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AICC CONFERENCE 2021 REGEN AG SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

25 January 2021

Delegates heard from two experienced protagonists of regenerative agriculture in Overbury Estates’ Jake Freestone and TWB Farms’ Clive Bailye, who like Andy are reducing reliance on synthetic inputs.  Both are several years into implementing a regenerative system that aims to improve soil health through a range of means, including more diverse rotations, no-till crop establishment and cover crops. Their systems are seen by many as a future blueprint for combinable crop production in the UK. 

Clive said as well as improving soil health and resilience, which underpins any regenerative system, he has also focussed on net margin, rather than gross margin which tends to lean towards high inputs for high output.  Lowering fixed costs and capital expenditure has ultimately resulted in a more profitable operation and he has achieved this while maintaining yields of crops across the rotation. Jake has established a similar system on the Cotswold estate on the Worcestershire-Gloucestershire border, but is always looking to develop and improve it further.

In the future he is looking to reduce nitrogen fertiliser use further through the use of biological products and organic matter improvement or applications. He is also aiming to improve livestock integration across the estate and look at ways of improving landscape biodiversity with practices such as agro-forestry.  Carbon capture is also an interesting area which many hope will develop into a market for additional farm income and the estate will look to get involved in any schemes that may arise.

The transition into such a system requires different skills and knowledge to more conventional arable production and he noted the key role AICC advisers like his own adviser – Indigro’s Rob Ding – will have in helping steer clients through the process.

“You need to be prepared to learn constantly, whether through events, social media or webinars…Never be afraid to try anything new,” he said.

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