Valley Fest founder and The Story Farms named among Europe’s Top 50 Farmers as new regenerative symposium launches in Somerset
Valley Fest founder Hasell farms in the Chew Valley in Somerset, where his work connects food, regenerative farming and community, protecting and regenerating the land for the next 1000 years.
To mark the recognition, Valley Fest has announced the launch of Wake The Valley, a new symposium debuting at the 2026 festival on Thursday 30th July.
The gathering will bring together visionary farmers, chefs, growers, land stewards, festival creators and cultural leaders to explore how food, farming and culture can work together to regenerate landscapes and communities.
The event takes inspiration from the West Country tradition of Wassailing - the act of “waking the orchard” each winter to encourage the trees to flourish.
In a similar spirit, Wake The Valley aims to spark new conversations and collaborations around the future of land, food and culture.
Luke Hasell said: “This recognition reflects the wider regenerative movement happening across farming right now. Farmers across Europe are rediscovering that healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food, healthy communities and healthy landscapes.
“We are trying to think about land stewardship on a much longer timescale - even imagining what our farm and land might look like if we and our future generations were caring for them responsibly and regeneratively over the next 1000 years.
“Wake The Valley is about bringing farmers, chefs, thinkers and communities together to explore what that kind of future could look like.”
Valley Fest has become one of Southwest England’s best-known food and music festivals celebrating organic food, regenerative farming and rural culture, attracting thousands of visitors to the Chew Valley each summer.
The new symposium will form a dedicated part of the 2026 programme, offering talks, discussions and collaborations focused on regenerative agriculture, food systems and land stewardship.
Speaker announcements and programme details will follow in the coming months.
Those interested in attending, partnering or speaking at Wake The Valley can register their interest via: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7VCy0MScgaUGljnwbbeCgP17h7R1OVMycadFIwOH0liejYg/viewform