Five farmers from across England have been shortlisted for the Soil Farmer of the Year 2026 competition, recognising practical approaches to soil management that are improving resilience, reducing costs and supporting profitable farm businesses.
The finalists are Paul Baker from Devon, Colin Chappell from Lincolnshire, Chris Mighall from Surrey, Chris Molyneux from Lancashire and Tom Fairfax from Northumberland.
Together, the finalists represent a wide range of farming systems and enterprises, from field vegetables and organic production to conventional arable and mixed sheep and beef enterprises, demonstrating that good soil management principles can be applied successfully across very different businesses.
Head of soil and natural resources at Innovation for Agriculture, Deborah Crossan, one of the judges for the 2026 competition, shares that the farmers selected as finalists were all able to demonstrate how soil management was delivering tangible benefits for their farm businesses.
“Across the entries we’ve seen reductions in fuel and input costs, greater resilience to drought and wet weather, and systems that support both livestock and crop performance,” she says. “These are practical changes that are making a real difference to profitability and long-term resilience.”
The winners of the 2026 competition will be announced at 4pm on Wednesday 1st July in the Grass Tent at Groundswell, where all five finalists will share the management decisions, challenges and lessons that have shaped their soil health journeys.
“Anyone interested in improving soil function, reducing inputs or building resilience into their farm business will find plenty of practical ideas to take home,” says Ms Crossan.
“The Awards Ceremony provides a rare opportunity to hear directly from farmers working in very different systems but united by a common focus on healthy, functioning soils. It is also an excellent opportunity for anyone considering entering the competition in future years.”
The Soil Farmer of the Year competition is run by Farm Carbon Toolkit and Innovation for Agriculture, and is sponsored by Cotswold Seeds and Hutchinsons. The winning farms will host a series of farm walks later in the year, giving farmers the opportunity to see the practices discussed at Groundswell in action and hear first-hand how they have influenced business performance.
This May we completed the final two farm walks with finalists from the Soil Farmer of the Year 2025 competition – and visiting Trecorras Farm and Glebe Farm, both share the same core conviction: that healthy soils and healthy margins go hand in hand.
We will be announcing the winner of the 2026 competition at Groundswell in a little over a month so keep an eye on our socials to meet this years finalists!
Trecorras Farm, Herefordshire — hosted by John Joseph
The first of the events was hosted by last year’s winner of the competition, John Joseph at Trecorras Farm. Farming 220 acres on the edge of the Wye Valley with his wife Julie, John has spent the past 15 years rebuilding a system that was, by his own admission, heading in the wrong direction. In their early years at the farm, poor soil structure and heavy cultivation were causing serious erosion which inspired a shift to direct drilling, wider and more diverse rotations, integrated livestock, and a strong focus on soil biology and crop nutrition.
Walking the farm, you see these principles in action at every turn. We started with the herbal leys containing a diverse mix of grasses, clovers, plantain and chicory. These have become part of the rotation, providing a break with diverse rooting – building soil structure whilst providing forage for a herd of Red Poll cattle that have been brought back into the arable rotation. Sheep are also used on tack to graze established winter cereals, stimulating tillering and reducing the need for early-season fungicides. This is another key component to John’s low intervention farming, which focuses on crop requirements to maximise margins. SAP testing guides nutritional decisions, with agrochemical intervention reserved for when the crop genuinely demands it.
Companion cropping runs through the entire rotation. This was clearest in the winter wheat planted with vetch and returning borage volunteers. John explained how the vetch formed a symbiotic relationship with the wheat — roots intertwining below the soil just as the tendrils do above benefitting both plants. John also showed us his Wildfarmed spring wheat accompanied by home-saved winter beans, further enabling him to keep costs low and prioritise margins.
Soil biology is fed through what John describes as green, brown and black inputs — living roots from companions and cover crops, retained stubble and debris, and farm-made bokashi-style compost produced from cattle manure, woodchips and added microbes. Andrew Sincock from Agriton joined us to explain the science behind the approach: cultivating facultative anaerobes that thrive in the heap, but switch to aerobic respiration once applied to the soil.
Back in the yard, John’s direct drill — modified by Landwrx with a pump and tubing system allows compost to be applied directly to the seed at planting. Fermented molasses, used as a carbon source alongside nitrogen applications, and wood vinegar, which doubles as a fly treatment for cattle, were among just a few tools in the armoury.
Glebe Farm, Bedfordshire — hosted by Andrew Mahon
Later in May we travelled to Glebe Farm in Bedfordshire, where Andrew Mahon farms 800 hectares of heavy Hanslope clay. Andrew’s journey began in earnest after the disastrous 2012 harvest — wet, low-yielding and poor quality — which prompted a fundamental rethink. A move to strip-till in 2013 was followed by zero-till. We began the farm walk in the farm yard looking at the direct drill Andrew now uses, developed partly in collaboration with Horizon to optimise the design for his conditions.
