We are delighted to be able to invite you to attend this Farm Walk to hear from the team at Oakley Farm about how they run their arable farm following regenerative agriculture principles.
Farming with greenhouse gas emissions in mind, as well as all the other targets farmers work to, is fast becoming the norm.
Oakley Farm in South Lincolnshire has been in the Gent family for four generations. Now with father and son team Edward and Thomas managing the 800 ha business, they run their arable farm following regenerative agriculture principles.
Having already fully adopted minimal cultivations and the incorporation of cover crops across the farm, the team are now turning their attention to the potential to incorporate agroforestry and livestock onto their holding. Through continuously refining the management system Edward and Thomas have managed to produce 10 tonne/ha wheat crops with 150kg N and 30 litres diesel per hectare.
The farm walk will begin at 1.30pm and will provide an opportunity to find out more about Edward and Thomas’s strategy to reduce emissions on the farm and how this has benefited the business, leading Thomas to be named as one of FCT’s finalists in our first Carbon Farmer of the Year Competition.
The event will take place outside, please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Light refreshments will be provided.
How to book
This event is free but spaces are limited. Please book via our Eventbrite page by following this link
We are delighted to be able to invite you to attend this Farm Walk to hear from the team at Lockerley Estate about how they are working to reduce farm-based emissions whilst storing more carbon into soils and non-crop biomass.
Increasingly farming with greenhouse gas emissions in mind, as well as all the other targets farmers work to, is becoming the norm.
Lockerley Estate & Preston Farms, based near Stockbridge in Hampshire is a 2,000ha diverse estate which champions an approach to agriculture where biodiversity, soil health and the wellbeing of the community and future generations is at the heart of everything they do.
Craig Livingstone, Director of Farming & Estates, has four key aims to enable the estate to reduce emissions which are focussed on maximising soil carbon sequestration; reducing reliance on chemical inputs; using the wider estate to sequester more carbon and increasing the natural capital on the estate.
Event details
The farm walk will begin at 1.30pm and will provide an opportunity to find out more about Craig’s strategy to reduce emissions from the estate and how this has benefited the business, leading him to be named as one of FCT’s finalists in our first Carbon Farmer of the Year Competition.
The event will take place outside, please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Light refreshments will be provided.
How to book
This event is free but spaces are limited. Please book via our Eventbrite page by following this link.
Doug Christie is the first winner of FCT’s new competition to celebrate farmers who are leading the way in adopting farming practices and developing new technologies to reduce farm emissions whilst optimising output.
Doug has a mixed farm with beef cattle and arable cropping and is organic for the grassland and livestock. He has been incorporating conservation agriculture practices increasingly since 1999 and was very much a pioneer of and advocate for climate friendly farming when it was far from fashionable. Doug initially focused on soil health and by doing this soon realised that it also provided a platform by which emission heavy inputs were reduced with a corresponding reduction in his carbon footprint while also enhancing natural capital services such as biodiversity, water quality, reduced diffuse pollution, water infiltration as well as overall farm resilience, a tall order while attempting to optimise sustainable output. Testament to this focus on biodiversity is that Doug ceased using insecticides over 20 years ago.
Event details
The farm walk will begin at 1pm and will provide an opportunity to see and hear how Doug’s strategy has benefitted his business and led him to win this year’s Carbon Farmer of the Year Competition.
The event will be signed from Leven. Additionally this is the what3words to aim for: saving punctual shape.
We will be walking around the farm, but can accommodate up to five people who require transport if necessary. We will be outside most of the afternoon, so please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Light refreshments will be provided.
How to book
This event if free but spaces are limited. Please book via our Eventbrite page by following this link.
Includes a BBQ with grass-fed beef and locally-grown seasonal salads.
Open to anyone in the Northern Protected Landscapes, (for example Forest of Bowland, North Pennines, Nidderdale, Howardian Hills, Arnside and Silverdale, Solway Coast, Northumberland Coast and National Parks, including Lake District, North Yorkshire Moors, Northumberland and Yorkshire Dales), including farmers, graziers, farm managers, land agents, ecologists and farm advisers.
This is a social gathering for our growing community of regenerative farmers in Northern Protected Landscapes and a part of the Farming for Resilience workshop series.
Nidderdale AONB has been working with Niels since August 2022, and after the positive response from farmers and land managers, they have teamed up with the Nature Friendly Farming Network to offer more events throughout 2023 as part of their Farming for Resilience workshop series.
These workshops are designed to help farmers build resilience by improving soil health, reducing reliance on costly artificial inputs and adopting grazing systems through whole-farm planning for greater sustainability. We will explore the role soil biology plays in agricultural performance, pasture health and farm viability and what practices can be used to support healthy soils.
Niels will provide practical guidance on natural ecosystem processes and how farmers can work with these processes to improve farm system efficiency. He can also provide advice on a range of farming topics from equipment choice to slurry management.
Join the Nature Friendly Farming Network as a free member to be the first to hear of new dates in the series.
This year our Annual Field Day will take place on Thursday 26 September 2024 in Herefordshire.
A day for farmers, by farmers, sharing experiences for improving performance and resilience in a challenging environment. The focus of this year’s event will be the value of mixed farming.
During the day we will showcase the ways in which farmers are already changing their farming practices to respond to the need to reduce GHG emissions and build on-farm carbon, within resilient businesses. Sessions will cover the following topics:
Soil management: the importance of soil management as the starting point for resilient farming systems, including a soil pit.
Livestock: the value of livestock as a mechanism to drive soil health, biodiversity and habitat management (or something similar)
Arable: adapting arable systems to build fertility and resilience in a changing climate
The economic and climate impact of regenerative farming systems
Throughout the day we will hear from farmers and share our insights about how farmers are reducing GHG emissions and building soil health and business resilience.
