Anthony Ellis farms at Pensipple with his parents and brother, on a 200-acre mixed arable and sheep farm. Pensipple has become the third FNZ Demo Farm, and Anthony Ellis led a farm tour encompassing the cereal trials and sheep integration. The main crops are wheat for livestock feed and oats for biscuit-making, with herbal leys and winter cover crops added to the rotation for fertility-building and sheep grazing. This event was made possible with thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund who fund the Farm Net Zero project.
Septoria is a particularly important disease for SouthWest wheat producers. Anthony explained the trial that he has undertaken this growing season to tackle septoria with reduced chemical inputs. This involved a field split in half between a single wheat variety (Graham) and a mix of nine varieties, the theory being that septoria would spread slower through a mixture of varieties than one single variety. At ninety degrees, the field was split between a conventional fungicide regime and a mineral and biological treatment regime. In the middle of the field, Anthony grazed the wheat with sheep in late winter to remove diseased leaves.
The trial field received 25 tonnes/ha of farmyard manure, lightly cultivated into the soil, and was drilled with a Sumo DTS strip till drill. The field had a post-emergence herbicide and 175kg/ha of nitrogen was applied. In future, Anthony aims to reduce this to 150kg/ha with the last application as liquid fertiliser to improve plant uptake directly from the leaves.
There were two theories behind the mineral and biological treatments:
to improve the mineral content of the plants so they produce tougher leaves more resilient to infection.
to plaster the leaves with “good” bacteria that would prevent septoria colonisation.
Results from disease assessments through the growing season suggest that a combination of the cereal variety mixture, conventional fungicide and sheep grazing reduced disease leaves by an estimated 33%. The greatest single effect on reducing diseased leaf area was grazing with sheep. Harvest data will be the final determinant of treatment success, but ear counts hint at the grazed, biologically treated mixture having a higher yield. Detailed results from this trial are available in a factsheet on the FNZ Project Resources webpage.
We were fortunate to be joined by microbiologists from the University of Exeter Penryn; discussions with them may help to inform why the biological treatments were less effective than first hoped. They explained that there is debate over whether applied bacteria can survive once released into the wider environment – the native bacteria are already well-established and may outcompete introductions (particularly in diverse environments with a healthy ecosystem). It is often better to brew up bought-in bacteria before application, as this helps to culture more of them and can kickstart their survival. It may be better still to feed and encourage the farm’s existing bacteria than add new.
The main motivation behind this trial was to reduce production costs, especially with wheat at £160/tonne. Anthony costs the conventional fungicide at £30/ha and plant growth regulator (PGR) at £15/ha, plus the fuel, machinery and labour cost of applying these products. In comparison, the biological and mineral treatments are £25/ha (although this could be reduced as Anthony starts to brew them on-farm) and there are financial benefits to grazing the wheat as it provides a feed value to sheep and reduces the requirement for PGR and potentially fertiliser.
Key takeaways
The most effective fungicide was grazing with sheep.
Biological applications may help, but care should be taken to optimise efficacy.
On a very warm evening in July, a group of farmers met at Arbor Farm near Indian Queens to hear from forester Steve Evans about the benefits that trees can provide. This event was made possible thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund who fund the Farm Net Zero project.
Arbor Farm is a two-acre tree nursery on a Cornwall Council farm. The field is very wet and was previously grassland. Steve Evans has a twenty-year tenancy that began in 2021. He planted a kilometre of tree alleys (mostly willow, alder and poplar) soon after arriving, and these are now well established. In theory, Steve must remove the trees at the end of the tenancy, and he is confident that the trees will have improved the soil conditions throughout the tenancy.
Steve led a useful discussion on how to integrate trees into agriculture, both as a crop (fruit or timber) and as infrastructure (boundaries and shelter). Steve’s main advice was to ensure that trees have the best chance of establishment. This should primarily be achieved by keeping the trees free of competing vegetation. Steve recommends cutting and inverting the turf around each tree, then mulching to prevent regrowth (either with woollen mulch mats, waste wool or wood chip). Steve added that when establishing a new hedge, it’s not always necessary to use the recommended five stems per metre, it’s possible to use two good-sized stems and lay them. In addition, stakes and guards are not always needed, as exposure to wind can help to strengthen trees.
