26 June 2023
Get Started with Regen by Trialling Methods That Work with Nature
A record 1,900 visitors at the award-winning Down to Earth South event last week (21 June) were guided through the practicalities of getting started with regenerative farming by expert speakers.
FAI Farms’ Senior Researcher Dr Emily Bull explained that regenerative farming involved working with nature and focussing on the resources at hand.
“Water and sunlight are the building blocks of a productive system, and working with them is key.”
She told listeners to think of leaves as solar panels. “The more [ground] cover you have, the more solar energy you harvest. Bare soil is not a good investment,” she said.
She explained how grazing management was vital in ensuring fields remained adequately covered. “Don’t graze right down and leave grass tall and enough time for it [grass] to rest. The taller the grass, the longer the root and the more charged it will be with carbon,” she said.
FAI Farms saw first-hand the benefit of regenerative farming practices during the extreme drought last year. Three hundred acres of their land is on a flood plain, and through tall grass grazing, the land stayed productive and didn’t burn up. In addition, she said it benefitted the cows too.
“The cows laid on the thatch as it created a cool mat for them,” she said. They also saw an increase in biodiversity and the number of dung beetles.
She explained how important it was for farmers to understand the nutrient cycle, i.e., the transfer of nutrients in the system and to protect it.
“Microorganisms, worms and insects are an underground army of ecosystem engineers helping build healthy soils. Think of them as your heroes who do a lot of work for free. Don’t kill them off,” she said.
Dr Bull acknowledged that getting started on the regen journey was intimidating and explained how regenerative farming was ‘knowledge-intensive, not resource intensive’ and encouraged farmers to take things slow.
As a take-home message, she suggested visitors look for things they could do on their farm that replicates the natural system. “Trial different things. You don’t need to apply regen principles across the whole farm. If you can think of just one thing you can change that works with the natural cycle, today has been a success,” she added.
More regen learning at Down to Earth North
Record numbers of visitors attended this year's Down to Earth South Event at Rushywood Farm near Crewkerne, Somerset, home to Neil Baker, who milks 1,800 cows in a fully-housed system.
A second Down to Earth event is being held next month on 6 July in Cumbria following unprecedented demand.
Down to Earth North will be hosted by Mark and Jenny Lee, true converts of regenerative farming, milking 175 milking crossbred cows, which are mob-grazed on a 30–40-day rotation. They graze areas of silvopasture, have pigs and chickens in the rotation and are reaping the rewards for their herbal leys.
Visitors to Down to Earth North will see first-hand the benefits of regenerative farming on their farm with farm walks throughout the day. There is a whole suite of talks and practical demonstrations on regenerative farming covering everything from the benefits, to what regenerative farming means for different systems, including case studies and practical ways to improve your farm's sustainability.
More information on Down to Earth North, event timings and speakers can be found at projectdowntoearth.co.uk
About RABDF
RABDF is the sole UK charity focussed on the unique needs of milk producers. They are the only dairy organisation holding a Royal Warrant, with the influence and access to funding that brings.
More information
Sarah Alderton, farmgatemedia@outlook.com, 07739969198