People
From diverse professional backgrounds, our small core team found each other through a collective passion for regenerative farming. We are regularly joined by visiting facilitators and regenerative experts from the UK and around the world, who will help guide and support our course participants as they move towards regenerative systems.
Clare Hill
Clare is a practising regenerative farmer with a wealth of experience in farm transition, and at policy and corporate level, having worked across the full spectrum of the agri-food world for more than 20 years.
She has developed Planton Farm in Shropshire into a model regenerative farm offering workshops, mentoring and the Roots to Regeneration Transition Accelerator programme
Caring deeply about helping people find their own path to regeneration, Clare has pooled her knowledge, experience and extensive network to help farmers unearth what regeneration means to them and how it might look for their farming enterprise.
In her previous role as Regenerative Agriculture Director at FAI Farms, Clare started the transition of a 1200 acre FAI Farm from organic to regenerative production. The farm achieved Savory Institute Ecological Outcome Verification in 2020.
She was integral to the success of a pioneering regenerative beef project on behalf of FAI and McDonalds won Compassion in World Farming’s Sustainable Food and Farming Award.
Clare has worked with large-scale businesses such as Arla and Ikea on their regenerative pilots and programmes, advising them on animal welfare, sustainability and the possibilities of a regenerative future for their business.
Alongside her work at Planton Farm, Clare is a director for New Foundation Farms - a regenerative agri-food enterprise prioritising health of soil, nature, communities and people.
Clare’s time is shared between farm management, education, advisory work and raising her two children with husband, Rupert. She is a regular speaker at food and farming summits and conferences including Oxford Real Farming Conference and Groundswell.
Annie Rayner
Annie is a food systems expert with over thirteen years’ experience providing research and consultancy into the agri-food sector.
She is a specialist in farm animal welfare and brings her understanding of the needs and wants of livestock into the world of regenerative agriculture.
Annie holds a PhD in Farm Animal Welfare, specifically on positive animal welfare assessment. Positive animal welfare draws distinct parallels to regenerative agriculture in its inverse focus on promoting beneficial lives for animals as opposed to the traditional approach of avoiding harm.
Annie has written and contributed to several influential scientific publications and reports. A key highlight was when research she led contributed towards Marks and Spencer’s decision to source higher welfare chicken breeds for their entire supply.
She sits on several advisory boards including the RSPCA, Soil Association, and the Animal Welfare Research Network. She is the chair of the Farm Animal Welfare Forum.
Annie works with farmers, governments, universities, large food brands and policy makers aiming to ignite new ideas and create transformational change in our food systems. She brings a systems thinking approach with a strong appreciation for the intricacies of the current food system and the people within it.
Ruth Layton
Ruth is a veterinary surgeon, food producer and founder of a sustainable food consultancy. She is also the founder of Sankalpa, an organisation that supports innovators to become change-makers.
Ruth has extensive expertise and a global reputation for advancing animal welfare within the food sector. Ruth’s experience and her passion for food sustainability, in both local and global contexts, continues to shape Planton Farm’s economic, ethical and environmental policy and strategy. Mindfulness and meditation are an integral part of her life.
“After a lifetime of working in the food sector, I am now in a position to share what I have learned with others. I believe sustainability means caring for all kinds of people, all kinds of animals and the environment which sustains us. Studying consciousness and transpersonal psychology has magnified my understanding of the absolute necessity for humans to evolve and see ourselves as part of a whole if we are to live in harmony."
Rupert Hill
Rupert is currently overseeing the transformation of the farmhouse and farm buildings at Planton Farm, revitalizing them from derelict to useable for the growing number of farm enterprises.
This is interspersed with fencing and shearing both at Planton Farm and contracts for other farmers and small holders. Having kept sheep solely behind electric fencing in his early days of farming, his experience is that a solid external fence is vital for time saving and sanity!
Once the main renovations are complete, Rupert is planning to establish Care Farming at Planton Farm, building upon his supportive approach to developing team members from his career in catering and venue management.
Rob Layton
One of the Directors of Planton Farm, Rob brings over 30 years of experience as a management consultant to support the development and growth of the business.
Rob is experienced in helping companies identify and address issues across a broad range of industries. He uses business planning and data manipulation to deliver management information and business intelligence.