Cover crops for soil health

Event Date
Event Poster

Join The Soil Association for a tour of Tregooden Farm to explore the potential to improve soil health through use of cover crops and biostimulant products.

Join us at Malcolm and Catherine Barrett's Tregooden Farm (a 300-acre mixed arable and beef farm) for a farm walk and technical discussion, as part of the Soil Association and Ocado's Agroecology at Scale Programme.

 

Cover crops are a vital tool for improving soil health, but establishing them post-harvest can be challenging - especially when drilling in dry summer conditions. During the farm tour, Malcolm and Catherine will explain:

  • A range of strategies to plant cover crops post-harvest.
  • Different species mixes including brassica mixes for winter grazing.

This will include a demonstration and discussion of different machinery, such as the Mzuri strip till drill (Weather permitting).

We will also be joined by Olivia Bye, Crop Health Consultant at AIVA, who advises the Barrett's on bio-stimulant products for Tregooden farm. We will hear about:

  • The role bio-stimulant products play in this non-organic farm to reduce inputs and assist crop growth and productivity.

There will also be additional technical specialists including our Soil Association Farming and Land Use Team.

 

The event is of interest to:

  • Farmers looking to improve soil health and farm resilience
  • Farmers and advisors interested in cover crops, drilling techniques and bio-stimulants.

Thank you to Malcolm and Catherine Barrett for hosting this event.

The event is free to attend, a light lunch and refreshments will also be included.

 

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Connected Content

Soil is an essential natural resource for all farmers. Over recent years many initiatives have sought to provide information and advice on soils and Soil Health, notably AHDB Great Soils. 

The Farming and Land Use Team at the Soil Association have a specialist knowledge of all UK agricultural sectors as well as in depth understanding of organic and agroecological food production systems. Our goal is to support organic and non-organic farmers alike to transition towards more sustainable practices.

The intricate web of relationships between physical, chemical and biological soil components underpins crop and livestock health and productivity.

Cover crops are grown primarily to ‘protect or improve’ soils between periods of regular crop production. They can be effective at improving soil functions by increasing soil nutrient and water retention, improving soil structure/quality, reducing the risk of soil erosion, surface run-off and diffuse pollution by providing soil cover and by managing weeds or soil-borne pests.