We shall have a stand there (stand 413) and we will be offering individual 15 minute sessions to farmers to help you to understand farm carbon footprinting. We can answer any questions you may have, and show you how to get started on your own farm carbon footprint.
When:
The times for the 15 minute consultations at the drop in ‘surgery’ are:
Publication of information resource on remote sensing and probe based technologies for farmers seeking to enter the voluntary carbon market.
Farm Carbon Toolkit (FCT) has published information to assist landowners and farmers when choosing how to monitor their soil carbon stocks. FCT is announcing the release of a document that breaks down the methodology and verification of some of the major remote sensing and probes based technologies that offer soil carbon quantification services.
Many farm businesses are starting to look at baselining carbon storage on their farms. Where they are looking to enter voluntary carbon markets it is necessary to do this baselining accurately. For these businesses the costs associated with baselining soil carbon levels can be prohibitive. Responding to this cost barrier, a number of remote sensing and novel technologies are coming onto the market. However it can be very difficult for businesses to know which technology to go with and indeed what level of accuracy is required.
Farm Carbon Toolkit’s document reviews some of the major remote sensing and probe based technologies that are delivering soil carbon quantification services by describing the methodology and detailing any verification process the organisation has undertaken. The aim is to help farmers to make more informed decisions should they wish to measure soil carbon storage and engage in the voluntary carbon market.
This 18 page document is set within the context of the release of the new minimum standards for the UK Soil Carbon Code, which is aligned with the Peatland Code and UK Woodland Carbon Codes. These codes set out the minimum standards for monitoring and measuring carbon stocks within peatlands, woodlands and soils which should be adhered to when entering the voluntary carbon market.
Farm Carbon Toolkit is an independent, farmer-led Community Interest Company, supporting farmers to measure, understand and act on their greenhouse gas emissions, while improving their business resilience for the future.
For over a decade, Farm Carbon Toolkit has delivered a range of practical projects, tools and services that have inspired real action on the ground. Organisations they work with include the Duchy of Cornwall, First Milk,Tesco, Yeo Valley and WWF. Their Farm Carbon Calculator is a leading on-farm carbon audit tool, used by over seven thousand farmers in the UK and beyond. To find out more visit www.farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk
In this 40 min long podcast titled ‘From the Ground Up: How Important is Soil Health to our Future Food System‘, This is Altruistiq‘s host Jamie Dujardin asked questions delving deep into issues surrounding:
The challenges and opportunities of soil carbon measurement
The commercial opportunities for actors across the value chain (farmers to retailers)
What a future farming system looks like
They talk about key levers that businesses and farmers can take to scale soil health initiatives and offer some positivity and enthusiasm for the road ahead.
Hear how the work we do at FCT supports farmers by giving tangible, practical and applicable ways to build soil carbon and reduce emissions, whilst also building on farm resilience without affecting productivity. Also, hear how this relates to the ongoing work at Yeo Valley, where Tim Mead and his wider team are not only producing healthy nutritious food, but building soil health, reducing their emissions and addressing issues regarding resilience in the farming sector.
Listen here:
The podcast is available here and on most major podcast platforms.
With the ever-increasing interest in the environmental and business benefits of soil health and regenerative practices, the Soil Farmer of the Year competition looks set to be even bigger for 2023. Click on the link below to apply — or nominate someone you know! Or click here to find out more.
FAQ:
When does the entry period close?
The closing date for the competition is the 5th of March 2023.
We encourage applications from all sizes and types of farm – if you are passionate about soil management we would love to hear what you are up to. Equally, if you know someone who you would like to nominate or have any further questions please get in touch and we will be happy to have a chat: [email protected]
How is the competition judged?
All entries will be anonymised and short-listed for judging by our panel including the winners of the 2021 competition. The highest placed entrants will then be contacted and farm walks with our judging panel will commence in May 2023 to decide the finalists for the 2023 competition.
Since 2015, our SFOTY competition has helped to find, promote, and champion UK farmers who are passionate about safeguarding their soils and building resilient businesses. The 2022 competition involved a cohort of applicants with new ideas and perspectives on what sustainable soil management means for the future. As part of the competition, the top three farmers host farm walks that bring farmers together to share their good practice and innovation to improve soil health.
Celebrating the 2022 winners
Winners of the Soil Farmer of the Year 2022 Competition. From left to right: Andrew Rees (Runner-up), David Miller (Arable Soil Farmer of the Year) and Billy Lewis (Mixed Soil Farmer of the Year).
