2026 Exe-X South West Alumnae Group lecture with Dr Aoife Maher

Dr Aoife Maher is speaking at The Devon and Exeter Institution on Tuesday 3 November, from 17:30 to 19:30. The talk is titled 'A land of kale and cauliflowers? Exploring the history, contemporary production and future prospects for commercial fruit and vegetable growing in South West England', and it's part of the university's Women in Research lecture series.

Maher is a researcher at the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter, and she's spent her time digging into how the Westcountry's fruit and vegetable growing has changed since the 1930s. She's worked from archival sources like the Dartington Hall Estate's Greencrops experiment records and wartime records from the National Archives to trace the shifts. The talk looks at how climate, Government policy and the changing relationship between growers and markets have altered the mix of horticultural crops grown across Devon and Cornwall.

It's a local history of the land we see every day on the drive through the county, and it's organised by the university's alumni and supporters. The lecture is followed by a Q&A, so there's time to ask questions and talk it through after she's finished.

The evening runs from 17:30 to 19:30 at The Devon and Exeter Institution, 7 Cathedral Close, Exeter, EX1 1EZ. There's no charge to attend, and refreshments are provided.