Also in the farm yard was a range of different composts being experimented with in order to introduce biology to the system wherever possible. The main method on show was a Johnson-Su compost which Andrew has been producing since 2022 training with soil ecologist Nicole Masters. Unlike traditional compost teas, compost extracts are used to multiply the target bacteria directly before application providing greater confidence in the biological activity being delivered. Walking the farm Andrew explained how the farm operates with a dual focus: with the arable ground producing premium wheat and oats for Warbutons and Wildfarmed, and the remaining land utilising environmental schemes in sympathy with his rotation. This model operates on the principle of financial resilience as well as delivering a host of ecosystem services.
As we walked the fields, we learnt about Andrew’s flexible approach to cropping and heard about the tools he uses to inform his crop nutrition approach. Most interesting among these was a hand held SAP tester which could provide tissue analysis in the field, enabling much more timely applications to directly target crop requirements. We also saw nature based farming in practice, not only through the stewardship schemes but with 3,000m of new hedgerow running the length of the farm and roughly 6,000 trees planted in rows as part of an agroforestry scheme developed in conjunction with the University of Reading. Woodchip composts were applied to these rows as a weed suppressant using a feeder wagon.
Our thanks to John and Andrew for opening their farms so generously. Both walks were a reminder that the most progressive thinking in agriculture is often already being implemented on farms by farmers.
Bulk density is a soil property commonly measured when soil testing, particularly in relation to measuring soil carbon. An important component of measuring soil health, it can provide farmers and growers guidance on what to focus on following testing.
What is Bulk Density?
Bulk density measures the mass of a known volume of soil, including the pore space – i.e. how tightly or loosely it is packed together – which has a huge impact on important soil processes. For example, if a soil is unusually tight it can affect porosity, which in turn affects water infiltration and soil aeration. Consequently, when these processes are inhibited it can negatively impact soil and plant health, reducing farm productivity. This is why compaction issues are a key focus of soil health discussions.
Soil Texture and Bulk Density
In order to understand what the bulk densities of our soils should look like, we also need to understand how soil texture plays an important role in determining the natural range of bulk densities.
Peat generally has a very low bulk density (as low as 0.2 g/cm3) due to its high organic matter content, allowing for a high amount of porosity. Cultivated fine textured soils, such as clays and silt loams, often have bulk densities in the middle of the range (between 0.9g/cm3–1.5g/cm3), whilst cultivated sandy soils tend to have higher bulk densities (1.25g/cm3–1.75g/cm3). To give you an idea of what an extremely high bulk density looks and feels like, concrete has a value of 2.5g/cm3.
The key part to remember is that each soil type has an inherent bulk density range, and while occupying a lower or middle part of the range is generally desirable, this is heavily context dependent.
Bulk Density and Management
Although bulk density is determined by soil texture, how soil is managed will also contribute to the final figure. Heavy equipment, cultivation or grazing in unsuitable conditions and unsuitable nutrient management can all drive up bulk densities into ranges that will cause problems later on. Avoiding these practices – whilst increasing soil organic matter (SOM) and optimising soil health – will help to keep bulk densities in a range suitable for optimal productivity. If in doubt about what your range should be on farm, finding and examining the soil in undisturbed areas that share the same soil texture as your main cropping or grassland areas (such as in hedge bottoms) can help to give a baseline.
Bulk density and carbon
Although bulk density can reveal insights into soil structure and health, it is most commonly measured in order to quantify carbon stocks. When carbon samples are taken and analysed they are expressed as a carbon concentration (C%) of the soil sample, but in order to quantify the amount of carbon in the specific field we must know the mass of soil within a given volume. If soil carbon is being measured at different depths, then a measurement of bulk density must also be taken at those depths.
How do we take it?
There are different approaches to taking bulk densities. The most common method used is the intact core approach, which is what we use at FCT. For each depth being sampled, we use a core of a known volume, insert it into the soil at the depth and then carefully remove it to be sent away for lab analysis. When we receive the data back we can then use a simple formula to calculate the carbon stock.
SOC stock (tC/ha) = Bulk Density g/cm³ x Depth (cm) x OC(%) x 10
Conclusion: Key points about bulk density
On farm sampling is a balance between scientific rigour, cost and practicality. In order to help farmers with this, we offer the following guidance on bulk density sampling:
Measuring Carbon Stocks – When sampling for carbon, bulk density should also be taken to enable carbon stocks to be quantified
Accounting For Depth – Bulk density will change at different depths, so taking at least a sample per depth per field is necessary in combination with the sampling for carbon at different depths
Choosing Location – The location for a bulk density sample should be representative of the primary field conditions. As with sampling for other soil properties, atypical areas such as gateways and headlands should be avoided
Stony Soils – If you have stony soils, you may be required to take multiple bulk density measurement as stones can introduce variability that requires more data to overcome
If you’ve read this article and still feel overwhelmed by the information about soil sampling, please feel free to contact us with your questions. As the science evolves and new technologies develop, more user friendly and practical approaches are emerging for farmers and growers to use.
