During the last 12 months, we have started to change the way we think about and practice our farming. This started with a lot of research and reading about how soil and our environment function and how what we do impacts our farm. We have always been a "conventional" farm - focusing on high input and high output production which has worked well for us. However, with changes on the horizon in farming policy and likely competition from cheaper inputs we decided it was time to look to the future.
In June of 2020 we invested in our first "strip-till" drill. This machine will enable us to plant crops in a single operation. The benefits being, reduced fuel, time and labour in addition to protecting soil. By disturbing the soil less we will burn off less carbon, kill fewer worms and other soil biology and reduce erosion. By keeping the soil healthy we aim to keep our crops healthy with a view to reducing harmful and expensive inputs.
There will no doubt be challenges and opportunities to learn and gain new experiences as we head down this "regenerative" route. However looking after ours and our customer's most important capital asset - the soil - can only be the right thing for the future. I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress and should you have anything you want to ask me send me an email or give me a call.
Cheers, Rob.
PS - Here's the drill in action!