Rootstock

Devon’s Future Farming Conference

Thursday 4th February 2027

Westpoint – Exeter

A one-day conference built for South West farmers

Exploring practical strategies for a profitable, resilient farm

Changing weather patterns, the unreliability of government support and adverse markets mean the old rules of farm business no longer hold. Rootstock is designed to cut through the noise and discuss practical, ground-level strategies to keep your farm viable, resilient and thriving.

Rootstock brings together a range of speakers, from expert scientists to practical farmers, to explore solutions. The conference is so much more than its speakers, providing a vibrant forum for looking at and questioning current farming ideas, including regenerative approaches and the latest technical developments.

Tickets are now available to purchase

Buy 2027 tickets

About Rootstock

Rootstock is organised by the Devon County Agricultural Association (DCAA) and hosted at its headquarters at Westpoint Exeter. The DCAA has played a leading role in the development of agriculture and the rural economy in Devon since its formation in 1872.

It’s flagship event is the Devon County Show, staged every third week of May at Westpoint near Exeter, as a gigantic shop window for local agriculture, horticulture, food and drink, rural crafts and forestry.

Rootstock was launched in 2023 to create a forum to bring science and farming together, sharing learning and experience in the regenerative space.

Rootstock is a fundraising activity of the Devon County Agricultural Association to help support agriculture and the countryside. Charity Number 292897

Speakers

Topics

Timetable

Exhibitors

Our Farming Experts

2027 details to follow

Listen, Discuss & Learn

Informative conversations

2027 topics

Bounce Back

How resilient farms are to climatic shocks and how well they are recovering, looking at different soils, precipitation, management

Hanging onto water and nutrients

Keeping hold of water and nutrients in your soils to help improve on-farm resilience

No SFI, what next?

Farm business profitability, opportunities and ability to adapt

Lunchtime Speakers Corner

Trials, technology and more

Planning your day

2027 Timetable – to follow closer to the event

Exhibitors

We look forward to welcoming the following businesses and organisations who will be exhibiting at Rootstock in 2027 (Exhibitors will be confirmed closer to the event)

Revisit

Watch the 2026 conference

Did you get to Rootstock this year? If not not a problem as the sessions are now available online on our Youtube channel. Click or watch below

REVISIT

Previous Conferences

Why not take the time to sit back and watch the It’s In Our Roots podcast from the 2023 conference.

Further videos from the the 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 Rootstock conferences including the full livestream available for playback are available to view on our YouTube channel.

Click to visit our Youtube Channel

Earlybird tickets for farmers and DCAA members are now available. General sale tickets will be available in December.

Buy 2027 Tickets

Testimonials

Happy Attendees

Very down to earth and some great speakers. I hadn’t really thought about it before but I think it fills a gap in Devon. We don’t really have a farmers’ conference for sharing knowledge about transitioning towards more sustainable ag. Feels like an annual event!

Catherine

Farmer

Mixing the academics with the farmer practitioners was novel to me as the regenerative world has not really had the opportunity to engage with the academic world to date. There is no profitable agribusiness to fund it. But this just makes the interaction all that much more important and you are to be congratulated for enabling it

Ian Boyd

Farmer & Rootstock speaker

Getting to talk alongside this team of experts in their respective fields today has been an epic educational adventure.

Ed Horton

Farmer & Rootstock speaker

I really enjoyed it and learnt lots, but the main thing I came away was feeling inspired there are some amazing people out there doing brilliant things. If only we could bottle all this enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, knowledge and willingness to try new things (or often try old things!). I have come away excited and feeling more positive about the direction farming could go