As we launch the 2023 competition, we want to celebrate this year’s winners and thank them for all their efforts to promote the benefits of good soil management.
Farm walk with Andrew Rees, 2022 Soil Farmer of the Year (Runner-up) In the first week of August, farmers and industry professionals met at Moor Farm in southwest Wales to hear Andrew Rees explain how he has developed a dairy system with soil health at the centre. READ THE REPORT
Farm walk with David Miller, 2022 Soil Farmer of the Year (Arable) Managing 700ha in Hampshire of majority Grade 3 land in a purely arable rotation, David Miller demonstrated how a regenerative system can be both simple and profitable even on challenging soils. READ THE REPORT
Farm walk with Billy Lewis, 2022 Soil Farmer of the Year (Livestock) Billy Lewis explained to visitors to his farm in Herefordshire how he’s been focusing on regenerating tired soils (previously in a high-intensity arable system) through integrating livestock and increasing species diversity. COMING SOON!
Key statistics
4,411 Hectares collectively managed by applicants across a range of soils throughout the UK. Farming systems demonstrated soil managements across a variety of geographies and landscapes.
60% Mixed Farms. The majority of applications were from mixed farming businesses, with arable and dairy systems also represented.
215 Businesses attended farm walks, participating in information sharing and knowledge exchange to discuss new ideas of how to implement sustainable practices.
Key messages
Protect the soil surface
Maintain a flexible rotation
Understand the biological, chemical and physical requirements of healthy soil
Minimise the disturbance of soil created through cultivation, trafficking and grazing pressures
Countryside COP is a hybrid conference held to align with COP to create space for the agricultural sector and rural economies to push ahead on climate change and sustainability. It was established to allow rural communities to come together and illustrate the opportunities that are available, along with contributions that are already underway to reach net zero. The event is also an opportunity to explore adaptation options, something of increasing importance as our weather patterns become more extreme, as seen so starkly seen this year.
The first Countryside COP was set up in 2021 by the Agriculture & Land Use Alliance (formerly Greenhouse Gas Action Plan GHGAP). Organisations in the Alliance include:
ADAS
Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA)
Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)
Country Land & Business Association (CLA)
Linking Environment & Farming (LEAF)
NIAB
National Farmers Union (NFU)
In an NFU article leading up to Countryside COP1 the Alliance said
“This journey is complex, but there is no shortage of professionalism and knowledge within the rural community, and all who support food and farming. This is the time to utilise and invest in this expertise so we can help contribute to the government’s net-zero target, all while continuing to produce fantastic, affordable food for people at home and abroad”.
This year Farm Carbon Toolkit was one of a range of organisations including universities and farming bodies contributing to CCOP2. Through a plethora of 15 events running from the 10th-14th October all across the UK CCOP2 speakers were hosted from as far afield as Australia, Ghana and Zambia.
At Farm Carbon Toolkit we teamed up with our project partners at Yeo Valley who kindly hosted us, to talk about making the transition towards regenerative agriculture and about the findings so far in the project. The event was attended by a range of participants including farmers, education providers, NGOs and the general public.
FCT’s event on ‘Soil Health and Water Security’ discussed the benefits that agroforestry can bring to grassland systems. It was demonstrated that the presence of trees can buffer extreme weather conditions such as the drought experienced this summer by supporting grass growth and therefore livestock performance, as it has done at Yeo Valley. Agroforestry can enable soils to retain more moisture, limiting the impacts of both droughts and flooding, so has a direct climate change mitigation potential.
Other findings demonstrated at the event included discussing how research carried out with Yeo Valley farmers has suggested that soil management practices, such as growing herbal leys, can increase soil carbon deposition below 10cm. The amount of carbon this is sequestering due to the range of practice uptake on trial sites is significant – it demonstrates a carbon stock improvement of between 20-40t/c/ha.
The event also showcased how significant discussions and events like this one can be in improving carbon literacy amongst attendees, crucial in moving forward together.
To read more about the other events in the series and the insightful recommendations that came from them please see here.
Farm Carbon Toolkit is pleased to be able to reveal that we are to work in partnership with Wilder Carbon (part of Kent Wildlife Trust) to establish a farm focused approach to developing natural climate solutions (NCS) projects.
For farmers who wish to include natural climate solutions as part of their overall future farm plans, we will be working with Wilder Carbon to provide farmers and land managers with an end-to-end solution to assess, plan, deliver and fund that change, leading to reductions in farm carbon footprints whilst benefiting nature and society. Increasingly, we know that it is vital to respond to both the nature and climate crisis in tandem and this partnership will allow us to support this requirement.
