At Fraendi, we create the conditions for vital conversations, the kind that bring the mainstream and the leading edge into meaningful relationship. It’s at this intersection that we believe real transformation begins.
GO Falkland 2023 and 2024 were such conversations. Sparked at Groundswell 2022 by Ninian Stuart’s vision and the generosity of the Cherry family, these gatherings took place at Falkland Estate, Scotland. They brought together farmers, landowners, crofters and others working with food, fibre and fuel to explore regenerative practices and reimagine the future of food and farming in Scotland.
Fraendi was honoured to be a core partner, joining forces with the Cherry family, Ninian Stuart, Adele Clarke and Johnnie Balfour to co-host and shape the programme. Fraendi was invited to contribute through a systems change lens: helping curate and host a day of dialogue, learning and emergence.
Over 60 speakers shared perspectives from across agroecology, farming, policy and practice. What stood out was not just the knowledge shared, but the spirit of generosity, curiosity and risk-taking among those present. Many farmers and food growers spoke of the courage it takes to transition from extractive systems to regenerative ones and the emotional, physical and ecological toll of the status quo.
Food systems touch every part of life: health, economy, ecology, culture and community and more. What’s happening in regenerative farming may feel far from boardrooms or abstract sectors like finance, but the patterns of interdependence and adaptability found in the soil mirror the shifts we need across all systems.
The transition isn’t simple. For many, stepping away from the predictability of monocrops or traditional methods can feel like a leap into the unknown. But GO Falkland showed that this ‘unknown’ can also be fertile ground. It asks something of us: to listen differently, to learn from nature, to be in reciprocal relationship with life.
We often speak of transformation, but here in muddy boots, weathered hands and hard-won insights, it was evident. It was in relationship and partnership with the living world and it was deeply grounded (!).
If you’re curious about how Fraendi supports regenerative learning and system transformation in land, leadership or elsewhere — let’s talk.
📩 hema@fraendi.com
