Looking to the future

John Sones considers some sustainable ideas for your holding

- John Sones

One of the current topics being discussed nationally is regenerative/ sustainable farming and how it

can help to reduce and store carbon and generally improve the natural world. So what are the ideas being proposed which smallholders could adapt to suit their holding to assist its long term sustainability? In many ways, smallholders are already practising some of these already!

LOOKING AFTER THE SOIL – PART OF RE-GENERATIVE FARMING Re-generative farming has several main actions: minimising disturbance to the soil; always keeping the soil covered – this also slows water run off; maintaining living roots throughout the year; maximising diversity; integrating livestock and perhaps most of all keeping an open mind.

In producing any crop, the soil is extremely important and regenerative farming is very much about improving and maintaining a high quality. There is a move towards ‘no till’ when through the direct sowing of seeds without ploughing, soil disturbance is a minimum so reducing structure break up and carbon release thus allowing the soil to build up valuable layers and the worms to do their work. Reducing soil compaction through low impact tyres and minimising traffic will also help.