A confirmed programme will be available shortly.
Carbon Farmer of the Year Awards
The winners of the Carbon Farmer of the Year competition will also be announced. To find out more about the competition and information on how you can apply or nominate someone, visit this page.
Confirmed speakers include:
More confirmed speakers to follow!
Billy Lewis – Our host and 2022 Soil Farmer of the Year whose approach of integrating livestock and herbal leys into a previously intensive arable system has rejuvenated soil health and drastically reduced fertiliser and feed inputs and boosted profitability.
Ed Horton – Large-scale mixed farmer and Soil Farmer of the Year 2024 finalist whose ‘hybrid’ farming system has livestock integration at its heart, benefitting soil health, water quality, biodiversity and the bottom line.
Angus Gowthorpe – mixed farmer and Soil Farmer of the Year 2018 finalist Angus has been at the forefront of the regenerative transition in the UK and continues to push the envelope for what defines a sustainable farming system.
Thomas Gent – Carbon Farmer of the Year 2023 finalist and regenerative arable farmer who continues the legacy of his father and grandfather who through straw for muck (via AD) deals has proven an innovative way of integrating livestock into his system in an area where traditional livestock integration has proven challenging.
Tom Burge – Upland beef and sheep farmer whose move to a regenerative, grazing-based system has helped to eliminate inputs and transform the finances on his challenging Exmoor farm
Niels Corfield – Regenerative agriculture advisor, educator and researcher whose mission is to create regenerative farms and landscapes in the UK and Europe.
To book(and further information)
To book your place (numbers are limited) and to find out more about the Field Day please follow this link.
The price includes tea/coffee and lunch.
Photography
Please note that photographs will be taken throughout the day. Please let us know if you do not wish to be photographed by contacting Rachel Hucker at [email protected].
David Miller hosts a farm walk demonstrating the system which led him being chosen as the 2022 Arable Soil Farmer of the Year
About this event:
Based in Hampshire, David is this year’s arable Soil Farmer of the Year. David designed an approach whereby he has drastically reduced fuel consumption, crop protection inputs and fertiliser across a diverse arable system. Through combining direct drilling with the use of strategic cover and companion cropping within the rotation, David has reduced his need for bagged fertilisers, with 25% less nitrogen used and no applied phosphate or potassium for 7 years. Instead David uses roots to harvest what is needed for the following crop. David focuses on creating a profitable arable enterprise through creating a more resilient system with the soil at its heart
The farm walk will begin at 14:00 (and last around 2-3hrs), and will provide an opportunity to further hear and see how David’s management strategy has resulted in vast emissions savings and benefits to the bottom line, leading him to be awarded the Arable Winner in this year’s Soil Farmer of the Year competition.
The event will take place outside and refreshments will be provided.
The Soil Farmer of the Year competition is run in partnership with Innovation for Agriculture and kindly sponsored by Hutchinsons and Cotswold Seeds
Andrew Rees hosts a farm walk demonstrating the system which led him to being chosen as the 2022 Soil Farmer of the Year Runner-up.
About this event
Based in Haverfordwest, Andrew is dedicated to maximising the potential of his soil to benefit the health and productivity of his dairy business. Through implementing rotational grazing systems alongside diversifying leys with herb rich species and legumes, Andrew has reduced fertiliser rates, improved herd performance and the resilience of his land.
The farm walk will begin at 14:30(and last around 2-3hrs), and will provide an opportunity to further hear and see how Andrew’s management strategy has benefitted his livestock and business, leading him to be awarded the Runner-up title in this year’s Soil Farmer of the Year competition.
The event will take place outside and refreshments will be provided.
The Soil Farmer of the Year competition is run in partnership with Innovation for Agriculture and kindly sponsored by Hutchinsons and Cotswold Seeds
The event will be hosted by Farm Net Zero Demonstration Farmer, Andrew Brewer.
Lunch will be provided.
This Lottery-funded Farm Net Zero event will integrate the ELMS Test and Trial project work of Jan Dinsdale (Cornwall Wildlife Trust), and perspectives from James Wimpress (Environment Agency) and Ashley Taylor (Duchy of Cornwall).
The field walk and discussion will cover:
Soil health and soil carbon in rotation with respect to Net Zero
The challenges and opportunities in growing field vegetables in a profitable rotation
Best practice rotations, including the integration of livestock
Future opportunities for increasing on farm sustainability
Unlock the hidden value of your soils and how they can work for you. Come along to this event to find out more about how soil management generates business benefits and can reduce costs.
Soils are a fundamentally important part of our farms and are key to building resilience and profit. At this farm event come along and dig deeper into soil assessments – focussing on:
how to test soils for carbon and soil health
how building carbon can help to build profits.
how to reduce inputs on the farm without impacting on yield.
When: Friday 28th January 2022, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Location:James Kittow Butcher and Grazier, Kilhallon Farm, PL24 2RL
(Refreshments and pasty lunch provided).
Please note, Westcountry Rivers Trust can offer free support though the StARR Project, including:
Free soil condition assessments including infiltration tests, worm counts and slake tests to look at aggregate stability in water
Free loan of soil compaction testing equipment
Free soil organic carbon testing
Advice on tree planting schemes with grant payments for planting and ongoing maintenance
Small capital grants available for on farm water management
Location: what 3 words: zones.irony.flank / Blable Farm, St Issey, Wadebridge PL27 7RF
We have teamed up with the Robert’s family to address the potential of reaching carbon net zero on the beef and arable farm. Mike and his son Sam will lead a farm walk to showcase their high quality beef herd.
Further details about Blable Farm can be found here but key areas for discussion on the day will be:
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