Prince William Visits Duchy of Cornwall Farm to Learn More About Sustainable Strides

The Prince of Wales is having a different kind of day out than his usual royal duties!

Prince William is exploring a farm on Duchy of Cornwall land for his latest royal engagement.

On Jan. 28, the Prince of Wales, 42, visited Lower Blakemere Farm in Hereford, England to learn more about how the multigenerational hub has honed farming practices and diversification on the road to net zero. The farm is one of seven Focus Farms in the Duchy of Cornwall’s portfolio, and the campaign aims to share knowledge and information in the transition to greener farming methods.

Prince William advocates for conservation like his father King Charles, and the Duchy of Cornwall has an ambitious goal to become net zero by the end of 2032. The duchy is a private estate owned by the British royal family, and was established by King Edward III in 1337 as a means to provide income for the heir to the throne. Today, its vast holdings span about 130,000 acres across England and Wales, encompassing farmland, property and commercial businesses. Its revenue generates funds for the public, private and charitable work of the Prince of Wales and his family, and earned $30 million for William during the 2023-2024 financial year.

The Prince of Wales seemed to be in good spirits as he arrived at the family farm, which is run by Phil and Heather Gorringe along with their son, Monty. The 630-acre farm was established in the 1980s as a specialized seed grower with a herd of South Devon cattle, evolving over time and embracing regenerative farming with practices sustainable for the long term. The Gorringes have also diversified their business to refashion a former grain store into a community event space and launched a composting operation.

Prince William stepped out to see the new grain store and some regenerative farming equipment at work, including a large seed drill. He then joined the family on a farm walk to check out their composting projects.

From there, Prince William moved to meet members of the Ridge to River steering group to discuss the ongoing environmental restoration endeavor. The Lower Blakemere Farm part of the Upper Wye Valley Ridge to River project, organized by the Duchy of Cornwall and Moccas Estate. The program has brought 16 local farms together to restore ecological health and create a resilient landscape where a variety of farm lands can flourish and contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

It was a different kind of day out for Prince William, whose royal duties often take him indoors! The Prince of Wales seems to share an appreciation for the countryside with his wife, Kate Middleton, and the couple is known to head to Anmer Hall, their private home in Norfolk, during school breaks and some weekends with their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Princess Kate’s September video announcement about completing chemotherapy was notably filmed in Norfolk, and the Wales family recently kicked off the holiday season at Anmer Hall.

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On Jan. 27, the Princess of Wales joined her husband at a ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Princess Kate’s attendance was confirmed shortly before in a last-minute move, and her appearance at the London event marked her first engagement since she announced on Jan. 14 that she is in remission from cancer.

Source people.com