Time for Change: Sustainability Events for Businesses

GLOBAL – As companies become more focused on sustainable practices, an innovative proposition for businesses has emerged that offers unique global insight into business sustainability and hands-on learning about food production.
calendar icon 6 May 2013
clock icon 4 minute read

Field Station at Oxford, EnglandField Station is located on FAI’s 1700-acre farm near Oxford, England, offering a globally accessible, original venue with business value, application and enjoyment.

Field Station features expert speakers on sustainability, guided farm tours highlighting unique sustainable practices, experiential activities, fully equipped meeting rooms, home cooked meals, evening entertainment and excellent hotel accommodation.

Mike Gooding, Field Station director, said, “Through Field Station we work with people, using the example of FAI’s farming activities as a case study, to open minds to the wider ramifications of business activity. For us this has meant looking at how we do business in a different light and breaking through to a new way of thinking.

"Creating space for business leaders to think through these challenges, identify the opportunities in their own businesses, and most importantly go away inspired to take action is the role of our Field Station program."

Sharing Sustainability Knowledge

Explaining the unique concept of Field Station, manager Rachael Meyer, explains, “We are part of a group whose ethos is centred around sustainability. The group’s work blends science with welfare, practicality and experience to develop sustainable systems that can help feed the world’s growing population. This is driven by the ‘3Es’ of sustainability; ethics AND environment AND economics.Ethics, because the challenges we face require more thought than a binary system of right and wrong, AND Environment, because it is where we live, our surroundings and our ultimate source of life AND Economics, because it is about more than just profits. It is the way society assigns, creates and exchanges value.”

Being outdoors and team-building on a working farm that inspires good ethical standards, environmental consideration and financial sustainability gives people a sense of wellbeing, provokes discussion and adds real take home value, Meyer said.

“The production and supply of food is topical, relevant and fascinating to everyone, regardless of business sector or role, so however the event is targeted, everyone will get something new out of being here,” Meyer added.

Customize Your Sustainability Experience

Because Field Station has so much potential, no event is the same. Participants can partake in a whole spectre of activities including lambing, scarecrow making, harvesting, bake-offs, zorbing and even viral video or Hollywood movie trailer production days and evenings.

“We can work with clients to personalise the event, and to add a touch of glamour in the evening, we can offer unrivalled tours of Oxford University’s private collections, facilitate black tie awards dinners in historic venues, or arrange a casual evening with dinner on a riverboat.”

Nicola Herron, Event Coordinator at MSD/Merck Animal Health said, “We booked the event with fairly short notice. Field Station was excellent in suggesting ideas and catered for our needs within our timetable. We all had a very enjoyable day - relaxed, informative, interesting and all with a lot of fun.”

Find more information at www.fieldstation.co

Sarah Mikesell

Editor

Sarah Mikesell grew up on a five-generation family farming operation in Ohio, USA, where her family still farms. She feels extraordinarily lucky to get to do what she loves - write about livestock and crop agriculture. You can find her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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