The final Farm Net Zero conference took place on 20th November 2025 at the Royal Cornwall Showground—under a blanket of unexpected snow!
Yet despite the weather, the room was full. Farmers, growers, advisors, researchers, community partners and supporters all gathered to reflect on five years of hard work, collaboration and learning. It felt less like the end of a project and more like the celebration of a community that has quietly reshaped what climate action looks like on real farms.
There was a striking range of delegates in the room. Young and older farmers and growers, a pretty even gender balance, and people representing every part of the agricultural community. But what really stood out was that every presenter brought a different perspective, a unique set of skills and lived experience, and together they created a strong thread of community that ran throughout the entire day. It was genuinely inspirational.
Farm Net Zero is a collaborative five-year project led by Duchy College Rural Business School, working in partnership with Farm Carbon Toolkit, Westcountry Rivers Trust, Soil Association, Innovative Farmers, Innovation for Agriculture, and Just Farmers. This ambitious initiative has been made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. The final conference was organised by Duchy College with support from the FNZ project partners, to share some of the learnings, hear from participants, and to celebrate five years of the project.
A day rooted in practical progress
The day began with one of the FNZ Demonstration farmers, Mike Roberts of Blable Farm, who shared how he has changed farming practice to build greater business resilience. His reflections set the tone for the whole event: grounded, honest and focused on what works in the real world. Mike expressed heartfelt thanks to the project team at Duchy College, Farm Carbon Toolkit, Westcountry Rivers Trust, Innovative Farmers, Innovation for Agriculture and Just Farmers — a partnership that has been the backbone of Farm Net Zero since day one.
We then heard from Anthony Ellis of Pensipple Farm, who spoke about the trials he has been undertaking to reduce insecticide and fungicide use. By improving soil health, he has been able to cut fuel use for fieldwork by 10–15%—a meaningful saving both economically and environmentally. During this session, an important point was raised about the “elephant in the room”: who owns the carbon and wider natural capital benefits in a tenanted farming context? It’s an issue that will matter more and more as low-carbon farming evolves.
Malcolm Barrett of Tregooden Farm also reflected on the changes they have made on the farm. Through FNZ, the Barretts have reduced costs significantly by lowering inputs and outwintering cattle, with the biggest gains seen on arable fields—soil organic matter is up by around 3%, thanks to cover crops and min-till. Better soil health has reduced fuel use and enabled them to cut pesticide use, too.
Amelia Lake from the Real Food Garden offered a shout-out to FCT for helping them understand their soils and how best to improve them. Their focus on no-dig systems and continuous compost additions has boosted soil health, and they’ve seen improvements in veg nutrient content, something they believe is closely linked to better soil function.
Nicola and Chris from Heligan Gardens shared how transformational their compost-focused Farm Net Zero field lab has been for their waste management system. By learning how to optimise composting, combining three separate waste streams while ensuring pathogen kill, they have been able to reduce waste, improve soil health and close nutrient loops more effectively.
We also heard from Emma Restorick at the Prideaux Walled Garden, who has been trialling ways to tackle bindweed and reduce carbon footprints through optimised home-grown compost and other nature-friendly techniques. Her work highlights just how adaptable and innovative small horticultural enterprises can be when given structured support and the space to experiment.
Robust data from real farms
The results of the project speak for themselves.
Over the course of the project, the project team carried out an extraordinary amount of monitoring and testing, including digging over 1,935 holes (over 10,000 auger dibs), and soil sampling 215 fields in both 2021 and 2025. This has created one of the richest long-term datasets of any UK farming climate project.
Initial findings show that fields in herbal leys in 2021 and still in herbal leys today sequestered an average of 3.35 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year. Across the project area, herbal ley coverage has increased by nearly 500 hectares, contributing significantly to soil carbon gains.
Habitat-based sequestration also shows clear gains: project farms collectively sequestered an additional 2,640 tCO₂e into on-farm habitats, supported by increases in both hedgerows and woodland. Hedgerow length increased from 607 km in Year 1 to 664 km in Year 5, with associated carbon sequestration rising from –2,338 tCO₂e to –2,854 tCO₂e. Farmers also planted 1,104 additional trees over the project period, reinforcing long-term carbon storage and biodiversity benefits.
Looking at changes in overall farm carbon footprints, every farming system involved in the project saw reductions:
Horticulture: 4.3 tCO₂e → –7.54 tCO₂e
Arable: 572.22 tCO₂e → 402.49 tCO₂e
Beef & Sheep: 508.37 tCO₂e → 489.09 tCO₂e
Dairy: 1.25 kg CO₂e/kg FPCM → 0.99
These improvements were largely driven by reductions in input use, particularly feed, fertiliser and fuel, supported by more diverse rotations, improved grazing management, better composting systems and healthier soils.
These were not theoretical models or one-off trials; these were whole-farm shifts, supported by careful measurement and farmer-led experimentation.
