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Health
Bio-Cultivations
Rather than using steel to till and aerate the soil, we are using plant roots in the diverse leys and cover crops. This is improving the soils' structure, stabilising it with the dead roots and root exudates.
Furthermore microorganisms in the soil living on the plant material convert simple carbon compounds into the polyphenols, polysaccharides and glycoproteins that glues soil particles to facilitate many soil functions. This gluing process not only aids structure but aids protection of the organic matter itself by providing a physical barrier between the organic compounds and other soil biota which may consume such compounds. This process of gluing soil particles together is known as soil aggregation.
This means we need to repair the soil much less frequently with tractors and soil lifting cultivators. Indeed we hope that soil repair with metal and fuel is no longer necessary.
This photo shows mega worm casts Spring 2019, soil fauna engineer soil by digging holes and gluing soil particles together improving soil function.
Diverse Ley Mixtures
Alex has been using extremely diverse mixtures for decades in Australia and encouraged farmers, horticulturalists and viticulturists all over Europe to do the same. We have been doing so since around 2000 to great effect.
Alex has many publications, take a look at the link above.
Newman Turner
Turner's excellent books on Fertility Pastures (Farming), Cure Your Own Cattle and Herdmanship written in the 1950s are just as relevant today and set out the principle of strength in diversity.
Our diverse pasture mixtures are similar to those expounded by Turner.
And confirmed by the science: Legume Link
Using legume-based mixtures to enhance the nitrogen use efficiency and economic viability of cropping systems. Doring et al. (2013)
Biodiversity
At the heart of our wildlife and biodiversity is the principle of land sharing, that we welcome in nature to our agroecological farming system. A healthy soil is alive and is at the start of nature's food chain.
We are working with the Woodland Trust and recently planted 2200 trees and developing a 568 tree orchard agroforestry project also with Shumei. We have planted and restored over 15km of hedges since 2000, We are incorporating all the woodland into the farm organism. We remove plastic waste and plastic tree and hedge guards. Weeds in our crops allow food for wildlife and feed the soil.
Our work to improve the wildlife habitats and diversity of wild species is supported by Natural England's Higher Level Stewardship. This is a ten year scheme grant aiding various projects and management activities on the farm including:
planting a new orchard, protecting ancient monuments, planting wild flower margins, providing winter food for tree sparrows and other bird species,
repairing stone walls, providing pollen and nectar sources for wild bees and honey bees and reversion of arable land to grassland next to Avebury World Heritage Site.
The natural balance on our farm supports our crop and animal production for example by balancing slugs and beetles or aphids and ladybirds, the whole farm functions as one infinitely and instantly connected organism.
