A Truly Sustainable System
Integrating livestock, arable and now dairy systems bring huge advantages and cost savings to all enterprises and creates one big profitable, holistic machine. Working with nature rather than fighting it to benefit sheep, crops, wildlife, landowners, staff, farmers and the environment.
Recent events within British agriculture have seen unprecedented change - the ending of BPS payments, switch to ELM’s and the “public money for public goods” mantra has all combined to create a “perfect storm”. Add into the mix the emergence of regenerative agriculture and it is clear farming in even 5 years will be very different from today.
Our farming approach positions us somewhat uniquely to take best advantage of Hertfordshire’s mixed soil types. We take out all of the uneconomic arable fields and put them into a mid-tier scheme as arable reversion – which can be returned to arable production at the end of the 5-year term if it is profitable to do so. In the meantime, the scheme grants capital to cover fencing and running water to these fields which we seed with a legume rich multi species grass and herbal ley. We spot spray these leys for thistles, otherwise they receive no inputs – a great opportunity to let nature repair the soil.
