What is a Regenerative Farming Project?

This article follows on from an initial enquiry, “Can ‘Regenerative Farming’ benefit upland farmers around Dartmoor?” which was written for The Moorlander on 27th October, 2021.   Since our first meeting, arranged for Chagford farmers in Endecott House, Chagford on Friday, 15th October, 2021 to discuss Regenerative Farming (RF), we have moved on apace. We have had a number of further meetings with other regenerative farmers, a soil scientist from Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, herbal and legume seed specialists, as well as farm visits during the summer months to practising regenerative farmers.

UK farming remains in crisis and has reached a critical crossroads.  Climate change is ever-present and worsening, making the job of farming very much more difficult. In addition, farm profitability is falling, soil health is collapsing, crop yields are plateauing and pastures are degenerating. The Chagford Regenerative Farming Group was set up over 18 months ago to look at ways to confront the crisis looming for Upland farmers in this area as the Single Farm Payment (SFP) gradually reduces and then disappears in 2027. It has become crucial to establish a meaningful practical project to improve productivity and reduce costs and allow increased profitability and long-term sustainability, whilst at the same time improving diversity and the environment.

Regenerative Farming (RF) represents a path towards a food system that draws down carbon, restores soil quality, increases biodiversity, improves watersheds, enhances ecosystem services and improves farmer resilience. A farmer mindset change is required. The key goals of Regenerative Farming are:

• SOIL – Contribute to building soils and soil structure repair, increased levels of SOM, along with soil fertility and health; 
• WATER – Increase water percolation, water retention, drought tolerance and clean and safe water runoff;
• BIODIVERSITY – Enhance and conserve biodiversity;
• ECOSYSTEM HEALTH – Capacity for self-renewal and resilience;
• CARBON – Sequester carbon.

A Farming Association of 20 farmers has been formed to take advantage of funding which is available for groups of farmers.  These farmers working together should also be able to bulk-buy inputs (fertilizer, seeds, feed, minerals and more) thereby reducing costs to each individual farmer in the Association.  In the future, a form of Cooperative could develop for marketing initiatives.

This background laid the platform for the development of a practical RF project for the enthusiastic Chagford farmers who had come on board. The project was developed in two phases:

1. Lime Application.

Soils around Dartmoor are inherently acidic. Andy Neal, a Soil Scientist from Rothamsted Research, North Wyke recommended the application of lime on the Chagford farmers’ acidic soils. This was carried out on the first Chagford Regenerative Farming Association project. As Andy Neal recommended, 2mt/acre (£75/acre) were applied, which can improve pH levels from present 5.5 to 6.2 which means that nutrient availability in the soil profile is increased from 30% to 70%.  This could mean that, by over-seeding of herbal and legume seed, farmers would not have to buy any inorganic fertilizers. There are also enormous impacts on the environment; nitrates getting into the river Teign and catchment will be reduced, and lime, which is inert, will not affect rivers or water quality.  The health and vitality of the River Teign catchment can be improved through regenerative farming principles and is closely allied to the improvement in farming profitability and protection of the environment.

South West Water had kindly agreed to contribute £5,000 for the purchase of lime.  This equates to £250 for each of the 20 farmers involved.  Most liming on the Farmer Association farms has now been completed.

1. An application to Dartmoor National Park for FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes) funding for RF activities.

Support for Upland farmers is paramount within this project. Their farms at between 700 and 1,100 feet tend to be smaller and less well supported than their Moorland counterparts. This project will encourage farmers to take up regenerative approaches and give them the support and encouragement to make their farms more profitable and sustainable and allow them to continue their farming activities within a close-knit community. These communities will not continue to exist without them.

The removal of direct payments (SFP) may be offset in a number of ways, including farm efficiency improvements (reducing input costs and/or increasing productivity/outputs) and this is where regenerative farming approaches have a huge amount to offer.  Productivity can be significantly increased and input costs of particularly fertilizer (Urea, ammonium nitrate and nitrogen compound fertilizers) can be reduced and even completely annulled.  

The next major challenge is to help farmers to understand all of the options available to them, with clear and relevant evidence/demonstrations.  This is really difficult to resolve, but the context for Dartmoor’s farming is changing and unless farmers adapt there is a risk they will become unprofitable and disappear.   

The rich patchwork quilt of fields and stone walls on the fringes of Dartmoor are quintessential; it would be disastrous if Upland farms became unprofitable and farmers were forced to vacate their land, allowing bracken, gorse etc to descend 200 metres to envelop the small fields and stone walls. The Moor would become one big unmanaged blanket, with farming and their activities indiscernible.

1. The application for FiPL funding was successful.

The FiPL grant that we were able to secure amounted to £60,045 out of a total project cost of £91,282 – the project is effectively two thirds funded and the farmers will have to find the outstanding third.  The project will run over two years, helping a number of farmers to adopt more efficient and sustainable pasture management, through regenerative approaches. The project will allow change in over 136ha on 20 farms of varying size.

