Foundation for Arable Research has managed to sign the regenerative agriculture trailblazer for its field day CROPS 2022.
The English-born DJ progressed to become a musician and record producer before moving with his family to Gascony, in France, in 2008.
Inspired after reading about the dire consequences of food production, he bought a 100ha farm and began growing organic no-till crops and keeping pasture-raised livestock.
His innovative approach led him to become the first Englishman to be awarded the Chevalier de L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole — the French equivalent of a knighthood for services to agriculture.
Now back on British soil at a leased 295ha Oxfordshire farm, Mr Cato wants to bring about change for farmers by creating a consumer-led market for food grown in regenerating landscapes.
Mr Cato’s Wildfarmed is based on a farming philosophy that prioritises soil health and biodiversity and grows crops without the use of herbicides, fungicides or pesticides.
The company produces stoneground flour made from a variety of wheat grown alongside many plants, grasses, and legumes.
Working with 42 farmers and more than 250 bakers and restaurants, it is creating a market for local quality-based grains and encourages retailers, bakers, chefs and eaters to see value in them.
FAR chief executive Dr Alison Stewart said it was fortuitous that Mr Cato agreed to speak at the event, as originally he was invited to attend when FAR heard he was visiting New Zealand at the time.
She said grower interest in his views would range from those with similar philosophies with what he was doing to others who might not find it relevant for them.
"A portion of our growers are not so much regenerative farming but sustainable farming and looking at soil health and biodiversity and they are very aware of Andy’s work in France and England."
FAR had to be careful when inviting overseas experts, because it did not want to be seen as telling its growers how to "suck eggs".
They were highly competent and had worked out arable systems that worked for New Zealand. However, they were open to hearing about other ideas and cherry-picking the best, she said.
"It would have been remiss of FAR to not bring Andy, who has a high profile for creating a market for locally grown grains, which is what we are trying to push, as well.
"He’s a high-profile mixed arable and livestock farmer and he’s received the equivalent of a knighthood from France."
Dr Stewart said there would be about 12 talks during the field day, including the latest results of FAR research projects, some of which were close to fruition after several years of work.
Speakers will touch on sensor technology, growing maize in the South Island, innovations for seed and cereal, and economic and environmental talks around soil, nutrients and nitrogen management decisions.
The biennial event allowed growers to keep up to date with the research and development work and mix with sponsors, she said.
More than 500 farmers and industry representatives are expected to be attend.
At the rear of the site machinery, cultivar, agrichemical and other product exhibits and demonstrations will be on display.
Other exhibits include drone fly pits near the clover trial site, a method of breeding alternative crop pollinators to bees.
