Regenerative Agriculture
About this service
What is Regen Ag?
Regenerative agriculture (otherwise known as Regen Ag) aims to restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and protect and improve soil water capture and storage.
Regenerative practices combine a range of land management techniques to reduce the reliance on agrochemical inputs, create climate resilience and restore soil and ecosystem health.
Principles
Regen ag is based on principles rather than rules. Individual farm context is crucial. Some of the principles include:
Maintaining Soil Cover
Use of cover crops during periods of fallow as well as companions alongside cash crops. These help with soil temperature regulation, moisture retention, increase in soil microbial community, weed suppression and prevention of soil erosion.
Reducing Soil Disturbance
Reducing soil disturbance includes limiting physical disturbance in the form of tillage; chemical disturbance in the form of inputs; and biological disturbance from removing living roots from the soil.
Crop Diversity
Increasing in field diversity through growing cereal blends, bi-cropping or companion cropping. Introducing wider variety crops into rotation as well as legume fallows or herbal leys. Crop diversity lowers risk of pest and disease, improves plant nutrient cycling and increases plant resilience to climatic conditions.
Livestock Integration
Livestock integration plays an essential role in a whole farm system which had been practiced for millennia and it is gaining attention again. The key benefits are nutrient cycling which reduces fertilizer use, improvement in soil health and nutrient dense meat production – additional income.
Keep Living Roots in the Soil
Soils in nature are never bare. Soil microbes, vital for nutrient cycling, need carbon exuded by plant roots to exist. In its absence, they will feed on organic matter, degrading the soil over time. Plant-microbes symbiotic relation has existed since the early stages of life on Earth.
Support
How Norfolk FWAG can help
Each farm is unique and implementation of the above practices will differ according to farm’s context. NFWAG can help with tailored advice to suit your business and provide a long term transitional plan. The overall aim of regen ag is to improve health of the land, reduce reliance on inputs, increase biodiversity and produce food which is nutrient dense.
With knowledge of the regen ag principles of Norfolk-based processors and merchants, Norfolk FWAG can provide advice to help you understand how you can transition to enter into these supply chains, with a view to establishing contracts.
Interested?: get in touch!
Contact Us
Who do I need to speak to?
Regenerative agriculture can be a daunting topic, so speak to Marta to help navigate your way through the various options. She will be able to help you develop a strategy for implementing regenerative practices on your farm, and provide advice as to what support is available from government grants.
Marta is an enthusiastic advocate for managing soils and farm land in the most sustainable way, so get in touch with her for tailored advice.
Testimonials
What people say about Norfolk FWAG
Case studies
What we've been up to
Woodland Creation Advice Funding
Norfolk FWAG has positively worked with Norfolk County Council (NCC) on a support scheme for woodland planting schemes across Norfolk. NCC were successful in obtaining funding from DEFRA’s Woodland Creator Accelerator Funding (WCAF) to support tree planting across Norfolk. NFWAG entered into a consultancy agreement with NCC to provide advice and
Aquatic Invasive Plants – Team Training Day
Invasive non-native species are one of the top 5 drivers of global biodiversity loss and are estimated to cost the UK economy up to £2 billion annually. Over 2000 species have been introduced to the UK; these are known as non-native species. Not of these are harmful, however, around 10-15%
Fen Restoration Near Norwich
Discover how Norfolk FWAG transformed a derelict marsh near Norwich into a thriving lowland fen, restoring biodiversity, improving flood resilience, and rewetting peatlands to combat climate change. Project Duration: 2022–2025Location: Near Norwich, NorfolkFunding: Environment Agency Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) Background Norfolk FWAG was approached by a landowner with a
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I not allowed to plough?
Going down the regenerative agriculture route does not mean parting with your plough. Regenerative agriculture is all about context which is specific to your soil type, rotation, or business setup. Deep cultivation has its place and is seen by some as a less damaging option than herbicide use. “Rip and drip” technique mitigates the damage to the soil following cultivation and helps to provide food for the soil microbiology in the interim period between ploughing and new crop establishment. Carrying out ploughing in the right conditions is also vital. To find out more please contact us for more info.
Do I have to grow two crops together?
No, you don’t but plant diversity is vital. There are no monocultures in nature. This can be achieved in a number of ways. Some choose to grow wheat and beans or oats and beans together, however separation costs or access to the right equipment can be an obstacle. Instead, you can choose to grow blends, companion crops in a form of underleys, or have in-field habitat strips. All the above have widespread benefits to crop, soil and your health. Norfolk FWAG can give you tailored advice.
Will my yields be lower?
It is not about yield but an overall profit, and production of more nutritious food. High yields typically require high inputs, so overall profits may workout less than on a less intensive and less yielding system. Some regen farmers report an increase in yields but others experience decrease. There are many factors which play a part. Despite the frequently heard slogans to “feed the world”, we are producing more than enough food. The issue is distribution and more so – waste. So lower yields but improvement of soil health and human health are a win-win.