As experts in measuring, understanding and taking action on farm and soil carbon, combined with on-farm experience, we are logical partners for Wilder Carbon. Together we will support farmers and land managers to leverage private capital to enable them to deliver natural climate solutions in an uncertain economic environment.
If you would like to learn more about our partnership, please sign up to our newsletter where we will be sharing new developments.
Mendip District Council is working in partnership with Farm Carbon Toolkit to support Somerset landowners to tackle climate change. We will deliver a series of free agricultural webinars throughout the summer on how to measure, understand and act on greenhouse gas emissions.
Cllr Tom Ronan, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, said:
“We look forward to meeting lots of local landowners at our upcoming webinars. Not only will it help farmers reach their climate change goals, but it will also provide the Council with a better understanding, through data-gathering and case study work, the extent of emissions produced by the sector. It will be interesting to hear how Somerset landowners are already tackling the climate crisis. I expect that our webinars will not only allow them to learn something new but help them reach their climate change goals.“
Cllr Ronan added:
“Our partners, Farm Carbon Toolkit, are experts in the field, so the sessions will be informative and educational – I encourage everyone to spread the word and sign-up.“
Becky Wilson, Technical Director at the Farm Carbon Toolkit, said:
“It has been immensely rewarding to work with Mendip landowners on this project, showcasing their ability to both reduce emissions and improve carbon sequestration on their land, with positive economic and environmental impacts.
Landowners are unique in their ability to provide a climate solution, through management of their soils, crops and environmental features, which should not be underestimated. In this webinar series, landlords will be able to understand the opportunities that managing greenhouse gas emissions can bring to their business and learn about practical mitigation options that are available to them.“
These webinars are a first in a series to take place working alongside other organisations, including Somerset Wildlife Trust. Future topics will include green financing work and farm resilience, assessing grant schemes to achieve environmental outcomes and regenerative and sustainable farming, focusing on soil health and nutrient cycling.
If you’re interested in attending future events, please email [email protected].
I started work at FCT as their Chief Executive on the 20th June and was straight into Groundswell. This was the best ever introduction to the tremendous staff who are the Farm Carbon Toolkit. I have been involved with the organisation as a Director since 2017, and when the opportunity arose to become more involved as their Chief Executive I jumped at the chance. Over the last five years I have seen just how the FCT has developed and grown, but always with the key mission to support farmers and growers to understand their farm carbon footprint and to assist them in responding positively to the climate and nature crises we are in.
At Groundswell, I saw first hand the solid commitment from the team, but also the high regard with which the team is held by so many of the farmers and growers who came to see us on stand, as well as other sector businesses and organisations.
At this point in time it feels critical to me to use all my knowledge and experience, gained over my career in agriculture, to play my best part in supporting the UK agri-food sector to transition towards much ower emission food production, whilst reversing the decline in nature and keeping farmers in business. I believe that being involved with FCT on this journey is where my role is most usefully suited.
My vision for FCT is that we grow our capability to support farmers and growers to transition towards more agroecological farming systems, through ensuring that our carbon calculator is always the first choice for farmers and growers and through providing the kind of advice and assistance which works for them. We are already the most popular calculator with UK farmers and we want to keep it that way.
I also want FCT to play its part in helping policy makers to understand the role of farm businesses in esponding positively to the climate and nature crisis and to provide the kind of support which is vital to enable them to do this. FCT is already a trusted advisor to many of the largest estates in the country as well as Councils and National Parks. However, I believe we can do much more to support adoption at scale of effective ways to monitor and benchmark farm environmental performance and support key innovators to understand the potential impact of their work on reducing farm level emissions. It really is exciting, but at the same time I am so aware of the urgency to change fast, and for the changes to work within a landscape of viable farm businesses.
I am hoping that all my experience with the Soil Association as their Farming and Land Use Director over the last eight years, my work on supporting farmer and supply chain collaboration at the English Food and Farming Partnerships, and my great start in this industry with ADAS in a number of roles, alongside being a farmer myself will stand me in good stead as I embark on this exciting and tremendous role.
Farm Carbon Toolkit is delighted to announce the appointment of Liz Bowles as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Liz Bowles has been a Non-Executive Director at the Farm Carbon Toolkit since 2016, a role in which she has shared highly valued knowledge and experiences from her distinguished career in agriculture.
