https://youtube.com/shorts/EkKGLK_QSqc Clip from my You Tube mob grazing video This was over 10 years ago when I was just starting mob grazing 200 replacement dairy heifers over 500 acres of Higher Level Stewardship water meadows. The heifers received no supplements and none were made. The heifers easily achieved growth rates to get to target weights for bulling and only used to get 1 or 2 not in calf. The meadows we thought were full of weeds but were actually our introduct

A recent photo of a herbal ley at Farm Ed demonstration paddock with many species, grazed leaving a decent residual on a long rotation. After several busy weeks preparing for my talks at Groundswell and FarmED, I wanted to share some of the questions I was asked, along with my expanded answers. At Groundswell, Sally-Ann Spence and I spoke on “Permanent Pasture: The Jewel on the Farm,” exploring the value of permanent pasture. We showed how, with care and remedial action, it

"Plants don’t actually “absorb” minerals. Microbes do the work. Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems. Bacteria solubilize phosphorus. Organic acids chelate iron, zinc, calcium. Up to ~80% of plant nutrient uptake is microbially mediated. So, when biology collapses, inputs rise. When biology returns, inputs fall. That’s why we build habitat — not fertiliser". Why I Test Soil – It’s Not About Selling More Fertiliser When I carry out soil testing, it isn’t to justify adding mor

I am delighted to be speaking at Groundswell again, this time alongside Sally-Ann Spence, the dung beetle expert. Join us at 15:00 on Wednesday 1st July in the PFL tent. I will be exploring the value of permanent pasture as a farm resource, and how looking at it differently, can help farmers reduce costs, improve resilience, and strengthen long-term sustainability. A new reseed often performs well for three to four years before vigour declines and it is gradually overtaken by

🌱 Soil Biology: Why It Matters More Than Just NPK For dairy & Livestock farmers across the South West Most of us were taught that plants “take up” nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. But the truth is a bit different — and far more important for long‑term grass performance. 🐛 It’s the soil biology that feeds the plant Microbes do the heavy lifting. Mycorrhizal fungi extend the root system far beyond what roots can reach alone. Soil bacteria unlock phosphorus.

Milk prices set to fall this year Last year I joined Barber’s Cheese as Farms Sustainability Manager (part time), which has given me a clear view of the carbon footprint and cost structure on many dairy farms. My role is to help farmers make practical changes that are more environmentally friendly - under the banner Barber’s Nature Positive” - while keeping the business financially robust. From my earlier work with Lloyds Bank and the Soil Association, I have become convince

Ben Thomas, star of 6 Inches of Soil Two years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Ben in the Future Farm Resilience Fund program when I...

A decade ago, when I started work on an estate in the very south of England, I also started a journey in soil improvement, I joked the...

It’s been bit of a wet one so far with water laying on the ground in many paddocks. While some farmers have braved the conditions and are...

There is a new “threat” to farming, in the form of Rewilding, this is where an estate owner turns over their land to return to a...

Thoughts on Soil and Education. Looking at fields around the country on my travels, the fields are looking extremely dry, the small...

Drought again, My learning curve on how to deal with dry summers. In 2015 I was privileged to go on the Positive Farmers tour of grass...

I went to a friend of mines' James and Lucy Muir's farm near Stafford the other day. He was on his final rotation for 2019. So with the...