Tree species selection depends on the site, but Steve favours willow, alder and poplar for livestock farms. All of these are edible by livestock, with some research suggesting that alder leaves are 15% protein and poplar 24% protein. Willow is well known for its mineral content, as well as containing salicin which is the natural precursor to aspirin, with different willow varieties containing varying levels. These species also grow vigorously, so respond well to livestock browsing. This vigorous growth also assists the establishment of the trees, so that they can more quickly provide benefits to the farm. On-going maintenance, including coppicing and pollarding was discussed, which can be particularly useful if there any concerns over potential competition between the trees and neighbouring crops, as this can help to control root growth. Steve added that leafy growth can be cut, chipped and fed to livestock, alternatively cuttings from willow can be easily propagated by planting directly into soil to increase your tree stock.
The hot weather that evening provided a valuable demonstration of the power trees have to create microclimates across farms. The shade cast by the trees made for much more comfortable conditions within Arbor Farm; this is something that is important for farmed livestock, as discussed in a previous FNZ event with Lindsay Whistance in 2023. Improving the health and welfare of livestock is a critical responsibility of farmers but also helps to maintain their productivity. Improving the productive efficiency of livestock helps to lower the carbon footprint per kilo of product. Combined with the carbon sequestered directly into the trees themselves, the case for agroforestry as a climate solution continues to grow.
Key takeaways
Trees create a microclimate which improves livestock health and welfare, and therefore increases productivity.
When planting trees, it is vital to control weeds. Planting is easy. Don’t neglect watering and weeding.
As well as the award ceremony to announce the 2025 Soil Farmer of the Year winners at 7pm on Wednesday at Speakers Corner, FCT’s Hannah Jones and Becky Willson are involved in two workshops.
Weds 2nd July 1.15pm: Regenerative Stacking, The Study (Hannah Jones)
Thurs 3rd July 11am: Farming for the health of people and climate, Grass Tent (Becky Willson)
And, of course, we’ll have our usual stand E2 in the Pasture Field where we’ll be happy to chat all things soil and farm carbon related!
Farm Carbon Toolkit (FCT) advisor, Hannah Jones, was delighted to join James Daniel from Precision Grazing and hosts Mike and Sam Roberts at Blable Farm near Wadebridge to welcome Rt Hon Steve Reed MP to the farm today.
The Minister was keen to learn more about innovations that can take place across the agricultural community that can simultaneously improve farm economics, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon in the soil, boost biodiversity, and strengthen business resilience for today’s farmers and future generations. Emphasis was placed on the need to provide transition support for farmers through discussion groups and community networks, such as Lottery-funded Farm Net Zero project.
We discussed the vital role of well-managed integrated ruminant livestock, particularly in pasture-based systems, in building soil health with diverse cropping, alongside practices like minimum tillage, herbal leys, compost application, and grazing strategies such as paddock grazing.
We also explored the urgent need for UK agriculture and horticulture to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change, alongside rising concerns around long-term food security in the face of environmental and geopolitical instability. We emphasised the importance of reliable public funding to support a fair and economically viable transition to planet-friendly farming, particularly in a market that too often fails to pay farmers a fair price.
The Minister was clearly engaged, asking thoughtful and challenging questions throughout. We’re grateful for the opportunity to speak openly with him and his team.
At Tregooden Farm in Cornwall, farmers Malcolm and Catherine Barrett are pioneering ways to take their farm to net zero carbon and beyond. With a 150 strong beef herd on 300 acres, the couple have transformed the way they farm by focussing on soil health, biodiversity and animal health.
