Farming with Nature for Health
21st November 2024This back issue of Star & Furrow is available on demand
26th November 2024
“We are living through a global nature and climate crisis. A climate and nature critical decade. Within the coming six years to 2030 – we all have ethical, moral and legal obligations to limit global warming to a temperature rise significantly lower than 2°C.” These are the opening words I used in my introduction for the Green Economy MSc dissertation (Bournemouth University; May 2023). As an advocate for a greener economy and nature climate communicator – listening to biodynamic farmer Dr. Richard Gantlett talk passionately about the importance of healthy living soils was ‘music to my ears.’
Richard farms 673 hectares of Yatesbury House Farm on silty clay loam and chalk soils near Avebury, Wiltshire. He described how their farm works to grow a diversity of soil organisms from earthworms to mycorrhizal fungi. Living soil that grows nutritious, healthy food, free from agrochemicals. It sustains nature and sequesters carbon. I’m standing in a wheat crop with skylarks singing in the sunny blue sky around us. It’s the summer solstice. An important time in the biodynamic calendar, and I am six weeks into my career with the Biodynamic Association (BDA).
Farming for the Future. I am with 40 stakeholders from across the regenerative, organic, and biodynamic movement. We’re here to attend the ‘Farming for the Future, Today’ event hosted by the BDA, and the Gantlett family. They include the Oxford Real Farming Conference, Soil Association, Organic Farmers and Growers, Triodos Bank, and farmers and producers like Waterford Whisky. A biodynamic, Demeter-certified Irish whisky distillery.
Richard highlights the value of:
- Organic soil regeneration
- Living soils storing carbon
- Nature being an essential component of the farm team.
The significance of biodiverse soils harmonises closely with my interests.
Yatesbury has been working biodynamically since 2004. It is farmed as one whole organism working with nature. Soils rich in colloidal humus, alive with microbial and mini-beast life that produce healthy plants resistant to pests and diseases. Farming with nature is beneficial for us, our climate and our planet.
Carbon sequestration, the climate crisis, living soils and supporting nature are at the forefront of all the biodynamic farmers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my first five months with the BDA. During a recent interview with Kate & Andy Maciver-Redwood who farm at Haye Farm on River Tamar the importance of living soils as a natural solution for carbon sequestration was discussed. Haye Farm and Yatesbury House Farm use the Farm Carbon Toolkit to assess and measure carbon sequestration.
Farm Carbon Toolkit (FCT), is a community interest company, created in 2010 by farmers for farmers. They work to further the understanding of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. Their vision is a farming sector that minimises carbon emissions and maximises carbon sequestration whilst producing quality food from resilient, profitable farm businesses. A vision that the BDA supports especially for its certified farmers, growers, gardeners and producers.
Farm Net Zero is the Farm Carbon Toolkit’s flagship project in Cornwall. A major 5-year project launched in 2021, through funding of £1.2 Million from the National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund. Haye Farm on River Tamar is involved in this important programme to farm net zero. Haye is currently evaluating data of its emissions and carbon sequestered. Key partners of Farm Net Zero Cornwall include Duchy College, West Country Rivers Trust and Just Farmers.
Carbon Audit. Returning to Yatesbury House Farm, the FCT Carbon Audit in 2019 shows Yatesbury fixed more than 10 times the carbon on the farm than it emitted. Together with the use of diverse herbal leys, cattle grazing has assisted in the doubling of soil organic matter since the farm started organic conversion in 1998. Dr. Gantlett has written papers on soil carbon sequestration. The opening sentence of the abstract of one paper stating ‘Agriculture can be pivotal in mitigating climate change through soil carbon sequestration. Land conversion to pasture has been identified as the most effective method to achieve this’ (Gantlett, R., et al. Modern arable and diverse ley farming systems can increase soil organic matter faster than global targets. Cambridge University Press 2024).
Cows. As described by Kate & Andy Maciver-Redwood in ‘Using Biodynamics to Farm in Harmony with Nature’ article (pages 28 – 29), cattle on farms that naturally graze provide manure that creates living soils. Living Soils that are important carbon stores. High-welfare cattle which graze pastures are important two principles on biodynamic farms that ensure living soils are effective at sequestering carbon. (Together with using the preparations, having a closed farm and a holistic mindset)
Going forward I’m keen for BDA to position itself to provide key services, projects and consultancy for net zero, climate mitigation, nature solutions and healthy, living soils. To deliver these, the BDA has launched its: ‘Our Appeal to Farm with Nature & Living Soils’, Going Beyond Organic: Biodynamic Farming for Our Planet, Our Food Health & Our Future Generations aims to help the BDA raise £100,000.
*Carbon – used to denote all emissions of greenhouse gases – converted to carbon dioxide equivalents.
Gary Roberts (Charity Manager)
