Growing profits from healthy soil

Farmers across Britain are working with Regenerate Outcomes to grow profits and improve crop and livestock performance.

Regenerate Outcomes provides one-to-one mentoring in soil health from experienced regenerative farmers. 

The programme also baselines and measures increases in soil carbon to generate verified carbon credits which members can retain or sell for additional income. All of the services are provided at no upfront cost.

Regenerate Outcomes returns 67% of the revenue from carbon credit sales to farmers, subject to a minimum soil carbon increase, and retains 33% to run the programme. 

Regenerate Outcomes supports farmers grow profits by improving soil health © Regenerate Outcomes

Founded in 2021, Regenerate Outcomes now has over 70 members covering 25,000 hectares of farmland.

The UK-based mentoring team is led by regenerative farming pioneers Gabe Brown and Dr Allen Williams and includes Stuart Johnson, 2023 Soil Farmer of the Year, who farms beef, sheep, and arable in Northumberland. 

Stuart has seen significant financial benefits from adopting regenerative practices over the last 12 years.

Soil Farmer of the year 2023, Stuart Johnson © Regenerate outcomes

“Although individual input costs have risen, we have managed to reduce the annual variable costs of a suckler cow from around £680 to less than £300 and a ewe from around £58 to about £40,” says Stuart. 

“Sale prices have increased, so the overall profit margin potential increases, whilst reducing our exposure to uncontrollable input costs.”

Fertiliser use on Stuart’s farm has reduced from around 80 tonnes a year to nine tonnes, the equivalent of cutting a cost of circa £28,000 to around £3,200 at today’s prices.

Annual spray expenditure has dropped from roughly £16,000 to around £3,000.

Stuart and the Regenerate Outcomes team work with other UK farmers to help them realise similar benefits. 

“We support farmers to make changes at their own pace to improve soil health,” says Regenerate Outcomes founder Tom Dillon. 

“No farming practices are ever prescribed and you remain in control to make the best decisions to meet your farming goals.

“As soil health increases, so will the amount of organic matter and soil carbon. We baseline and measure these increases to generate verified carbon credits. 

“Our focus is always on supporting farmers to grow profits and produce food, while also rewarding them for the environmental benefits they create.”

One of the first to join Regenerate Outcomes was Wiltshire beef and arable farmer George Hosier. 

Regenerate Outcomes member, Farmer George Hosier © Regenerate Outcomes

“We started off down the regenerative path to cut costs, but it’s now just as much about the resilience of the environment and business resilience as well,” says George. 

“Having a resilient business is also the key to having a better quality of life because it gives you the time to do the things which make life better.

“The reason I’ve joined Regenerate Outcomes is really because of the training and the baselining in terms of soil and carbon. That’s the absolute winner. 

“There are plenty of people offering the chance to help you get carbon credits, but very few add on the training and baselining as well.”

Regenerate Outcomes member Katie Allen, who produces beef, lamb, wool, leather and dye in Wiltshire, joined the programme to gain clear recognition of the impact regenerative practices are having on her farm.

Regenerate Outcomes member Kate Allen © Regenerate Outcomes

“We really wanted a record of the soil health so that we could monitor the impact that our management change was going to have,” says Katie. 

“It would have been completely cost prohibitive for us to do that ourselves. We would never have been able to do it without Regenerate Outcomes.”

This summer Regenerate Outcomes are hosting a series of Soil Health Workshops for farmers in England, Scotland and Wales. 

The workshops will feature two days of practical insights into building soil health to grow profits, cut costs and improve crop and livestock performance. They will be led by world-renowned regenerative farming pioneer Dr Allen Williams.

To find out more and book your place, visit the Regenerate Outcomes website.