emissions.

Our network of growers all use farming practices that align with our key principles of regenerative farming which focus on reviving ecosystems , these are:

• Limiting soil disturbance (both mechanical tilling and chemical inputs)
• Maintaining year-round soil cover (through cover and companion crops)
• Promoting plant diversity (Plant species richness and grazing animals where possible)
• Keeping living roots in the soil (Optimising photosynthesis)
• Nutrition Based on Need (Using plant analysis to determine nutritional inputs)

If someone has never heard of regenerative farming, what’s the one thing you’d want them to remember after picking up a Wildfarmed product? What makes Wildfarmed different to other regen brands?

At Wildfarmed we work with a variety of different partners that collect and analyse our on-farm data and help us measure the impact of the Wildfarmed way of farming.

For example, a 2024 study with Bristol University compared pollinators in Wildfarmed and conventionally-farmed fields found 3.7x more buff-tailed bumblebees, 79% greater total insect biomass as well as an uplift of 17% in the total insect abundance in Wildfarmed fields. All of which more calories in the food chain for birds and other animals across the ecosystem.

At the heart of everything we do is our farming network. We  know all of the farmers who are growing with us individually and are really proud to be building a community of farmers that are sharing knowledge, resources and exploring new ways to succeed together.

Why should a catering manager, chef, or ops manager care about regenerative ingredients? What difference does it make in their day-to-day decisions?

Sustainable sourcing isn’t just an opportunity to help the planet – it’s a chance for operators to connect with eco-conscious consumers.

Research shows that consumers are increasingly favouring businesses that align with their values. A 2024 PWC survey found consumers will spend 9.7% extra on sustainable goods, even in tough times. Wildfarmed’s own 2024 Brand Impact Survey also revealed that 87% of people expect businesses to improve sustainability which would indicate consumers are demanding more.

By using regenerative products like Wildfarmed, operators can stand out, connect with under-35 consumers, and build loyalty with the environmentally conscious.

The more food and drink made with ingredients from regeneratively-farmed fields that become available to consumers – be that from bakeries, supermarkets, pubs or restaurants – the more of a positive impact we will be able to have on the environment. It’s all about giving people an agency of choice – to support environmental restoration and farmers alike – whilst at the same time enjoying the food they love.

What kind of future do you see if more of the food industry shifts to regenerative farming?

Our Wildfarmed community is continuing to expand which means we are able to transform more landscapes and put more regeneratively-farmed food on plates. But if the UK is to meet its nature restoration and carbon targets whilst ensuring a resilient food supply, we need to rapidly and sustainably scale the transition to this means of food production. Healthy soil and thriving ecosystems are not just “nice to haves” but are the only way we can continue to reliably produce food in a changing climate.

Regeneration needs to be a high-street choice for customers and a practical choice for farmers. Awareness of regenerative agriculture is continuing to build, but for those people who haven’t heard of the it – or say it’s something they’re not interested in – you can probably guarantee that they will be interested in rivers they can swim in, in water that’s safe to drink and being part of the climate solution rather than the problem. These things are what regenerative agriculture can be.

Why did Wildfarmed choose to partner with Delicious Ideas?

Part of our mission is to make regeneratively-farmed foods accessible to everyone. Partnering with Delicious Ideas – who supply many different businesses across the UK – means that regeneratively-farmed foods can reach a wide variety of customers up and down the country.

We want to give people the option of choosing food that can help them be part of the climate solution rather than the climate problem and be part of transforming the food system for the better – whether its enjoying a loaf of bread at home or grabbing a snack on the go – the more food grown in nature-rich landscapes can be accessible, the more of a positive impact we will be able to have on restoring ecosystems.