We have finally been having some very heavy rain bursts in the past couple of weeks, and what a difference it makes.

Grass has turned green and cover crops are thriving. We all do our best as farmers, but unfortunately, we are all beholden to the elements. 

See also: Why the sugar beet deal could see a reduced 2026 crop area

About the author

Tim Parton

Tim Parton manages 300ha in South Staffordshire growing winter wheat, OSR, spring barley, beans, oats, lupins and wild flowers as part of a biological farming system. He grows cover crops and grass for haylage across sandy clay loam soils.

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Without the essentials that nature provides, we are stumped every time. I feel that we will be in for a hard winter this time, so I am aiming to get all crops drilled as soon as possible and get them off to the best start. 

It really does make me smile when I hear people stating that regenerative agriculture is just a fashion phase.

While we are continuously adapting to new ways of farming, the word regenerative has been overused and diluted that much, it often confuses farmers.

So, what chance does the public have?

My opinion is that we cannot continue to mine this planet of all its fossil fuels in order to farm, be that phosphorus, potassium or the energy and carbon it takes to create bagged nitrogen.

Phosphorus and nitrogen are so damaging to the environment from overuse and, combined with over-tillage, we are destroying our soils. 

Residues of pesticides are building in our soils, and I have read many papers where no pesticides have been applied for many years, yet the residues remain.

Can we really carry on farming with this method?

To move forward, we must have a system where we use natural biology to release elements from the earth’s crust, as nature has been doing for millions of years. 

Using this method, I have managed to get my soil working. Having the right biology is the only way I can see us healing the damage done to our soil.

I am not asking anybody to change their system or pointing the finger, but merely pointing out that there is another way to farm while maintaining yields.