Breckland Organics Farm Walk
A move to the East for our 3rd Farm Walk of 2024
We are linking up with the Oper8 project as we visit Breckland Organics where we will be hosted by Chris Negus. As many of you will be aware the Brecklands are the lowest rainfall areas in the UK with an average of just 600mm. The area is very sandy with soils typically less than 5% clay making them free draining, prone to drought, erosion and leaching of nutrient. Whilst easy working they are not fertile.
The cereals have a role as both a cash crop but must support the weed management of the system to keep the carrots as weed free as possible. The farm has irrigation and has irrigated cereal in some of the recent dry Springs we've experienced, a luxury not available to most
Chris grows winter wheat and spring oats on the Whites contract so we'll look at his crops and see how the wheat is developing through the early Spring and hopefully the spring oats will be drilled and have emerged.
We'll discuss Chris' weed management strategy which is more intensive than many because the carrots are such an important crop in the rotation and hand weeding them is very expensive and so the cereals must play their role in keeping weeds out of the system to support the carrots. And we’ll be hearing about alternative weeding strategies the Oper8 project are presenting across their networks across Europe.
Learn more about Breckland Organics by reading their farmer profile.
Dr Suzie Haryanti Husain
Founder of the SHE™
A Global Soil Health Expert with over 16 years of experience working at the intersection of regenerative agriculture, soil intelligence, and systems strategy. She founded the SHE™ Framework (Soil | Health | Evidence) to help organizations shift from input-heavy models to biology-first solutions that are measurable, scalable, and rooted in real-world field data. Her approach blends scientific precision, strategic thinking, and deep respect for the land. She doesn’t just speak about sustainability. She builds systems that live it.
Adrian Steele
Soil Association
Adrian has been involved with the organic sector for many years as a farmer, and has been instrumental in creating and developing marketing initiatives in the livestock, seeds and cereals sectors. His farming business in Worcestershire also hosts vegetable production and dairy heifers, and is linked with other local landowners through share farm and rental arrangements. He has worked closely with food processors and marketing agents for over 25 years. Adrian is also a qualified solicitor and has served as a Trustee of the Soil Association.
Will Marris
Terrafarmer
Growing up on a mixed family farm in Lincolnshire sparked Will’s interest in sustainable farming, particularly how integrating livestock and arable systems can help to create a more robust and resilient business, centred around good soil management.
After studying at Newcastle University, Will worked as an agronomist for six years, delivering regenerative farming advice alongside SFI and soil consultancy. His passion is helping and supporting farmers on their transition to regenerative farming systems.
Tom Tolputt
Terrafarmer
Based in Cornwall, Tom is an organic farmer and has worked as a livestock nutrition consultant for over 25 years. He farms around 600 acres with his wife, Nicola, where they put regenerative and biological farming into practice, running an Angus suckler herd and growing organic oats, barley, and fodder beet.
Tom’s view of regenerative farming changed fundamentally in 2017 after working in the states with the ‘father of biological farming’, Gary Zimmer of MidWestern Bioag.
Passionate about the wide-ranging benefits of good grazing management, diverse cropping, and soil health, Tom believes regenerative farming V-practices offer a win-win when it comes to farm profitability, public ecosystem services, and the wider environment.
Speaker
Red Root Biotech
Isaac, Nicolas and Matthew work and study as part of the Schornack Group within the Sainsbury Laboratory at Cambridge University. This group is studying the benefits and disbenefits of plant and microorganism interactions and seeking to better understand these at a cellular and molecular level to help us manage pathogens and exploit beneficial symbiosis.