Before joining the Farm Carbon Toolkit as CEO, Bowles was the Associate Director of Farming and Land Use at The Soil Association. Bowles also farms in the Exe Valley where she has one of the largest pedigree flocks of Shropshire sheep, this breed is in demand across Europe as they graze safely in tree plantations.
Bowles brings not only an extensive expertise in the UK food and farming markets, but she also has a deep and practical understanding of the importance of improving soil health, reducing environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and building resilience within the sector. She advocates that building economic resilience must occur alongside retaining product quality and animal welfare standards and building sustainable, regenerative practices on farm.
Bowles is a Nuffield Scholar, where her report on global cooperation in the red meat sector won the HSBC prize for the most relevant report to UK farms in 2004. She has also had management positions at ADAS and the English Food and Farming Partnerships, where she led on livestock marketing collaboration.
Liz Bowles, Chief Executive Officer of the Farm Carbon Toolkit says:
“I am thrilled to accept this position and the opportunity to lead and deliver Farm Carbon Toolkit’s strategy for growth and financial resilience, while cultivating a caring, professional, purpose-driven organisational culture. Working with the team, I believe we can position ourselves as the ‘go-to’ independent, trusted experts on farm and soil carbon.”
David Gardner, Chair of the Farm Carbon Toolkit says:
“We are absolutely delighted to have Liz taking the role of CEO at Farm Carbon Toolkit, where we can draw from her notable expertise and experience. Her guidance will be invaluable to everything we do.”
ENDS
Note for editors
Established in 2009, the Farm Carbon Toolkit is an independent, farmer-led enterprise, supporting other farmers to measure, understand and act on their greenhouse gas emissions, while improving their business resilience for the future.
Regarded by many as the most comprehensive, accurate and user-friendly carbon calculator available to farmers and growers, Farm Carbon Toolkit’s Farm Carbon Calculator, is one of just three tools recommended by the NFU to its members. Thousands of users already benefit from the free tool to calculate the carbon footprint of their business, identify ways to reduce their emissions – and increase farm profitability.
Alongside their Farm Carbon Calculator, the Farm Carbon Toolkit run the highly regarded annual Soil Farmer of the Year competition, as well as numerous practical projects and workshops that inspire and empower farmers and growers across the UK to act on their greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health
In order to understand how to manage carbon on your farm it is important to first be able to measure it. Knowing where your emissions and sequestration are currently coming from, and what that means in terms of hotspots, should be the basis of developing strategies for the future, but what if it’s difficult to work out how to measure it?
This is exactly the conversations that the team at FCT have been having recently with upland farmers. Through our project work with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, farmers across Dartmoor and the Fellfoot forward partnership, farmers have often felt that the current available carbon tools don’t reflect their farms; an issue which is compounded when they are also grazing commons.
How to ensure that grazing allocations for common land are accounted for, so that the impact of management can be included across these special areas is complicated. This is compounded where there are multiple graziers who may have different numbers of stock and areas of the common, and may also be managing in different ways. These areas are immensely important for carbon sequestration, and, where the environment is peat dominated, management may also contribute to large quantities of GHG emissions as the peat is degraded. Often management of these areas is tightly managed by stewardship schemes to protect biodiversity and natural capital which can sometimes mean that grazing numbers are tightly controlled.
So, what is actually happening on the commons and how do we account for the carbon footprint of the in-bye land and the commons so that the farmers in these landscapes can provide an accurate assessment of what is happening?
We are incredibly excited to be working on a new project with the Foundation for Common Land on their Upland Commons project to dig a little deeper into these issues. We will provide a version of the Farm Carbon Calculator that is specifically designed for GHG accounting across these landscapes, pioneering an approach that empowers the commoners to understand the current carbon balance and what can be done. The project will work in partnership with the commoners of Kinniside Common in the north west of the Lake District to test the new calculator and provide feedback to ensure that what has been developed meets their needs.
Where are we now?
Currently the calculator team are working to collect all the available research and insights to ensure that the best data sits behind this new calculator. At the same time our advisory team are busy talking to commoners, land holders, environmental organisations, Natural England and others to understand some of the complexities and multiple objectives to provide a tool which has genuine use on the ground and will provide insight into the carbon balance of these diverse ecosystems and how they are farmed.
Thank you to the funders
Thanks to National Lottery players through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Esmée Fairbairn and other local partners and funders of the Foundation of Common Land.
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