2026 Soil Farmer of the Year competition open for entries

The 2026 Soil Farmer of the Year competition, which celebrates the achievements of farmers who have enhanced soil health, is now open for entries.

Run jointly by Innovation for Agriculture and the Farm Carbon Toolkit, the competition recognises farmers who are leading the way in leveraging soil health to support farm business resilience and profitability.

Whether through reduced tillage, integrating livestock, improving drainage, or enhancing biological activity, the award highlights practical methods that improve business performance.

See also: Herefordshire seed grower crowned Soil Farmer of the Year

Becky Wilson, business development and technical director at Farm Carbon Toolkit, encourages applications from all types of farm businesses.

“Good soil management is not defined by acreage, enterprise mix or farming system. We want to hear from any farmer who is actively considering the long-term health of their soils and adapting their management to improve it,” she says.

“The competition recognises those successes and helps to share them with the wider industry.”

Last summer saw Herefordshire farmer Jonathan Joseph crowned as the 2025 Soil Farmer of the Year, in recognition of how he reshaped soil management on his farm.

This was achieved through a combination of widening the rotation to seven years, companion cropping, making his own compost, reducing chemical inputs and adopting 100% direct drilling.

Sponsored by Cotswold Seeds and Hutchinsons, the winner will receive two advanced gold soil analyses from Hutchinsons.

The winner and farmers placed second and third will each receive a Cotswold Seeds voucher and free entry to Groundswell 2026, where the winners will be announced during a dedicated awards session.

All finalists will also have the opportunity to host a Soil Farmer of the Year farm walk, enabling the sharing of knowledge, experience and learnings with other farmers.

Entries can be made via a short online form with the option to upload a video or audio submission instead of a written entry.