Farm of the Week: Back to basics regenerative land management that benefits wildlife

“I don’t really think we need to over-complicate something that’s very simple,” says Doug. “I would say we are regenerating. We are mixed farmers. We have a wide rotation. I don’t fanny about with margins, so basically all my margins have ended up in a 40-acre block of red clover so that I can get some use out of it.

“I’m in no schemes whatsoever, but before anyone has a complete fit, I have left the field corners as a proportion of my field margins from the days of the higher level stewardship scheme. I’m still getting the benefit of wildlife and benefiting wildlife too, and I’ve a nice big block of clover which is protein for the cattle.

“At the end of the day if we’re not making money we aren’t going to be farming. We’re in business, production-based and it’s not all about nature. I’m not ashamed to say it. But I certainly don’t want to destroy wildlife either.

Doug says his work with the land is down to what is right for the soil and his crops.

“You don’t have to physically get a spade out to do the regen bit. You can tell when your soil’s in good health because it doesn’t slump. It looks right. People make a science out of this, but it’s really just basic farming.

“We decide what’s right on the day. We do a lot of min-till. If we can take a pass out, not because it’s regenerative but because it’s efficient, then that’s what we do. As soon as the combine is out of the field the Simba SLD is in. The soil is worked and it gets left for six weeks, just with manure and spray.

“We do the bare minimum of cultivation and use muck and sludge that we are able to dial in with our new variable rate muck spreader. We know the nutritional value of both products blended together and can tailor what we’re spreading on the land to fit the crop. It has taken us to the next level

“The weather does the work of the power harrow and then we use a 6-metre Vaderstad drill and in two passes you’ve the best seed bed. I don’t think you can be any more efficient and productive. The soil and fauna is responding. People say that on paper muck doesn’t look that good. I couldn’t give a chuff. If you grow crops on muck they’ll outperform everything by half a tonne.

“Personally, I am easy that we’re not getting any form of payment from the government going forward. The Rural Payments Agency can’t come and say we need you to do this or that.

Doug’s favoured winter wheat variety is Skyfall and he says it has ousted any problems he had with blackgrass. He’s also trying a bit of Typhoon and Dawsum varieties this year.

“Skyfall has been about for around 20 years and performs year on year. It has outrun blackgrass, outgrows everything and there’s a premium on it even if your protein’s a bit low. We trade it for biscuit or low grade milling, as well as using it as a feed wheat.

“Last year’s strong harvest is partly the problem with the grain market now as last year’s yields mean there is probably about 20 per cent of last year’s wheat still in store and we are six weeks off this year’s harvest. I milled 100 tonnes yesterday because at the price wheat is presently it makes more sense to feed it to the cattle.

“It is rye grass that’s going to be the problem going forward. I have absolutely zero tolerance to it.

Doug’s winter barley varieties this year, which is all fed to the cattle, are Tardis & Hawking, but his oilseed rape crop was decimated last autumn.

“We had 200 acres but we are down to 60, so I’ve now got rape and spring oats. The rape didn’t grow fast enough to survive flea beetle.

“Every day I think why we fanny about with rape, but there isn’t another good break crop on this heavy land where you can get some control of grass weeds. Beans for the cattle are unpalatable and knock growth rates because they put them off the rest of the diet.

“Maize is our other major crop. We have 200 acres at home, which is fed to the cattle and nearly 400 acres of primary stubble to stubble maize where we are primary contractor that goes to an anaerobic digestor.

Doug finishes cattle for farmer customers and has developed his own systems for feeding and knows exactly when he wants cattle to appear. He’s straight talking about how he views his buyers.

“We have nearly 1000 cattle in the yard all time. I don’t want anything coming in under 450 kilos. You need a frame to hang meat on and get to 600-620 kilos liveweight, getting a carcase of 300 kilos.

“I don’t show any buyer any loyalty because they don’t give a chuff about you. I put the cattle where they grade the best and suit the buyer’s operation.

“We’re finishing far more dairy-crosses with most being Angus and a few Herefords, and we’ve got on very well with helping the Wagyu with Warrendale. Some progressive dairy farmers have gone to Monbeliardes crossed backed to the Angus. They’re really good cattle and a product that can sell at a premium.

“Everything we feed is weighed in and out of the Keenan and apportioned to each customer along with a fixed price for all other costs.

“We feed them about 52 per cent of our homegrown produce and the rest is by-products waste, but that is subject to change because if wheat is £170 per tonne there’s no point me feeding bread, Yorkshire puddings and pasta and stuff like that when I can feed my own wheat and save money.

Doug is also about to have 114 acres of poor land turned on to solar panels providing electricity for 14,000 homes.

“We teamed up with my accountant Stephen Headley next door and we’re just waiting for connection. It’s on some of my most horrible land and if anyone wants to come and have a look they are welcome because it really is grim stuff.

“We’re planning on running sheep on it between the panels for six months and then putting them on to stubble turnips, which we’re growing on the arable side, for the winter to maximise value.