I can’t believe it but here we are starting the 2025 to 2026 season, where does the time go and why does it feel like I am having two birthdays each year. Lessons from drought and yield I guess it's time to move on from the last season, where many of us confirmed what we already understood: growth is impossible without water. I recently watched the MET office program about this summer, and it revealed that we only received 40% of our usual rainfall, though, to be honest, that

It is one of nature’s finest fungi, in my opinion, and can be found everywhere naturally on Earth. Its name is derived from the word tricho , meaning ‘thread-like hair’ and derma, meaning ‘skin’. Trichoderma spp (Ascomycota, Hypocreales and Hypocreaceae) has been shown in many studies to show good disease control. Trichoderma is also very good at stimulating growth, unlocking phosphorous from the soil, and making it available to the plant. These free-living organisms also pla

As it now looks like the crops are moving quickly from growth to ear formation, I thought that I would take a quick look at those nutrients that have a direct influence on what is going on. This, of course, doesn’t mean that any of the other nutrients are less important as a seed will be a bit of everything as normal. This, of course, is important to all farmers regardless of the amount of water that you have had, rather it is just a question of timing. Once a crop has gone i

For me calcium is king of nutrients and often gets overlooked. Too many people are just guided by pH and not calcium levels in the soil and more importantly in the plant, which is why I always sap test every ten to fourteen days to monitor what is going on.  Every nutrient is so important, and lowest deficiency is always going to limit yield, which was first discovered by Justus von Liebig back in 1873 and yet people have still not woken up to the power of nutrition!

I admit it, I have been trying to write this article on ‘what is a living’ soil for quite some time. I have been trying to find a new angle to explain just how important this is to any farmer trying to increase yield and quality whilst at the same time reducing inputs, specifically chemicals such as fungicides and pesticides. To try to help myself I went online (like young people do) to see what is being said about the subject and ye gods, what a load of garbage springs out a

In a world increasingly disconnected from its food sources, I spoke to Lucy Williamson, a nutritionist and former veterinarian, who shares my passion for championing a revolutionary approach to farming and nutrition that could transform our health and the planet.   The health of our soil is intrinsically linked to the health of our bodies. Our conversation reveals a compelling narrative about how regenerative agriculture is more than just a farming method - it's a holistic ap

The start of spring can sometimes feel like a slingshot - one moment you’re holding back, and the next, it’s full steam ahead. This year has been no exception. Wet, cold soils have kept wheat crops sluggish, while oilseed rape and winter barley seem to have taken off with renewed energy.

Recently, I teamed up with Tim and Neil [Fuller] for a series of talks around the country focused on carbon and its impact on farmers. You can find these talks on Tim's website, but we’re also working on a written version. This will allow us to dive deeper into the details that we didn’t have time to cover during the talks.

I recently presented at Aiva’s Time to Talk Carbon, where I shared my journey in regenerative farming with nature, not chemicals – building soil health, boosting carbon and growing nutrient-rich food for a resilient future.   You can watch the full presentation here , or read on for the highlights.

Compost extract is a different product to compost tea. The main difference is that compost tea is brewed for 12 to 24 hours to multiply up the oxygen-loving bacteria such as bacillus subtillis, which has done a great job for me for years.  The difference with a compost extract is that you get a whole range of bacteria from the compost along with fungal spores if it is a fungal compost. Some bacteria are more anaerobic and do not brew up in an aerobic situation, as is the same

I was recently invited back for a second time to share my journey and vision for the future of farming on John Kempf’s Regenerative...

Genetic modification to gene editing is not for me! I am not against science at all, but some things should not be meddled with, in my opinion, as Mother Nature is doing a good job on her own! No, I am not against breeding to improve the plant; this is working with nature as the job should be achieved. I am also a big believer in epigenetics, where the seed is naturally enhanced to improve its genetics, returning to the environment in which it’s grown, constantly improving di

After another wet spell, we're now enjoying a final burst of summer, which is quite pleasant. Naturally, it will probably turn freezing like the Arctic next week just as I go away – but there will be steam trains, so I don’t mind!

It's been a tough year for the team, but our commitment to regenerative agriculture has helped us weather the storm. In the latest episode of the Intelligent Farming Podcast, we discuss the challenges faced due to the relentless wet weather, and how our farming practices allowed us to still achieve decent yields.

Glyphosate or tillage….That is the question!

Once again we are farming at Brewood and this year hopefully things will be a little more normal and all fields will be cropping. One thing that is as normal is that 50% of the farm will be put to cover crops/spring cropping to start to redress the damage that was done to the soil both by the winter of 23-24 and the somewhat less than perfect management of the land whilst I was in hospital.

Inter row mowing: Is this a realistic option? The answer for me is yes, when done correctly!

I have been trialling wood vinegar (pyroligneous acid) for several years, with some fantastic results! The journey started for me when I had Rhizoctonia in my Lupins, with no fungicide available to use. I wouldn’t have used one any way, since all chemicals are detrimental to yield in my experience and the same objective can be achieved through nutrition! Yes, you will always see a positive result to a fungicide when disease is present, but when they are applied and disease i

Crimper Rolling… yes or no?

Finding the right place for the seed is common sense, but it took some time for me to work this problem out. In the conventional format we would plough to keep the field level, ploughing opposite ways yearly and alternately with the headlands again to keep things level. Drilling would then normally follow the same way as the ploughing, giving a smooth ride and hopefully in the most efficient direction to give maximum efficiency in time spent establishing the crop. When starti