Catherine and Malcolm Barrett
On this Duchy of Conrwall farm, the livestock graze on the pastures, but are also fed on maize. The maize is being farmed in a very different way to how they used to work in an intensive dairy system. Across the farm, the huge drop in artifical fertiliser use (by 60% over 4 years) has had significant cost and carbon benefits. Malcolm said:
“We went quicker than we might have done, but it seems to have worked. No yield deficits are showing yet! I want to move to a point where we’re not applying artificial fertiliser, relying on biological foliar feeds.”
By adding green waste compost and manure at rates of just a few tonnes per acre, they concentrate on feeding the soil biology to stimulate improved soil health and carbon sequestration. As Malcolm says “We’re farming livestock both above ground and below”.
Maize growing at Tregooden under the low fertiliser approach
Fuel use has fallen to just nine litres per hectare, due to the cultivations changing to a system based on discing and a direct drill. “We used to beat the living daylight out the soil – there’s no need to do that now” says Malcolm. In addition, he realises the changes are spreading through the community: “Our son is 20 and works for a local contractor. Last spring he asked – ‘why do they work the fields so much?’ It was a lightbulb moment!”
Grazing has changed substantially by grazing more instensively over shorter periods. There are 80 acres of green manures including Westerwolds, rape, stubble turnips, black oats, crimson clover, winter vetch, beans, designed by FCT’s Hannah Jones.
Green manure mix on the farm
Biodiveristy is improving below ground, with good dung beetle and earthworm activity obvious, and soil sampling showing that Soil Organic Matter is rising across the farm – which means carbon is being sequestered. Above ground tree planting, hedge management, wetlands and improved pastures have led to noticeable improvements in bird and insect populations.
Wetland, and mature trees – great for biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
The Barretts are enjoying showing people around the farm, and are invlovled with Farm Net Zero, Innovative Farmers and the Duchy of Cornwall. They want to inspire change in others – farmers, agronomists, community, researchers and more.
Looking forward, Malcolm said “I’m excited about the future, we’re working with soil and nature again.”
It’s clear this farm is a really embracing the change towards net zero, and coming up with an innovative approach to farming. The farm and farmers are demonstrating tangible environmental and social improvements, an inspiration to others.
Andrew and Clare Brewer: 2025 winners in the National Arable and Grassland Awards
Andrew Brewer is our FCT Carbon Farmer of the Year 2024 and we are delighted to congratulate him and Clare on scooping the National Arable and Grassland award for Grassland Manager of the year. Andrew is also one of our Demonstration Farms in the Farm Net Zero Project in Cornwall which is supported by the National Lottery.
Andrew and Clare are pictured in the centre of the photo with sponsors and judges
They were worthy winners in this category. The Awards are supported by a wide range of industry businesses including BASIS and the National Association of Agricultural Contractors.
Written by Alex Bebbington, Project Officer, Rural Business School, Duchy College
In November 2024, a farm walk was hosted by Andrew and Claire Brewer, winners of the Carbon Farmers of the Year 2024, as well as being a Farm Net Zero Demo Farm.
The Farm Net Zero (FNZ) project was very proud of Demo Farmers Andrew and Claire Brewer of Ennis Barton for winning the 2024 Carbon Farmer of the Year competition. Carbon Farmer of the Year is run by the Farm Carbon Toolkit and is sponsored by HSBC Agriculture UK. It aims to support farmers on their transition to low-carbon farming by championing farmers who are successfully on that transition and creating a network to learn from.
On Friday 8th November 2024, Andrew Brewer hosted a farm walk to explain some of the practices that led to him winning this year’s Carbon Farmer of the Year competition.
Andrew and Claire farm 1,000 acres at Fraddon, near Newquay, milking 450 autumn-calving Jersey cross cows to supply Arla. Cows calve in late summer and are milked twice a day, sometimes in a 10 milkings in 7 days system. Land is let for field vegetables and potatoes as part of the rotation. Andrew is a Demo Farm for the Farm Net Zero project and carbon footprinting from this has shown that the farm is emitting 0.67kg CO₂e per kg of Fat and Protein Corrected Milk (FPCM). Andrew puts this down to maximising milk from forage, feeding little concentrate, and farming without any fertiliser on grass for the last four years. As well as working to reduce emissions, Andrew is optimising sequestration in hedges and soils.
