By kind permission of Angus and Pod Crowther.
Speakers Andrew Howard, Catchment Sensitive Farming and FWAG East.

The farm is in its second year of Countryside Stewardship and includes options such as sprayer filling area,
bio filters, rainwater harvesting and yard concreting alongside managing areas for wildlife.

Speaker Andrew Howard is a farmer from Ashford in Kent farming 330ha arable, 140ha grass, 12ha solar farm. His whole philosophy revolves around improving soil health. He has reduced his fertiliser and pesticide inputs on farm by 40% whilst retaining his yields.

He has a diverse rotation and includes cover crops, companion cropping and intercropping to try to eliminate mono-cultures from his farm system (the topic of his Nuffield Scholarship which was sponsored by AHDB). His cover crops are grazed by (somebody else’s) sheep but he thinks that livestock are still not integrated anywhere near enough on the farm.

His vision is to change from an input-intensive farm to a knowledge and management intensive-farm. This brings issues such as no-till on heavy ground in wet years, which cover crops to use and the even more complex issues of companion cropping and intercropping.

Free lunch will be provided following the walk, please advise of any dietary requirements

Please bring suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.

NRoSO & BASIS CPD points available