Earth Trust Begins New Chapter in Nature-Friendly Farming

Building on Proven Approaches

With farming shaping over 70% of UK land – including 74% of Oxfordshire’s landscape – how we grow food is crucial for both nature recovery and food security. From autumn 2024, Earth Trust is further enhancing its nature-friendly farming practices across 216 hectares of arable land and 165 hectares of agricultural grassland, adding to a growing movement of farmers exploring how to balance productive agriculture with environmental stewardship.

“As both farmers and caretakers of one of South Oxfordshire’s most visited natural spaces, we have a unique opportunity,” explains Simon Atkinson, Director of Nature Recovery and Green Infrastructure at Earth Trust. “At a time when we need to address both food security and biodiversity loss, we can demonstrate that farming can work in harmony with nature while maintaining a sustainable business. Through this next phase of our journey, we’re showing an approach that’s both possible and essential for our future.”

Sustainable Farming in Practice

The team at Earth Trust continues to learn alongside other farmers who are navigating challenges from changing support schemes, market pressures, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Building on proven approaches from pioneering farmers, Earth Trust is implementing and monitoring five key principles of Regenerative Agriculture:

• Minimising Soil Disturbance: reducing tillage and chemical inputs to enhance soil structure, biodiversity and hydrology.
• Keeping the Soil Covered: protecting the soil from rain and sun by maintaining a cover of growing plants all year round.
• Maintaining Living Roots in the Soil: feeding the soil through the growing of cover crops when the soil would otherwise be bare.
• Maximising Plant Diversity: diversifying our crop rotation by growing beneficial plants between crops.
• Integrating Livestock into the Farming System: improving soils health by grazing arable fields when crops aren’t being grown.

As these principles are put into practice, visitors will likely observe a transformative landscape emerging, with diverse legume fallows restoring soil health, vibrant herbal leys enhancing biodiversity, strategically planted cover crops protecting and enriching the ground, and flower-rich margins creating vital habitats that buzz with pollinator activity.

By carefully tracking impacts on soil health, wildlife populations, and business performance, Earth Trust will share practical evidence of how these approaches work in practice, helping other farmers considering similar changes.

This transition is supported by Earth Trust’s Species Survival Fund project, part of a £1.5 million Partnerships for Nature initiative led by the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. Within the wider farm transition, Earth Trust is transforming Bessie’s Field into a showcase of regenerative agriculture. The 26-hectare site will demonstrate how farming can enhance biodiversity through new flower-rich pastures, wildflower margins, hedgerows, and fruit tree lines, while maintaining productive agriculture.

Connecting People with Nature through Farming

A key part of Earth Trust’s approach is helping everyone understand and experience how farming shapes our landscape and produces our food. Through education programmes, events, and guided walks, visitors will see nature-friendly farming in action and learn about its importance for wildlife, climate, and food production. Clear signage and interpretation will help explain these practices, while our expanded volunteer programme will offer hands-on opportunities to get involved.

“We’re showing that farms can be about more than just growing food. At Earth Trust Farm, we’re creating a living example of how farming can restore nature, welcome visitors, and protect the archaeological heritage of the land while producing food sustainably. By sharing what we learn, we’re helping everyone – from local residents to policymakers – understand how farming can better serve both people and planet.”

Find out more about Earth Trust’s farming approach and follow the journey here.