Grazing management and herbal leys
The dairy herd grazes for as much of the year as possible, where conditions allow. Sometimes this may only be for a few hours a day, but Andrew feels this is an important part of his farming practices. Grass is the cheapest feed available and if the cows can harvest it themselves (aiming for 90% of the cow’s feed intake from grazed grass) then this not only reduces costs, but also reduces emissions from tractor diesel. Similarly, letting the cows out to pasture means that they can “spread their own slurry”, further reducing costs and emissions (both from diesel use and from slurry storage).
Herbal leys are used extensively across the grazing platform. Their deep, diverse roots help to improve soil health, potentially capturing carbon into the soil, and access minerals and nutrients deep in the soil profile, allowing for good growth without artificial fertiliser. The impact of the herbal ley on milk yield and quality is being assessed through a Farm Net Zero Field Lab, comparing cow performance on herbal leys and ryegrass/white clover swards. The results of this study will be available soon.
Calving
Cows calve outside in late summer, with the calves then reared in batches in a woodchip bedded shed. The woodchip creates a very clean environment, eliminating the need for bought-in straw. All calves are taken through to finish, with beef bulls kept entire and finished at 12 months and beef heifers finished at 17 months. Youngstock are grazed on a mix of pasture, cover crops and the leftover vegetable crops after the human-grade plants are harvested. This integration of farm enterprises helps to fully utilise nutrients across the farm, reducing the need for buying inputs in.
Soil health: the basis of the farm business
Andrew did a Nuffield Scholarship in 2015 and attributes this to changing his views on soil health as the basis of the farm business. Through the Farm Net Zero project, soil carbon has been monitored over a number of years and the carbon sequestered into these fields has halved the farm’s carbon footprint. Andrew acknowledged that the carbon sequestration is variable, with not all fields capturing carbon, but will continue to monitor soil carbon in the future to identify the long-term trends.
Farm trails
As part of the FNZ Demo Farm work, Dr Hannah Jones of Farm Carbon Toolkit has assisted in the development of a variety of soil-focused trials. When fields are let for vegetables and potatoes, the soil can require assistance back to optimum status. Trials to reduce the negative impacts of these practices have included intercropping between cabbages to reduce bare soil and the risk of runoff. Another trial has followed methods to restore soil health after potatoes. Different mixes were planted after potatoes to assess the improvements to soil structure, stability and worm content. Results from this suggested that Westerwolds ryegrass had the greatest positive impact on soil health, possibly because of its rapid growth creating a large root mass, so Andrew now grows Westerwolds following veg crops. This fits well with the dairy as the Westerwolds produces excellent feed for strip-grazing dry cows before calving, another example of how the whole farm system is integrated to minimise the need for emissions-intensive inputs.
In all, Andrew and Claire focus on running a simple system well, integrating enterprises across the farm. This allows them to minimise emissions from inputs, as well as maximising sequestration into soils and hedgerows.
It’s been a busy time in the Farm Net Zero project with lots of exciting on-farm trials work taking place. On-farm trials are an important part of activities, as in order to support a change in practice, a key step is to evaluate the impact on your farm. There are trials going on looking at a range of innovations across livestock and arable enterprises.
We have a trial running on two monitor farms which is looking at how to reduce Septoria in wheat through biological nutrition to boost plant defences. This builds on an event which was held in January 2024, with Tim Parton and Nick Woodyatt focussed on the importance of biology for soil and plant health and a webinar by Mike Harrington on plant pathology in the autumn.
The trials builds on expert knowledge, from Tim, Nick and Mike alongside arable farmer from Yorkshire Angus Gowthorpe to trial growing a very diverse mix of wheat varieties on both farms. The trial will then be comparing performance of the wheat specifically focussing on septoria prevalence, between a biological approach and a standard chemical fungicide programme. The crop will be monitored for disease pressure throughout the trial but the impact on the crop and farm carbon footprint will also be calculated.