Last words
Finally, dairy farmer Andrew Brewer of Ennis Barton highlighted how evidence from Farm Net Zero had given him the confidence to encourage Arla to support farmers in growing herbal leys. As a member of Arla’s Sustainability Working Group his takeaway was powerful:
“The integrity and nutrient quality of food starts with farmers and growers.”
What came across loud and clear at the conference was the importance of steadfast and consistent activity, and the power of farmer-to-farmer learning. The project has built a community of farmers and advisers who have been willing to share their successes and failures openly, and this spirit of collaboration has been central to the project’s achievements.
What really made Farm Net Zero work
Beyond the numbers, what came through again and again was the strength of the community that has grown around the project. Demonstration farmers, monitor farms, advisers, researchers, gardeners, and local organisations, all willing to share what worked and what didn’t.
It powerfully demonstrates that progress doesn’t come from one-off interventions. It comes from steadfast, consistent activity—and from supporting farmers to try new things with confidence.
Farmers spoke freely about reducing inputs, changing rotations, experimenting with cover crops, improving composting systems, tackling weeds, integrating livestock, and rethinking their relationship with soil. The willingness to compare notes, challenges, successes and missteps has made this one of the most practical and trusted climate-action projects in UK farming.
So, what next?
This is the question many people asked during and after the conference. Farm Net Zero has clearly delivered:
measurable reductions in emissions
better soil health
stronger business resilience
increased biodiversity and more protective infrastructure (hedges, trees)
greater collaboration across Cornwall’s food and farming community
a five-year dataset that is rare at national level
The challenge now is to build on this success, not let it fade as the formal project period ends. Here are some priorities:
1. Share the learning more widely
The results, stories and practical guidance from Farm Net Zero need to reach a far larger audience — in Cornwall and beyond. Farmers elsewhere in the UK face similar challenges, and the FNZ experience can offer a roadmap: low-cost changes, peer-to-peer learning, and practical ways to reduce emissions while improving profitability. There’s a responsibility to translate these findings into accessible guidance, workshops, case studies and tools that any farmer can use.
2. Keep the community alive
The strength of FNZ was the trust between participants. Maintaining that network through events, field labs, farm walks, online spaces and continued collaboration will be vital. Farmers expressed a clear desire to keep learning from one another.
The good news is that some field labs and events will continue over the next few months, and the appetite for ongoing collaboration is strong.
3. Use the data to inform policy and practice
With more than 10,000 soil samples, detailed farm footprints and hundreds of farmer-led trials, FNZ now represents one of the richest real-world datasets on low-carbon farming in the UK.
That evidence can help shape better support schemes, more targeted advice, and more practical pathways for farmers transitioning towards net zero.
A beginning, not the end
Through the Farm Net Zero partnership, we’re committed to ensuring these insights don’t sit on a shelf. The findings from this project can play an important role in influencing how the sector and policymakers think about resilience, emissions reduction, soil health and resource efficiency.
As the conference was wrapped up, there felt a feeling of pride — not only in what’s been achieved, but in how it was achieved. Farmer-led, data-driven and grounded in real practice. Farm Net Zero has shown what’s possible when farmers are trusted, support experimentation, and commit to long-term learning rather than short-term initiatives.
The project will look forward to sharing the full results in early 2026 and helping ensure that the legacy of Farm Net Zero continues to grow. Cornwall has shown what can be done. Now the task is to help others follow.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the National Lottery Community Fund for their support throughout this five-year journey, and to all the farmers and partners who have made this work possible.
Mike and Sam Roberts run Blable Farm in North Cornwall. On their 530 acres, they were running 180 suckler cows plus followers, but found themselves trapped in something of a cycle of pushing production of the land to feed more cows to generate more income. But the bills kept rising, margins were tight, the land was struggling, and they had a sense that something was fundamentally not working right.
In 2020, they started moving to a different type of system, moving to rotational grazing, introducing herbal leys, and moving away from arable cropping. Mike comments on how quickly they noticed some of the changes: “We had 25 acres of arable land, which we turned into herbal leys. Within six weeks, after the cattle had done a full rotation or two, we noticed that the grass had grown back without any fertiliser addition.”
Their journey has led them to a place where they are eliminating artificial fertilisers and pesticides, resulting in reduced costs, a smaller carbon footprint, and improved health of the system. “We found with all of the changes that we don’t have the big bills, and we do not miss them!”
