Andy Cato has been shakin’ that ass on stage for many years as one half of the electronic dance act, Groove Armada, however nowadays the tall, unassuming musician is creating extra than simply songs, he’s producing crops.
If you happen to had requested Cato throughout his twenties if he might see himself as a farmer, he would have “laughed at you”, he says.
“I can’t describe the extent to which it didn’t exist as an concept for me. I by no means even thought-about it for one second. By no means had any expertise of it, by no means had anybody within the household – curiosity was completely zero.”
However nowadays the profitable British musician is immersed in regenerative farming, and after a few years of perseverance that pushed him to his limits, he has shared his story with different like-minded individuals proper right here in Aotearoa.
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Throughout a farewell tour celebrating 25 years of touring with pal and different half of Groove Armada, Tom Findlay, Cato fronted as much as a comfortable crowd of lower than 30 farmers, bakers, cooks and scientists at Christchurch restaurant Gatherings to debate his shocking second profession .
His farming journey began after a gig in Kazakhstan whereas studying {a magazine} article about industrial farming. He examine “all of the stuff that’s in our meals” and what which means for our well being and the atmosphere.
“I used to be type of astonished. Then some journalist mentioned in passing in the event you don’t just like the system, don’t rely upon it and that was a phrase that actually stayed with me.”
And it was from there he “went down a spectacular rabbit gap”, which noticed him take the “insane choice” to promote his “musician’s pension” to purchase a farm in 2006 the place he was dwelling along with his household in Gascony, France.
Following within the footsteps of Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton, he offered his publishing rights to his mucic, the one manner he might elevate the funds to purchase a farm.
The purpose was to develop crops in keeping with the rules of regenerative agriculture: a holistic strategy to farming that focuses on the inter-connectivity and optimum well being of the ecological system as a complete. As such, regenerative farmers keep away from all pesticides, herbicides and fungicides – exactly the instruments which have made large-scale industrial farming potential.
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Associates Andy Cato and Tom Findlay have been fronting Groove Armada because the late 90s, incomes themselves a lot of nominations at prestigious awards.
It took years of trial and error battling poisonous weed, clay soil and a “tsunami of chaos” earlier than he managed to develop wheat – however in a rustic that loves its bread, he overestimated the necessity for organically grown flour.
As a substitute, he started making his personal bread, seeing the farm present from discipline to plate.
“After I first began making bread it was as a result of the s… was hitting the fan economically.”
The dough paid off, promoting it from the farm the flour was grown and milled at. However Cato’s eyes had been on the prize of rising a group of regenerative farmers.
Stuff
Cato pictured with a few of his breads throughout an Eat New Zealand occasion at Gatherings restaurant, Christchurch.
The “tsunami of chaos” ultimately washed him up on dry land with an honour no different Englishman has achieved. In 2018, he was awarded the French equal of a knighthood, Chevalier de L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, for his revolutionary farming strategy. In the identical 12 months he arrange the corporate Wildfarmed with two buddies, George Lamb and Edd Lees.
Having returned to British soil in 2021, Cato has a 295 hectare farm in Oxfordshire and is championing Wildfarmed, a technique of rising grains that prioritises soil well being, now being adopted by farmers all around the UK. The venture follows a philosophy of arable farming serving to facilitate change for farmers by making a shopper led marketplace for meals grown in regenerating landscapes.
And it’s taking off.
About 50 farms are concerned within the UK, following a set of protocols, together with no herbicides, no pesticides, no fungicides; with 500 retail prospects and 250 bakers and cooks.
And whereas he has a medal to indicate for his revolutionary farming efforts, there’s been no such honours for Groove Armada’s contribution to music – regardless of a number of nominations at prestigious awards, together with Brit Awards, Grammys and the Billboard Music Video Awards.
Cato refers to himself as “the taller half” of Groove Armada, the band that got here to be within the mid-90s via a shared love of music and sport with Findlay, a pal of his girlfriend on the time.
“He was very into funk and disco, and I used to be already DJing home music. He was actually good at soccer, I’d by no means performed soccer, however actually wished to play … so on Sundays, he would come spherical and he’d train me a little bit of soccer, then I’d … assist him loop up his disco information to make disco tunes.”
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Andy Cato, one half of Groove Armada is co-founder of Wildfarmed, a venture to assist facilitate change for farmers by making a shopper led marketplace for meals grown in regenerating landscapes.
Contemplating themselves “late builders” within the music scene, Cato was 24 when the pair started making music as a approach to promote events. He says he “by no means gave it a thought” that Groove Armada would turn into a family identify.
Although not like many musicians who discover it exhausting to stroll down the road with out being recognised, Cato says he’s largely been in a position to fly underneath the radar of followers.
“We had a reasonably good time of [being part of Groove Armada]. Numerous the great moments for me, come from the truth that we’ve straddled this factor the place we’re form of profitable sufficient to do fairly large and thrilling gigs, however we’re fairly nameless.”
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Groove Armada duo Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are within the midst of their farewell tour after 25 years bringing their music to the stage.
Lawrence Smith/Stuff
Groove Armada have carried out with music royalty over their profession spanning 25 years, however it’s the lesser-known artists Cato fondly remembers, together with Richie Havens, Candi Staton and Neneh Cherry. (File photograph from 2003)
When he returns house from the duo’s farewell tour, the very best mates “will nonetheless be making some music collectively”, he says.
Because the band’s well-known songs, together with I See You Child and Superstylin,’ proceed to get airtime around the globe, he is aware of he gained’t obtain any of the royalties, however he says he “wouldn’t change it for the world on condition that this complete chapter of life actually opened up my barely mad choice”.
Though it’s plain to see, one in every of his chosen professions is a bit more simple.
“As soon as we get on to the stage, it’s loads simpler than attempting to develop a polycrop of various crops, for me, anyway.”
