Making the change to a more regenerative farming system would have been prohibitively expensive for Essex grower George Halsall without the support of Nestlé and its involvement in the Landscape Enterprise Network (LEN) initiative.

Growing cereals, sugar beet and potatoes in the Stour Valley, as well as running a beef suckler herd, he is intent on developing the 330ha family business and preparing it for the future, without taking any unnecessary risks.

Aware of the need to be more sustainable, he had already identified that the greatest barrier to producing crops with less impact on the environment was the cost of the new establishment equipment required, when he heard about LENs through Chilton Grain.

(See “Nestlé joins forces with Anglian Water” below) 

See also: Lincs grower moves towards more sustainable spud production

© George Halsall

Having studied the details and noted its support of farmer innovation, Mr Halsall decided to see if it could assist with the purchase of a new drill, which would give him much more flexibility with field work and bring multiple benefits across the rotation.

“Farming along a river means that we are very conscious of water quality, so we are doing everything we can to limit soil erosion, prevent leaching and reduce the risk of flooding,” explains Mr Halsall.

“We also use cover crops for nutrient cycling and to improve soil structure, as well as to avoid having bare ground and soil degradation over the winter,” he adds.

Soil health

With soil health high on his agenda, despite having root crops in the rotation, efforts are being made to decrease the amount of soil movement wherever possible and encourage soil biology.

“It had been clear for a while that having a low-disturbance drill that could be used in a variety of situations, but still get optimum plant establishment, would be a vital part of the system,” he notes.

With the Basic Payment Scheme money reducing and market volatility increasing, Mr Halsall was unwilling to take on more debt or rely on the farm’s cashflow to fund the new direct drill.

Fortunately, his LEN application was successful and he was able to buy a Sky Easy drill.

That purchase will allow him to get cover crops in straight behind the combine, reduce autumn cultivations, establish grass leys and wait until ground conditions are right for drilling, so preventing soil damage.

It also gives him the flexibility he needs for his increasingly diverse rotation, which includes grass, and will be further widened this autumn with the introduction of oilseed rape and winter beans.

Soils in good condition help to produce healthier crops, he comments, making them less reliant on artificial inputs and bringing a biodiversity value to the farm.

Acknowledging that no-till isn’t an option with root crops, he is confident that improvements can be made and risks reduced. 

“We’re taking things slowly as we move in the right direction,” he says.

“No one can afford a crop failure in the current high cost climate, so we keep trying things out and adding to our knowledge of what works on this farm.”

E Halsall and Sons is already in the Countryside Stewardship scheme, having started a new Mid Tier agreement last year.

That has enabled the business to fence off 32ha of arable land so that cattle can be outwintered there, reducing costs and workloads.

He has also taken small areas of land out of production, using the winter bird food option AB9.

© George Halsall

Livestock in rotation

In the longer term, Mr Halsall’s plan is to integrate livestock into the rotation by introducing some herbal leys and expanding his area of cover crops, so that they can be grazed by cattle and sheep. The new drill will play a central role in doing this.

He is also bringing more crops and plant types into the system – this autumn will see oilseed rape being grown for the first time at Docuras Farm and winter beans being used as a break crop, with their inherent fertility benefit and very low fertiliser requirement.  

“The plan is to have a greater number of crops on smaller areas and to keep moving in the right direction.”

The oilseed rape will be treated as a cover crop initially, so that he can check that it is viable before committing to spend money on it.

If it fails, he will still have the option of establishing a spring crop, using direct-drilling.

“There’s such a huge amount of change taking place in farming and a number of challenges to overcome,” ends Mr Halsall. “If we stand still, there’s a danger that we’ll get left behind.”

He was impressed by the LEN participants’ enthusiasm for his plans and the ease of applying for funding, as well as their understanding of the risks involved in making changes to an established farming system.