Fact File: Blable Farm
Date of Case Study
September 2025
Location
Wadebridge, Cornwall
Enterprise
Beef (140 stabiliser x pedigree stabiliser suckler cows)
Size
215 hectares (530 acres – 480 acres grassland)
Actions Taken
– Introduced herbal leys into pasture – Introduced rotational grazing with the help of – Precision Grazing Ltd. – Use green waste compost for bedding and subsequent spread as organic fertiliser – Use minimal cultivation – Cut out artificial fertilisers and sprays (since 2022)
Impact on Business
– Longer grazing season – Improved profitability with a smaller herd – Reduced requirement for artificial inputs – Bought in cereal feeds reduced by 70% – No mineral feeds bought in – Stopped blanket wormers of cattle (except slower growing stock)
Impact on Carbon Footprint
– Large reduction in fertiliser-associated emissions and sprays – Reduction in cattle number = less methane – Improved soil carbon sequestration
Change brings many benefits
The interesting thing about the change to this farming system was how it was done in a systems-based way, and the changes led to multiple different benefits. The herd size dropped from 180 to 140 suckler cows (plus followers), but the changes also included:
Rotational grazing
Herbal leys
More legumes
Change of mindset
This has led to significant benefits to the farm and the business:
Improved soil health and organic matter levels
Much reduced bought-in feed
No artificial fertiliser or pesticides used
Better meat quality
Reduced costs and improved profitability
Easier system to manage
Lower carbon footprint per hectare
Improved biodiversity
Cattle in an overwinter cover crop
Managing change and advice to others
Mike acknowledges that significant changes in farming systems can take a while to bed in, and everyone learns on the journey. At Blable Farm, they are still learning about which species do better in the herbal leys and the longevity of each species in the pasture. He recommends that any farm wanting to try herbal leys make a start with 5% of their land and see what happens.
“It did take a bit of time to get the new system established, for example, with the fencing for paddocks and extra water troughs, but now it is up and running, it is a much easier system overall. There are fewer potential problems, fewer big bills associated with fertilisers and a smaller herd, so fewer staff are required. There is just less expenditure overall, plus an injection of cash from the reduction of the suckler herd, which helped with the transition.”
Mike Roberts
Mike at one of the open days at Blable Farm, sharing knowledge and ideas with other farmers
Mike also stresses the importance of conversations with other farmers: “We have a lot of conversations which really help. You can talk to others who are further along in their regenerative farming journey, and that gives you the confidence you need.”
Blable Farm is one of the three Demo Farms in Farm Net Zero, a major project that has supported farmers and growers in Cornwall to transition towards net zero carbon. As part of this project, we produced this video about Blable Farm:
For more resources to help inform, enable and inspire other farmers and growers, please visit our Toolkit.
The regenerative sector must unite to offer the government practical solutions, not more problems, to the challenges facing the country.
Having been part of Groundswell since its very beginning in 2016, this year’s festival-cum-agricultural event felt more relevant than ever. It was a powerful reminder of the trust, collaboration, and creativity needed to navigate the challenges ahead for UK agriculture.
As CEO of Farm Carbon Toolkit, one of the most rewarding ‘takeaways’ was the recognition that farmers and supply chains alike hold Farm Carbon Toolkit (and our staff) in such high regard because of the trust we’ve built over the many years as a farmer-led and fiercely independent organisation, driven by sound science.
That trust is critical now, and it will be even more important in the years ahead if we are to create food production systems that are resilient, profitable, and nature-friendly in the face of the growing climate crisis. We remain as committed as ever to supporting farmers, growers, and other food businesses to measure, understand, and act on their greenhouse gas emissions, while improving their business resilience through supporting farmers on new practice implementation in areas such as soil health, farm nutrient use efficiency, reducing reliance on artificial nitrogen, agroforestry etc.
Solutions… not more problems
For me, one of the key themes from Groundswell 2025 was the consensus around the need to approach the challenges we face with ‘network thinking’ — collaborating more effectively, creating more circular food systems, ensuring the businesses making changes on the ground have the resources and recognition they deserve, and working together to present a clear, consistent message to the government, whatever colour that might be.
At one excellent session, brilliantly chaired by Sue Pritchard from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, it became clear that the regenerative sector must work together to present the government not with more problems, but with practical solutions to the issues the country faces. This solutions-focused approach sits at the very heart of what we do at Farm Carbon Toolkit — providing farmers and growers with practical tools and support to meet our common challenges head-on.
Once the regenerative sector shows how our principles and practices can help the government solve many of its challenges, we can gain real traction and turn ideas into action. At the moment, however, I’m not sure we’re yet thinking in this way — and certainly not with the coherence and strength of voice we need.
FCT and Groundswell: Growing Together
It was also striking to reflect on just how far both Groundswell and Farm Carbon Toolkit have come. When the Groundswell festival first took place in 2016, it was held in the Cherry family’s farmyard with a handful of exhibitors running practical demonstrations outside. We held our very first Soil Farmer of the Year awards ceremony in the grain store!
Since then, Groundswell has grown into one of the largest and most important festivals of regenerative farming in Europe, and FCT has grown alongside it. Back then, we were a team of just one, the inimitable Becky Willson. Today, we’re over 20 strong, working with farmers, growers, producer groups, processors and retailers across the UK and beyond.
Our Farm Carbon Calculator continues to go from strength to strength and is now used on four continents, supporting farmers and growers to understand how they can play their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining productive, climate- and nature-friendly farms. We remain committed to our mission as a Community Interest Company and have recently strengthened our independence by becoming an Employee Ownership Trust.
