Regenerative farming isn't merely a romanticized nod to the past; instead, it's the direction agriculture is heading towards in the future.

Yeo Valley Organic Embraces Regenerative Agriculture for a Greener Future

Yeo Valley Organic, a pioneering food brand with roots dating back to 1961, is leading the charge in transforming the agricultural industry. The brand, founded in 1994, is committed to regenerative farming practices that aim to rebalance agriculture's relationship with nature, restore its image, and potentially help save the planet.

Tim Mead, a farmer at Yeo Valley Organic, is at the forefront of this movement. He and his team are tracking soil carbon stocks with the goal of improving carbon sequestration by 25% on their farmland. This is part of a larger project to slash the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, an initiative that, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), could be equivalent to taking almost a million cars off the road by 2030.

Mead is also engaging the brand's 150 dairy suppliers, encouraging them to carry out soil tests and sharing insights on herbal leys, composting, and advanced grazing techniques. He emphasizes that the main barrier to more widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture is mindset.

Yeo Valley Organic is experimenting with agroforestry on an almost unprecedented scale, combining agriculture with tree cultivation. The goal is to maximize carbon drawdown, lift biodiversity, and offer livestock respite from extreme weather. The brand has set a target of 1,000 acres (405 hectares) for its silvopasture, which one day will make it one of the largest in Britain.

Mob grazing, practiced by Yeo Valley Organic, involves keeping livestock in a dense herd and moving them on to pastures new four times a day to mimic the behavior of wild herbivores. This method improves water retention and fertilizes the soil. Introducing livestock onto mixed pastures also helps restore soil's delicate ecosystem of bugs, fungi, and microbes.

Mead practices companion planting, growing cereals and pulses together for crop resilience and better soil health. The farmers of Yeo Valley Organic have also implemented crop rotation, organic fertilization, reduced tillage, and agroforestry practices to enhance soil fertility and reduce agricultural and climate impact, resulting in improved soil health, increased biodiversity, and reduced carbon emissions.

A patch of woodland blighted by ash dieback has been turned into silvopasture, where beef cattle graze below the canopy. This innovative approach not only sequesters carbon but also provides a habitat for wildlife and contributes to the brand's mission of regenerating the land.

Regenerative agriculture principles include keeping soil undisturbed, covered in vegetation, rich in living roots, and full of diverse crops. According to Mead, this approach offers a golden opportunity for farmers to regain public trust by being part of the solution. He believes that it's going to take much longer than five or ten years to put things right after 150 years of damage, but he remains optimistic that if people believe in the system, it will come right.

The WWF's Land of Plenty report emphasizes that regenerative farming has huge co-benefits for nature, water, air, and people, and scaling up these actions should be seen as 'easy-wins'. Niels Corfield, an independent regenerative farming consultant, emphasizes that regenerative farming is not a throwback but the future, where profit comes in harmony with nature.

Yeo Valley Organic, a food brand, is attempting to shift the agricultural industry towards regenerative agriculture, demonstrating that it is possible to prioritize profit and the planet simultaneously. This commitment to sustainability is a testament to the brand's dedication to creating a greener future for all.