Within grassland systems, we will be tracking Will Martin’s successful herbal ley reseeds into next year. We had a great event in the autumn, and a repeat assessment will allow those attending to understand the longer term survival and establishment of herbal leys with and without glyphosate and direct seeding with and without secondary cultivation.
We will be benefitting from the expertise of Pete Bone, Mike Harrington and some farmers who came to the event at Carwen to improve grass yield without increasing nitrogen inputs. The focus in will be on adjusting macro and micro nutrient indices to increase dry matter offtake. Early soil samples suggest calcium may be a nutrient of particular interest.
Welcome to our April Farm Net Zero newsletter, sharing updates for our farmers, growers and the wider community this project supports.
(Image above: Dr Hannah Jones/FCT presenting at the ORFC)
Recent news and events
Oxford Real Farming Conference: January 2024
An intrepid band of Farm Net Zero farmers and project staff made their way to Oxford for the Real Farming Conference where we were presenting a session called “It Takes a Farm Community to be Net Zero: A Case Study from Cornwall”. This was a sell-out, with people queuing to get in, and helped to demonstrate the excellent work the FNZ farmers are doing as part of their communities. The film we produced was well-received, even earning a “whoop” from the crowd! It is available to watch here: https://farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk/2024/01/18/five-farms-in-cornwall/.
As well as the impressive range of sessions we were able to attend (covering everything from the role of vets in ecological sustainability to farm succession planning), we watched the premiere of “Six Inches of Soil” – a new film about farming starring Farm Net Zero monitor farmer Ben Thomas and featuring Farm Net Zero’s own Hannah Jones.
Premiere of “Six Inches of Soil”
Community film screening 25th March
On Monday 25th March, we showed the Farm Net Zero Community Film at Stoke Climsland Parish Hall. This event was very well attended by members of the local community, drummed up by Bonny Lightfoot and Martin Howlett, FNZ monitor farmers and stars of the film. Following the screening, there was a panel session with the farmers where attendees were able to ask questions on climate change, biodiversity and how the project farmers are working together to address these issues.
We ended the session with the farmers’ visions of farming in the future, with all agreeing that there will be more of a mix and integration between farming and nature.
Community film screening
“Filming on Your Phone” Workshop
We ran our second “Filming on Your Phone” workshop with Down to Earth Media just before Christmas. This gave a group of farmers the opportunity to learn about how to share their stories and the good work they are doing. Since the start of the project, 12 farmers have now received media training.
“Filming on Your Phone” workshop – Sam Roberts of Blable Farm being filmed!
The success of Farm Net Zero has led to a short project funded through Cornwall Council’s Shared Prosperity Fund, to work with farms in Cornwall on carbon, biodiversity and water management plans. This project is a collaboration between the Rural Business School, Farm Carbon Toolkit, Westcountry Rivers Trust and Cornwall Wildlife Trust. If you are a farmer interested in taking part, please contact [email protected]
Falmouth Climate Change event
The Farm Net Zero team was present at the Climate Change Exhibition held at the Polytechnic (“the Poly”) in Falmouth on March 8th and 9th. The event, which was organised by Falmouth Rotary Club, was aimed at raising awareness amongst the general public. We were able to share some of our great work with passers-by, and as a result of our presence at the event, we have been asked to host a visit by two Cornish MPs this Spring.
Demo farm and field lab update
Inter-cropping cabbage
The inter-crop sampling for the cabbages has just been completed at Ennis Barton, one of our FNZ demo farms. This is a collaboration between Andrew Brewer and Andy Williams of Riviera Produce Ltd. Soil samples have been sent away for assessment of soil organic matter, but it is the impact on soil aggregate stability, and water infiltration that is of particular interest in this short term winter cover crop. A mix of buckwheat , phacelia, white clover, plantain and chicory was broadcast between cabbages in 4 blocks across 4 fields and compared to the control treatment of no cover crop. More data to follow.
Winter cover crop between harvested Savoy cabbages ready for grazing until reseeding with grass in May.
