> Living Roots - Covered Soil - Minimal Disturbance – Diversity <

An evening class on the application of the soil health principles, to your growing operation.

The soil health principles work. From large farms to market gardens, when implemented doggedly they bring real results: better soil structure, healthier crops and more consistent yields. What's more, the growers that have most rigorously applied these principles have the more profitable operations today.

Course Details

Runs for four evenings 6.30 - 9.00pm

Session 1-2: Presentations & Exercises

Session 3-4: Workshop - Your Rotation/Management Plan

Offline Viewing

All sessions will be videoed and made available to you offline, for you to watch again, or to view if you miss the live session.

Course Outcomes

• Turning observations into actions

• Applying the soil health principles to everyday management situations

• Bringing the power of covered growing to the open field

• Understanding the rules of successful cover crop design and management

• Using the soil health principles to analyse & redesign your rotation

• Selecting best practice composting systems for your operation

Content

Soil Health Principles recap

Applying the soil health principles to specific management cases

• Creating new growing areas

• Establishment & husbandry

• Weeds and weeding

• Harvesting, clearing beds & change over

Covered Growing

• Best practice, low cost options

Cropping

• Intercropping

• Mulching

Cover Crops

• Designing mixes, what to include or leave out

• Spring or autumn sown

Rotations and Rotation Planning

• Applied soil health principles

• Appraise your existing rotation

• Redesign your rotation using

Composting Systems

• Overview of best practice options

Monitoring soils & plant health

• Sign-posting

Who is this course for?

• Any individuals that have completed a our Part 1 course, aka Improving Soil Health on Horticulture Operations

What you take away from the course

• PowerPoint Presentations

• Draft rotation/management plan

Soil Health Principles

1 Living Root – for as Long-/as Often as Possible

2 Covered Soil – with Residues or Living Plants

3 Minimise Disturbance/Compaction – Tillage

4 Maximise Diversity – in Rotations/Plantings

5 Feed Soils – with Organic Matter (Between Cropping)

6 Incorporate Animals – Ideally Adaptive Grazed

7 Minimise Use of Chemicals/Synthetics

Student Testimonials

“Inspiring course, taught me so much. Very enjoyable”

“Highly recommend this course, packed full of informative content. I have left full of ideas that I can’t wait to implement”

About the Tutor

Niels Corfield has been working to deliver a truly regenerative food system for over 15 years.

He is an advisor, researcher, educator, designer & tree nurseryman. Working to create agroecological landscapes and farms in the UK and Europe he is focussed on systems that are low maintenance and productive.

He advises and consults on: soil health, planned grazing, agroforestry, and whole farm planning.

He helps transition farm operations, through an inclusive/participatory approach.

He provides a mapping & design service for whole farm planning, that include: agroforestry, fencing, water & power.

His clients include:

Southanan Estate,

Fir Farm,

Fosse Tillery Farm,

Devon Wildlife Trust,

Anglian Water,

High Weald AONB,

Catchment Sensitive Farming,

Soil Association Scotland.

In his work as a soils researcher, technician and demonstrator he has helped to develop the Sectormentor for Soils app and website: https://soils.sectormentor.com/about-us/

Pulling together the different protocols along side testing & demonstrating the app in the field, with farmers. He has also helped coordinate the PFLA project: Monitoring the Pulse of Soils under Pasture.

As well as conducting cover crops trials on arable and horticulture operations in the UK, he has carried-out on-farm soil assessments with a number of farmers and growers in the SW, Wales, the SE and the Midlands.

He delivers specialist training courses for farmers, growers and land managers. He has delivered trainings in England, Wales & Scotland. These courses are practical, applied & participatory and focus on ways that farmers and growers can implement the principles of regenerative agriculture on this operations.

He is committed to an information-lead approach to land-based decision making and management practices. He works closely with Sectormentor, SioBio Lab & Field Margin.

He has 12 years teaching experience, with adult education. He is formally trained in Holistic Management & Regenerative Agriculture Design.

Client Testimonials

Niels has been a great help for Montgomerie Farms. Since we committed to going down the regenerative farming route he has been an essential guide to helping us with strategy, key suppliers and implementation.

His initial two day course helped all involved understand the effects of what we were doing and introduced us to the practical solutions on how to implement the changes. Practical on-site percolation tests clearly showed the existing variances so that even the most sceptical then paid attention.

We were keen to make sure we had the data before we started, and Niels has been key to helping us choose the right software, input our farm correctly, and select the right tools to take the ongoing measurements required.

I would highly recommend him for anyone considering going down this route.

Miles Montgomerie 2019