Or at least to the majority of the audience at the first REGEN23 show held at Sealands Farm, Wick, Vale of Glamorgan. The show was the RWAS Glamorgan feature county event for 2023. Located on the Dunraven Estate, the farm is over 600ac and tenanted by Richard and Lynwen Anthony.
So what is regenerative farming? Regenerative or restorative farming is, in essence, how humans have been farming for centuries before the introduction of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, the plough and monoculture systems. Agriculture is often accused of being a mass polluter, however under the current system Sealands Farm sequesters over 60,000 tonnes of carbon per year, proving that when done right agriculture could be a solution to a big problem.
The system incorporates the five main principles being:
Do not disturb the soil
Keep the soil surface covered
Keep living roots in the soil
Grow a diverse range of crops
Bring grazing animals back to the land
If these principles are followed then the soil will ultimately benefit from not only increased organic matter but life forms, fungi to earth worms. With healthier soils come healthier environments and food. Soils with a higher organic matter sequester far more carbon and hold more water then those with a low organic matter count.
Many regenerative farmers will also argue that whilst their yields are reduced somewhat, their profit margin actually increases owing to the reduction in costs associated with ploughing and the purchase of sprays and fertiliser.
REGEN23 showcased the latest in ‘no till’ machinery including drilling demonstrations on tractors powered by methane, we were also invited to discussions by leading members in the regenerative field including John Pawsey, Jake Freestone and Andrew Ward as well as a question and answer session by the Welsh Government on the future of agriculture in Wales and how they’re acting on the advice they’re being given by the sector.
The show was a great success and was a great opportunity to learn about not only the principles of sustainable agriculture but also how to put them into practice.
- Tomos Davies