Farm Net Zero maize trials
This is the second year of the FNZ – Innovative Farmers maize field lab. This trial is evaluating the effects of different establishment methods, such as strip till and under sowing, on maize yield and soil health. For example, at Duchy College the trial plans involve splitting a maize field between conventional establishment and reduced cultivation and then trialling undersown mixtures in the opposite direction across the field.
This year we have teamed up with Plymouth University who will be carrying out some more in-depth soil testing. If you’re interested in taking part in the trials please do get in touch: [email protected].
We have a meeting planned for the triallists and researchers on 3rd April near Bodmin.
Diverse covers and leys to reduce worm burden at weaning
Weaning shock in lambs can cause physiological stress and slow growth rates. But this effect could be offset by enhanced forage protein content.
Two of our monitor farmers, Matt Smith and Anthony Ellis, have teamed up with the Farm Carbon Toolkit to launch a new Farm Net Zero trial, examining the effect of protein rich cover crops on lamb growth rates. This Innovative Farmers field lab will test a bespoke chicory-rich mixture for lamb weaning. The farmers hope it will improve growth rates, reduce lamb production footprint, improve soil health and lamb welfare, as well as reduce the need for wormers.
Andrew will split his dairy herd, grazing one group on standard ryegrass and clover leys, and the other on diverse swards/ herbal leys. Forage samples will be taken ahead of the cows moving in to graze. The milk yield and constituents from the trial cows will then be measured regularly throughout the 2024 growing season.
and Cornwall Wildlife Trust and will deal with the big question many dairy farmers want answered. Dr Daniel Enriquez Hidalgo of University of Bristol, has been leading the study design and will be carrying out the results analysis. We are grateful to Andrew for all the extra hard work the trial will involve.
Conor Kendrew from Cornwall Wildlife Trust sampling forage at Ennis Barton farm
Dock Control Field Lab
Last years ‘How to rejuvenate pastures’ hosted by James Barrett has led to a new field lab. James rotaseeded a dock-infested grassland and destroyed docks just by addressing surface compaction.
Dock infestation of pasture
Calcium levels were also found to be at good levels in the soil. The new field lab will be recruiting up to 10 farmers, a field each, to test out the impact of optimising soil structure through mechanical intervention and the use of granular and foliar calcium application. Please contact a member of the FNZ team if you would like to be involved.
What next?
Workshop “Gardening & Trees” – with FNZ & Nourish Kernow,
Sunday April 21st, 1:30pm – 4pm, Higher Culloden Farm, College Road, Camelford, PL32 9TL
Learn about the environmental benefits of planting trees, shrubs, and perennial plants alongside food crops. The event will include a hands-on soil health assessment that you can try at home, plus ideas to help you manage your garden to best sequester carbon and adapt to a changing climate, as well as boosting biodiversity.
We will be taking a look at the trees recently planted at the farm to support its habitat management plan and hearing about the inspiration and challenges behind the farm’s wider Community Supported Agriculture project to create a regenerative market garden on the edge of town.
Have fun as you learn about the environmental benefits of planting trees, shrubs, and perennial plants alongside food crops at home.
We will be continuing to run a series of Farm Net Zero events in 2024, drawing on the needs and interests from the community of farmers. These will be advertised on our website and through this newsletter. If you have any suggestions for events we could run, please let us know.
As ever, if you have any questions or ideas that would further support the community of farmers that we are working with, please get in touch with the project team (contact details below).
All information about the project including upcoming events and resources are available on the Farm Net Zero website. If there is anything you would like to see featured please let us know.
Weaning shock in lambs can cause physiological stress and slow growth rates. But this effect could be offset by enhanced forage protein content.
Two of our monitor farmers, Matt Smith and Anthony Ellis, have teamed up with the Farm Carbon Toolkit to launch a new Farm Net Zero trial, examining the effect of protein-rich cover crops on lamb growth rates. This Innovative Farmers field lab will test a bespoke chicory-rich mixture for lamb weaning. The farmers hope it will improve growth rates, reduce lamb production footprint, improve soil health and lamb welfare, as well as reduce the need for wormers.
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