I realised something recently. There seems to be an increasing divide between farmers and environmentalists. Yet when you speak to people on both sides, they often want the same things: healthy soil, clean water, thriving wildlife and a secure future for food production. So I decided to learn more. I started with a single crop—wheat. I wanted to understand the journey from planning and planting, through to harvest, and discover the pressures farmers face every day. What I found surprised me. The first article in my new Stories from the Farm series is now available in the Classroom. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do we understand farming well enough to have the conversations we're having about food, climate and the countryside? You can find it here 👉

Please welcome @Elizabeth O'Carroll She and I work on another Skool project: Grace 4 Africa Child Care We are seeking support for an orphanage in Africa. The orphanage has been catering for children who were formerly on the street. The pastor in charge, Pastor Biyinzika Dan, took some home to help them get off the streets, and shortly afterwards he found that many had siblings who also needed help. Soon he realised he needed more space. Now he has over 30 orphans staying under his roof and a further 35 who are with guardians living locally. He finds funds to feed them and help them into a local school. He is working to increase the number of supporters by connecting people directly with the children so they can follow the child's progress and send messages of support. In return, they get messages about the progress being made and the activities that the children get up to. We send funds through a funding app. But the connection is kept via Skool. And now Elizabeth has joined us - Welcome!

Welcome @Adam Nealis, who is based in Thailand. As Adam joins us I have been preparing focus groups within our local Green Party to work on key areas of the Climate Crisis at a local level. The idea is to translate global and national issues into local narratives. How are these huge events playing out, or going to play out, in our local communities? What actions can we take now as a political party, but also in collaboration with our fellow citizens, to start mitigating the worst effects and preparing for or adapting to effects that we cannot avoid? The energy in our local group is growing. The seemingly thankless task of political campaigning is made bearable by becoming more active and making these connections. The food in our town is 95% imported from elsewhere - we think. Now we start the work of determining the real number. The next step is working with local growers to increase the amount of food we produce for local consumption. To do that, we need to know who is already working on this and what help they need to make it happen. One example might be to get around 100 families to commit to buying produce from a local grower; this guarantees the grower's income and allows them to change how they farm. Making the variety of crops wider. The risk diminishes for the farmer, and clients/supporters know exactly how many "food miles" their food has travelled. Through this work, we learn more about the fragility of our food supplies and make changes to reduce the risk of food shortages. Our party members feel that at last they are doing more than making donations and voting once every few years - they can see the results. Now, when they vote, they have a better idea of who they are voting for. Even if we are not elected to office, we will have changed the outcome for our community.