Soil Stories: farming, science and art

Join us for this special one-off event for farmers, growers and foresters at Lochhill Agroecological Farm, where we'll take a deep dive into how we understand healthy, living soils. 

Guided by experts across science, art and practice, we'll look at soils through multiple lenses — combining data, fieldwork and sensory experience to help you get to know your land better.  But this isn't a one-way exchange. It is as much a conversation, with everyone's knowledge, stories, and time on the ground adding to joint understanding.

Who you'll hear from:
Ted Leeming, environmental artist, shares findings from his Soil my Undies project — sampling soils across Dumfries and Galloway through lab tests, earthworm counts and the now-legendary decayed cotton pants test.
Gill Higgins, creative practitioner, brings a soil microphone to open up the hidden world of micro-organisms through sound — an entirely unique sensory experience.
Paul Hargreaves (SRUC) and Michael Muir (University of Glasgow), soil scientists, present the latest data and research revealing new understandings of soil health, including live microscope analysis.
Abi Mordin, farmer and agroecologist, walks through a range of practical, easy-to-use in-field methods to help farmers and growers assess and improve soil health on their own land.

The event will take place at Lochhill Agroecological Farm near Crossmichael - a learning and education hub for nature friendly and
resilient agriculture. The day will include a guided walk across the farm — please wear appropriate footwear as the terrain is hilly. Lunch is provided.

Free to attend. Places are limited — booking is essential.

Organised through Propagate's Regenerative Farming Network as part of the Scottish Government funded Farm Cluster Connections project.

Facilitator bios:

Ted Leeming is a place-based photographer based in Galloway, Southwest Scotland, exploring land use, biodiversity, and the tensions between environmental stewardship and commercial narratives. His practice is rooted in slow, immersive engagement with place and community, evolving into photographic essays, participatory projects, and collaborations that bridge art, ecology, and policy. Working with traditional methods, experimental abstraction, and found materials, Ted's work invites audiences to reimagine their role as custodians of the planet.

Paul Hargreaves is a soil and grassland specialist based at the SRUC Dairy Research and Innovation Centre in Dumfries, where he has spent over 15 years researching the effects of soil compaction on grassland yields and greenhouse gas emissions. He lectures across Agriculture, Wildlife Management, Forestry, and Engineering, and has contributed to Scottish Government soil health initiatives, including the Valuing Your Soils booklet, AHDB soil scorecards, and the Healthy Grassland Soils guide.

Abi Mordin is an agroecologist, a founding director of Propagate, and a food activist with over 25 years of experience in sustainable food, farming and policy. She works with farmers, schools, community groups and the public sector to support networking, learning and education for better food. She is a driving force behind Lochhill Agroecological Farm, and also founded the Galloway Food Hub, connecting remote rural communities with nature-friendly produce. Abi lives in the Glenkens where she runs Hidden Veg market garden and keeps Shetland cattle.

Gill Higgins is a Scottish audiovisual artist, who plays alt-folk music under the moniker 'Curlew'. Her work explores the intersections of folklore, the natural world and science, incorporating 'found sounds' and biosynthesisers, to foster curiosity and connection. Her music has featured in BAFTA award winning television, was exhibited in Glasgow Botanic Gardens, she has played at Celtic  Connections, and has upcoming performances at Edinburgh Tradfest and Mogwai's Big City Festival.

Michael Muir grew up in rural Dumfriesshire, studied Environmental Chemistry at the University of Glasgow before completing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh researching organic matter and soil chemistry. Now back at the University of Glasgow — and back on home turf living just outside Dumfries — he teaches Environmental Science and Sustainability, manages the Environmental Teaching Lab, and supervises undergraduate research projects focused on soil and water quality.