Worm experts to visit England’s first Community-Owned Farm
March 5, 2025
Dr Kevin Butt and Dr Pia Euteneuer to research worms at Fordhall, and lead a public session.
The team at Fordhall Organic Farm are very excited to bewelcoming worm experts, Dr Kevin Butt and Dr Pia Euteneuer, for a foray into the world of these vital soil workers. The public are invited to join these experts for a fully lead session, learning all about the worms on-site. Fordhall is England’s first community-owned farm, located in Market Drayton, Shropshire, with approximately 8,000 landlords around the world.
Earthworms are essential for soil health, improving soil structure, drainage, and nutrient cycling. Fordhall’s foggage farming system, an outdoor-grazing, permaculture system pioneered by Arthur Hollins, works with nature and values the contribution and the necessity of these soil-dwelling creatures.
These wiggly friends have been the object of both Dr Kevin, of the University of Central Lancashire, and Dr Pia’s, of BOKU University in Vienna, research for many years. Both see them as vital ecosystem service providers, and are eager to conduct further research on Fordhall’s land. They even hope to get the public involved, running a free ‘Get Wormy with Experts’ event on 14th March. Attendees can get involved with digging and hand-sorting of soil, learning to identify different worm groups, and understanding the important role of worms for composting, gardening and farming. The experts will also be providing tips on how to attract more worms to your soil, and answering any questions the attendees may have.
Charlotte Hollins, Fordhall Community Land Initiative general manager, said:
“It is a real honour to host both Kevin and Pia at Fordhall. We are excited about learning more about these vital earth workers within our soil, and how our organic farming practices support them. Dad always called the worms his 'secret workers', he had the biggest respect for them. They were his indicators of a healthy soil. He knew if he could see the worms, then all the microscopic life that you can't see was also going to be in place, working together to release the nutrients the plants needed to grow.
Both Kevin and Pia will be with us for a number of days conducting research at Fordhall, and we are very happy to be able to offer a public session whilst they are with us.”
To book a space on Fordhall’s free worm event, please visit: www.fordhallfarm.com/events/get-wormy-with-experts
