Relentless rain adding to resilience and land stewardship challenges

The cold, wet, Denchworth blue potting clay of my farm has done its worst and the poor little vetch seeds, that germinated so well in the autumn, have been drowned out and with sadness I realise they are not going to survive. 

As a farmer, the challenges climate change brings are often hard felt. Long wet winters do not lend themselves to cheery chat. However, there is always another side of the coin. 

The following morning, I walk out to the same field and the skylarks greet me singing their hearts out as the sun shines over the hedge. Several hares bounce down the margin at the bottom and a woodpecker starts up in the old oak trees in the corner. This is really what it is all about, for me, the bigger picture and joy having created a mosaic of habitats, producing food and a haven for us all to survive. 

Allowing soils to rebalance after relentless wet weather can help

Fortunately, this year the vetch can go into a government-funded scheme and be planted over the coming months with a new mix which, although taking it out of food production for a few years, will allow it time to reset. The soil can rebalance itself after the wettest winter ever recorded.

Then, once I have dug a few areas and sampled the soil to see where it has got to, we will apply some of our muck from the cattle and put it back into wheat production. Maybe a variety that has been developed to be slug resistant and nitrogen fixing. Both of which may seem a long way off, but thanks to farmer led trials across the country are much nearer reality than we could ever have imagined. 

How can I appear to be relaxed about losing a crop? Well, thankfully I have been able to invest some of the wet winter staying up to date with new schemes for one. I have sat in on some amazing webinars on soil health and been trying to understand more about where my landlord, the National Trust, would (or should) be heading and I have been working towards making my business as resilient as I can.

Although I married into this generational farm, I do see and understand the changes and development the previous generations have made which I am able to work to my advantage. Woodlands were extended to support shoots and take out unproductive field corners. Crop rotations were used to be able to support, and in turn utilise, the cows from the dairy and beef enterprises.

Working hard to build a more resilient farm business and the ecosystem around it

Thanks to this mixed system we have an abundance of hedges, to help keep stock in, around the farm. Natural inputs from those systems have also boosted the organic matter and yields of the cereal crops (in years where the weather has been kinder). Thanks to the margins; hedges and diversity of crops the farm supports a network of pollinators and insects. Beehives around the farm are also benefitting from the diversity created.

Developing a resilient business is crucial. Resilient to weather, political climate, and market fluctuations.  Having access to the latest information and data, then knowing how to use and implement the decisions made by gathering and analysing it helps build this resilience. From high-tech soil analysis to satellite imaging and drone surveillance I can analyse data and plan with my agronomist to look at options for future harvests. Knowing what is going on around me is key too. I have a fabulous entrepreneurial neighbour who is developing a farming system with some elaborate seed mixes and varieties. Whilst I am not there yet with understanding how to combine, sort and manage that to a sophisticated level, I am watching with much interest and feel blessed to be able to learn more. 

While our climate challenges us and our understanding of what food security means is developing, being able to look at the bigger, longer-term picture is an asset. 

Through TIAH I have been able to access courses and webinars that are supporting my business and help me grow my skillset too. Everyone has faced unprecedented challenges this winter and in uncertain times it has been reassuring to know that there is still a way to keep moving forward and focus on the brighter days ahead. 

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