Facing the Challenges Ahead
We are entering some of the most challenging times our food production systems have ever faced. Climate change is reshaping our weather patterns, with hotter, drier summers, unpredictable and often intense weather events, and increasing pressure on farmers and growers to produce in a more environmentally friendly way.
At Farm Carbon Toolkit, we remain driven by science — not by fashion or the latest trends, however tempting that might sometimes be — and we aim to provide practical support and tools to help farmers and growers navigate this complex and changing landscape.
Some are suggesting that Groundswell is moving away from its farmer-to-farmer roots, becoming more of a stage for those wanting to tell farmers what to do. I didn’t have much time to reflect on that myself. We were busy throughout, speaking to farmers and growers and sharing ideas with friends old and new, all trying to make sense of this evolving landscape together.
But what stood out most was the collective sense that trust, collaboration, and clear, solutions-focused thinking will be essential if we are to meet the challenges ahead of producing the quality and quantity of food we need in a profitable and nature-friendly way.
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!
On a sunny day at the end of March, farmers gathered with Simon Cowell to take part in a farm walk with our Soil Farmer of the Year Winner from 2018. Thanks to funding from the AFN+ network, we have been able to revisit two farms this year to understand how their farm and management systems have evolved since being awarded.
Simon farms 400 acres of heavy clay with a large acreage below sea level. He has been working on improving his soils for the last 25 years, and moved to a no-till system in 2006, being flexible with both management and rotations to prioritise soil health.
Originally starting as a dairy farm, Simon converted his farm to arable cropping. At that time, it was full cultivation and deep topsoil ploughing, year after year. For 15 to 20 years, it seemed to work. But then something shifted — yields dropped, costs rose, and the soil stopped cooperating, as Simon reflects here:
“The farm is on heavy clay with high magnesium content. It became impossible to make a workable seedbed. The soil was either too wet and smeared or too dry and baked hard. I’d tried gypsum, but nothing made a lasting difference. Eventually, it became obvious: the more I left the soil alone, the better it behaved.”
During the walk, lots of different topics were discussed — from rotations, cultivation choice, to measuring soil health and the value of organic matter. Below, Simon shares some of his reflections on how his management has evolved over the last 25 years:
Direct Drilling
In 2004, Simon bought his first direct drill and hasn’t looked back since. Establishing crops became more reliable and consistent, especially on the heavy land.
He uses two drills — a disc and a tine drill. The Moore disc drill is brilliant when conditions are right but struggles in extremes (too wet or too dry). The tine drill, on the other hand, works in almost anything. He will often alternate depending on soil conditions, and finds that flexibility is incredibly important to meet the different challenges that may occur.
Building Soil Organic Matter — and Balancing It
Simon reflects:
“One of the biggest long-term wins has been improving soil organic matter. After years of minimal disturbance, my soil tests show I’m adding roughly one tonne of carbon per hectare per year. That’s a big win for soil structure, biology, and long-term fertility.
But there’s a catch. For every tonne of carbon stored, about 100 kg of nitrogen gets tied up—because carbon to nitrogen ratio is about 10:1. That’s nitrogen that doesn’t go into the crop, at least not right away. It’s a good sign environmentally (less leaching), but it forces us to think differently: we’re not just growing a crop above ground — we’re also feeding the soil. And both require nutrients.”
Managing Fields and Staying Flexible
Simon reflects:
“No two fields are ever the same. One of my best lessons has been to stay flexible — don’t do anything out of habit. For example, I never drill straight up and down the slope anymore. In one field, I direct-drilled linseed straight after the previous crop, no cultivation. Most fields still get a roll or a harrow to cover the seed, but only when needed.
Gypsum? I applied 4 tonnes per acre, three times over eight years. The results? Minimal. The Albrecht soil tests showed no real change, and when you do the chemical maths, you’d need unfeasible amounts to really shift the needle. Direct drilling — now that showed results. That’s what made the difference.”
Surprising Soil Behaviour
“One thing that constantly surprises me is how the soil handles moisture. When it’s dry, it goes rock hard. But once it wets up—even a little—it becomes crumbly and friable. That resilience has improved massively since adopting no-till.
In one field, I remember ploughing up an old meadow and seeing just two inches of dark topsoil over clay. The plough buried all the goodness. That was a turning point. Twenty years later, I believe I’ve rebuilt that topsoil layer—just through direct drilling and patience. It’s a stark contrast to where I started.”
Nitrogen, Legumes, and Root Systems
“There’s no denying it: crop yield still relates closely to the nitrogen you apply. Yes, legumes help. But the better the crop above ground, the better the root system—and that means better soil structure, more exudates, and more microbial activity. It’s a feedback loop.”
Straw and Worms: A Change Over Time
“For 15 years, I chopped and returned every bit of straw. The worms loved it at first. But more recently, it’s been sitting on the surface all winter, forming a mat that small seeds like linseed can’t get through. Now, I bale most of it. I’ve realised: the soil doesn’t need more carbon—it needs nitrogen to break down what’s already there.”