Participating farms will be well placed for continued support through agri-environment schemes following the initial work delivered through this project.

Activities supported by the FiPL grant are envisaged as follows:

• Purchase of 2.5 metre wide mounted Moore Uni-drill – FiPL intervention rate 80%; 
• Purchase of herbal and legume seed with agronomic advice on suitability – seed  40% and advice 80%;
• Purchase of mobile electric fencing and livestock drinking equipment to subdivide   fields – Intervention rate 80%;
• Encouragement of rotational grazing for increased productivity.  Demonstration days – fully funded.

The drill is robust and strong and will ensure over-seeding of the farmer’s pastures. It is not necessary to plough and provided that the pasture is short after cutting or grazing, over-seeding is very successful. Shared by members of the Association, it will get good use and will introduce the concept of a Machinery Ring.

Bespoke types of herbal and legume seed for the farmers will be selected by an experienced agronomist. This seed will be totally suited to the soils, climate and altitude of the farms in the project, to further diversify and improve the swards. This is key to improving their soils and raising SOM levels. Herbal plants have tap roots which will exploit nutrients and water deeper in the soil profile, leading to survival in drought conditions. 

The advantages of herbal leys

• Biodiversity of crop, ➔ reduced disease challenge
• Deeper rooting ➔ drought benefit
• Benefits pollinators➔ flowers on clovers and herbs (grasses and cereals are self-pollinating)
• Improved above and below ground invertebrate species diversity
• Yields without fertiliser N
• Payments £382/ha 5 years
• Reduced N leaching
• Can be 5+ year crop, no annual cultivation, less chance of soil run-off
• Improved soil structure
• Higher protein yield/ha
• Improve soil carbon levels coming out of arable rotations
• Some herbs reduce worm burden in sheep

The plan is that there will be an overall reduction in the purchase of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers which are polluting to produce (high CO2 emissions) and can have significant detrimental effects on river catchments. The River Teign catchment must be protected for the future of the salmon and also its diverse ecosystem. Following the soil fertility and pasture improvement, the next stage in the project will be to initiate regenerative/ rotational grazing practices. Grazing management approaches have to radically change to grow more pasture (organically) by: 

• Reducing the average ‘on-time’ grazing per field or paddock 
• Increase pasture cover height (pre and post grazing). Paddock Size will alter: 
• Max size = area which can be eaten in 3-5 days with the group of animals 
• Change by increasing the number of animals in the group
• Allow a sufficient period for pasture recovery and resolution of the concentrated dunging    on the area.

Therefore, current fields will need to be subdivided with electric fences and mobile drinking troughs.  Rotational grazing will increase the herbage production by up to 100% on lowland farms and this must equate to improved profitability. This figure will be lower on Upland farms but will be in the order of 50-60%. The higher concentration of livestock on an area and the increased frequency of moving them will better concentrate the fertility deposited by the cattle, allow excess grass to be trampled in more effectively than with set stocking and ultimately allow much greater rest periods between grazings; recovery periods are all important in rotational grazing systems. In turn, there should be a rapid improvement in soil organic matter and subsequently soil carbon. The improved soils will also grow better quality forage as well as becoming more resilient at times of flood, (reduced run-off) and in drought. By adopting this grazing approach the grazing season will also be extended.

In summary, rotational grazing offers a totally different approach:

• Mature pastures when grazed
• Graze for short periods
• Move herd frequently – fresh diet
• Substantial fencing and divided fields
• Long return and recovery period
• Extended grazing season
• Livestock tread down pasture and dung evenly
• Increased plant size and bigger root system to raise SOM levels
• Useful digestible and medicinal plants regenerate
• Pulling down excess carbon in atmosphere to sequester in soil
• Decisions towards improving the environment
• Explore alternatives, from stock to land managers
• Farmers who use less or no fertilizer will be growing more forage, and would have to purchase less concentrate and/or hay, or keep more stock 

1. DNP Protected Landscape Management Plan

This project must contribute towards the priorities of the Protected Landscape Management Plan which the project will be delivering in. 

It does support a number of aims of the Dartmoor National Park Partnership Plan, under Better for Nature and Better for Farming and Forestry, as well as a Better Response to Climate Change.

The Plan contains specific aims to support the development of farmer cluster groups, explore different approaches to soil and grassland management that can improve soil structure and carbon sequestration.  The project directly delivers these aims and the group could go on to deliver more National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) aims if DNPA is able to establish a cooperative working relationship with these farms.

1. Potential template for other farmer groups around Dartmoor, Exmoor or Bodmin Moor.

Following the cluster farmer group project at Postbridge and this successful “Chagford Regenerative Farming Project”, there must be potential for other farmer groups in South West Upland areas to follow a similar process and grant application.