Saving money from the ground up

Soil is at the heart of our farmed landscape and provides a source of fertility and resilience in the production of crops and grassland. Maintaining and protecting quality soil through effective management can help produce higher yields and better returns, and therefore is an essential component in supporting a strong farm business.

Baselining our soil through regular testing is vital to interpret the chemical, physical and biological status of our soil, and so the programme kicked off with a free soil test. The samples were sent to the laboratory for analysis and each farm received their organic matter report at the on-farm workshop delivered by Emma Adams from The Farm Carbon Toolkit. 

These sessions involved an analysis and discussion of the test results, highlighting differences between the best and worst performing fields and working through some of the reasons why. Emma then delved into topics surrounding soil health management, looking at practical ways to improve soil health to maximise agricultural efficiency. In addition to this, the sessions introduced ideas linked to regenerative agriculture, such as the role of herbal leys, reduced movement and disturbance, and touched upon carbon sequestration opportunities.

It was great to visit the Norfolk group at their workshop at the end of August, which concluded with a farm walk and demonstration on how to complete different tests, such as an infiltration test and VESS (Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure).

Anna Wright, Environmental Programmes Manager at the RCF, said “Soil is the foundation of any farm and is a fundamental asset, so we are thrilled to be supporting farmers in their soil health journey. Many thanks to McDonald’s UK & Ireland for their continued support.”

Thank you to our delivery partners at Herefordshire Rural Hub, Norfolk FWAG and Thomas Burston in Northumberland for coordinating our first three groups; we are looking forward to the next cohort in Devon, Cumbria and Clwyd this Autumn!

If you would like to find out more about how to improve soil, you can read a copy of our Great Grazing Guide here or watch our recent webinar here.