Rotations and Crop Choices
“Rotations? They’re always changing. I try to keep about 50% in wheat, with some barley, linseed, beans, and lucerne. About a third of the farm is spring-cropped. I treat each field on its own merits and decide what’s best for it next—nothing is fixed.”
Drainage, Moles, and Water Holding
“Drainage remains a challenge. I’ve started doing some moling to improve water movement. Last winter killed most of the wheat due to waterlogging. Mole drains helped, but only in the mole line—the soil in between takes years to catch up. So I cross-moled with a tine as an experiment.
On some fields, I now get lovely crumbly tilth after winter even with no plant cover, just from natural wetting and drying. But I still wonder: is my soil becoming hydrophobic, in a good way? That is, allowing water to drain through rather than sealing up. That’s the goal—especially on clay.”
Sheep and Grazing in Rotation
“Sheep are a handy tool, especially for cover crops and herbal leys. But I’ve learned to be very cautious—they can damage soil structure quickly, especially in wet weather. Just one day too long, and the field can end up full of holes that hold water into spring.”
Plough Trials
Despite the benefits min till has produced on his farm, Simon is beginning to experiment with ploughing this year to see whether it is possible to mineralise some of the nutrients within the soil. There are two trials going on, one looking at autumn ploughing and other, spring ploughing. He explains:
“The trial with autumn ploughing started in September. It was too dry and hard to plough at first so only a proportion of the field was ploughed. The other half of the field was direct drilled in October when the weather came good, and was no problem. On the ploughed side, I had to wait another two weeks to get on the land as it held all of the water. Although it is an interesting trial, it is going to be difficult to compare due to the delay in drilling the ploughed side. Establishment has been less good on the side which was ploughed compared to the direct drilled.”
The trial confirmed what Simon had been thinking: for his land, direct drilling is the way forward.
“It’s made my soil ploughable again.”
Undeterred, a second ploughing trial has been underway this spring, where a field was ploughed, power harrowed and rolled and then drilled two weeks later. Simon has been impressed with how the field has performed so far. The next door field has been direct drilled, so it will provide a good comparison to look at performance through this season to see how they grow!
“We’ve proved that we can build organic matter through our system, we are now looking at how we can balance occasional disturbance. I’ve been against it in the past because of protecting the soil structure that I have built up and not wanting to lose it, but I’m hoping that because it was in a good state before, it will recover quickly and be back to how it was before.”
I’ve done all the biological products, the trials, the tweaking. In the beginning, you throw everything at the problem. Over time, you start asking: what actually made the difference? I’ve spent years building organic matter. Now it’s time to start using it.
Many thanks to Simon for an inspirational walk and for sharing his knowledge so freely; it gave everyone lots to think about on the drive home!
In rural Devon, Paul Baker is doing very interesting things on his farm where he grows arable crops, raises cows and ducks. For Paul, it all starts with the soil “Every farmer should have a microscope – you can’t measure where you are without it. Combined with the shovel, these are powerful tools.”
This is just one example of the approach that Paul is taking on his 340 acre mixed farm, which includes a range of arable crops, dairy calves, and ducks. Most of the land is rented from the Duchy of Cornwall. The farm is net carbon negative, due to the reduction in emissions and the vast amount of carbon being sequestered in the soil.
Paul regularly analyses soil, both visually and under a microscope
A paradigm shift in the arable operation
For an arable farm, a lot of carbon, time and energy is associated with cultivations – or the lack of them. By investing in a strip till drill, the soil preparation has been revolutioned, through fewer passes and much less soil being turned over. As Paul noted “in wet weather you’re not pushing the power harrow through the ground – so that really saves diesel”. Not just a bit of diesel, but savings of 75% over 3 years!
But more than just this saving in diesel, the new system is better for labour requirements, making the most of smaller weather windows, and substantial improvements in soil quality.
Strip till drill in use at Wishay Farm
There is an organic and non-organic system being run concurrently, with a range of arable crops and approaches in both systems. Experimentation in mixed varieties of wheat have also shown benefits in diseases resistance and resilience to different climatic conditions.
Building soil fertility
The changes in cultivation go hand in hand with the building of soil fertility, using composts, manures, and cover crops. But more than this, Paul is interested in the micro-organisms that are in the soil and the fertility sources, using a microscope to better understand the presence of bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa.
A soil sample under the micropscope, teeming with life
Artificial fertiliser use is dropping year on year as the soil ecosystem is working better and being fed by more organic matter. “By feeding the bottom of the food chain, the worms have benefitted” observes Paul
Better grass, better animals
In the grassland part of the farm, livetsock are now grazing intensively for short periods on herbal leys. “Grass growth in the new grazing system feels much better” says Paul. “The areas that are overgrazed don’t come back as quick; weed suppression where mob grazing occurs is better because of the action of hooves and intense grazing over a short period.”
