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.
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:
Come to the farm walk to find out more about Anthony Pearce’s award winning soil management.
Anthony farms in Buckinghamshire and is in the process of transitioning the farm to a regenerative approach. Focussing on building soil health by stacking enterprises, including diverse rotations and improving nutrient use efficiency were some of the reasons why Anthony has been recognised in this year’s competition. The farm walk will start at 6.30 and provide a good opportunity to hear more about soil management on this farm.
The event will take place outside and refreshments will be provided.
Booking for this walk is essential – to book your place please contact Becky Willson at [email protected] or by phone / text at 07875 356611.
Come along and find out why Tom Sewell has been awarded this year’s top prize in the Soil Farmer of the Year competition!
Tom farms around 500ha across Kent running a simple low cost arable system focussing on building soil health, maintaining production and regenerating the landscape. An early pioneer of reduced cultivation, Tom’s Nuffield scholarship in 2013 ignited his enthusiasm in soil health and the system has grown from strength to strength.
This walk will be a chance to hear more about Tom’s soil management, cropping, rotation and cultivation strategy as well as to have a walk around the farm and dig deeper into his soils and transition.
The walk will start at 6.30pm. Tea / coffee and refreshments will be provided.
Due to the COVID restrictions we are limiting numbers on the farm walk to 30 people, as such, it is important to book your place on the walk by contacting Becky Willson at [email protected] or by phone / text on 07875 356611.
VENUE: Warnham Farm, Hunt Street, West Farleigh, ME15 0ND.
Event date: Wednesday, July 14, 2021 – 17:30 to 21:15
Come along and learn more about why Sam has been awarded livestock Soil Farmer of the Year 2021.
Sam Vincent farms 130ha in Dorset, running a dairy herd of 100 cows and followers. He transitioned to organic in May 2018, and all of his land is down to permanent pasture. Sam impressed the judges with his ability to make a regenerative system work on a dairy farm with permanent pasture. Using the cattle as a tool, he has improved the diversity in his pastures by adapting his grazing management from a traditional New Zealand paddock grazing system to a mob grazing approach which he follows now. This has improved his soil health, the resilience of his fields and the ability to provide grazing for extended periods.
Sam will be hosting a farm walk on the 22nd July starting at 6.30pm. The event will be run in a COVID secure manner, and as such although the event is free to attend, booking is essential. Refreshments will be provided and there will be a chance to hear more from Sam about his grazing system, youngstock management, maintaining diversity in permanent pastures and much more. Don’t miss out, book your place today!
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