Entries are now open for the 2025 Soil Farmer of the Year competition, which celebrates the achievements of farmers who have enhanced soil health. 

The competition, now in its 10th year, is run in partnership with the Farm Carbon Toolkit and Innovation for Agriculture, and is open to all farmers in the UK.

See also: How a winning mixed soil farmer cut arable crop inputs

Becky Wilson, business development and technical director at the Farm Carbon Toolkit, said the competition recognises the vital contribution of soil to food production and maintaining functional ecosystems.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that 95% of global food production relies on soil, while 60% of all species on the planet can be found in soil, making it, quite literally, the foundation to life,” she said. 

Becky explained that this crucial role which soil plays is the reason why the competition was first launched.

“It is also why the judging criteria are based entirely on the extent to which the farm is prioritising soil health, the practices that are being implemented and how this is building resilience for each individual farm business.”

This means any farm can apply, regardless of acreage, enterprises or system, she added.

In addition to recognising farmers improving soil health, sharing knowledge is central to the ethos of the competition.

“The competition also creates opportunities for farmers to easily share their experience and learnings with the wider farming community,” said Deborah Crossan, head of soils and natural resources at Innovation for Agriculture.

The winners will be announced at Groundswell 2025. For 2025, the application process has been updated, so farmers can choose to submit a video or audio file answering the questions in the entry form, instead of a written submission.

The competition is sponsored by Cotswold Seeds and Hutchinsons, with the first, second and third-placed farmers receiving a Cotswold Seeds voucher for seeds and free entry to Groundswell.