In addition there are now more dung beetles in the pastures, an indicator of a healthier soil ecosystem. It’s also been linked to a reduction in the use of wormers – again because Paul has asked whether they need to be used, rather than following the standard use of these chemicals. You can read more about dung beetles here https://farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk/2024/05/20/what-are-dung-beetles/
Dung beetles feed on manure and help recycle nutrients
A growth mindset
Throughout Wishay Farm, Paul has been experiementing with various innovations in his system, underpinned by a curiosity to improve his farm. These include:
Cultivations and seed establishment
Composting systems – including Bokashi, food waste, vermicompost, and using starter cultures
Application of organic matter and microorganisms to most effectively benefit soil and crops
Applying molasses to feed soil bacteria
Reducing agro chemicals
Experiementing with cover crops, mixes of wheat varieties, and combining different crops
Adding woodland soil in to compost
Paul offers some reflections on his journey so far: I started with cover crops. You need to justify buying machinery, but also worrying what others are thinking – your neighbours are looking over the hedge!
You have to be thick skinned to take any criticism; you can explain away any failures, but ultimately results can speak for themselves. Neighbours might take the mick, but good practice will spread!There’s lots to learn.”
“Had we still been ploughing now, we would’ve had two or three terrible seasons and lots of soil damage. The way I farm now has softened that blow. I wouldn’t want to be cultivating the land like we used to.”
Jayne Arnold is a grower who is really pushing the boundaries of soil health and management. Based on a 12-acre organic vegetable farm in Worcestershire, she is constantly striving to find ways to improve the diversity, depth, quality and carbon content of their soils. Growing for their own veg box scheme, the farm also has a few sheep, an orchard, agroforestry and makes plenty of compost.
In this new Case Study, we learn how Oxton Organics is balancing a productive farm, producing local food, whilst constantly improving soil health and quality through a voracious appetite for knowledge and an approach.
Whilst the farm has been organic for a long time, it’s only in the last 7-8 years that this new approach to soil management started, producing some really impressive results. The approach is underpinned by applying high quality compost, biostimulants, and covering the soil as much as possible through mulches, compost and green manures.
The sheep play an important role, and the pastures they’re on have improved significantly since the species mix and stocking regime has changed. This has resulted in not just better pastures and better soil helath, but much more biodiversity too, as Jayne notes:
“In the years after sowing the pasture, it was predominantly grasses, white clover, and yarrow, with a little ribwort, burnet and yellow trefoil. Now there is much more diversity, there are flowers throughout summer and autumn, including dandelions, wild carrot, yarrow, knapweed, oxeye daisy and much more. A few bee orchids and pyramidal orchid appeared four years ago and returned every year since. We had never seen orchids on the farm before! Butterflies and other pollinating insects are also more abundant.”
Biodiverse pastures at Oxton Organics
Wildlife abounds above and below ground, from the tall hedges and lines of willow coppice to the flowers of the pastures and the cropland soil teeming with life. “There are so many worms in the soil, it’s hard to avoid them when transplanting crops!” Jayne says.
Soil Organic Matter levels are rising and distributed more evenly through the soil profile. Structure is improving, soil colouration is more even and deeper through the profile. The action of worms and perennial plants helps to draw carbon down in the soil profile – and that means it is also more stable. Carbon sequestered into the soil like this is a proper drawdown of atmospheric carbon; if it’s not released then it is stable and locked away.
An example of a deep rooting and diverse green manure mix, in one of the polytunnels
Jayne notes that weather patterns have changed, with more frequent extreme rainfall events. “The up and downness of the weather has changed a lot“, she says. Building resilience in the stability of farm soils is essential in helping to mitigate such risks that all growers are experiencing from a changing climate. Soils that are higher in carbon, have a mulch or living cover, and have better structure will be much more resilient to the effects of both heavy rain and drought.
The farm’s focus on soil management underpins all the positive aspects outputs of the farm – quality food, flood resilience, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and indeed sheer enjoyment and intrigue that gets growers out of bed in the morning. A refreshing look at green manures, founded on experience and observation, demonstrates one example of this: “you won’t build a fungal dominant soil with legumes. Plants will reject mycorrhizal associations if there’s too much Nitrogen in the system. You need to build bacteria that naturally fix Nitrogen and be more balanced. You don’t see many legumes in the hedgerow – yet that’s all green” says Jayne.
Mycorrhizal fungi associating with a radish
Managing carbon is also part of the business strategy, using an electric van for deliveries, minimising any cultivations, ensuring lots of carbon sequestration, and reducing inputs. With so much carbon being absorbed on the farm and being turned into soil organic matter, the farm is really demonstrating how to grow in a way that builds capital for the future, whilst producing great quality food and continuing to explore and push the boundaries.
Sheep grazing in the pastures at Oxton Organics
With thanks to Jayne Arnold for the photos and the interview. Written by Jonathan Smith.
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