Soil Association is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. The SA was founded by farmers, scientists and nutritionists aware of the connections between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health.
This webinar (part of the 2021 Northern Real Farming Conference and hosted by the Soil Association) explores growing a low growing permanent cover crop such as small white clover to help shade out weeds and provide fertility for the rotation.
resourceVideo footage of a session that formed part of the Organic Growers Alliance's Organic Matters conference held in October 2021. It focuses on improving soil health and reducing tillage using compost, manures and woodchip.
resourceThis film, created by the Soil Association through their involvement in the FABulous Farmers project, explores some of the many benefits that can be experienced from different agroforestry systems.
resourceInterest among UK farmers in planting trees on their land has skyrocketed recently. Only ten years ago a survey indicated that very few farmers know...
blogPROJECT BACKGROUND A key objective of organic farming is the closing of nutrient cycles but it is difficult to achieve. To a large extent, feed...
research_projectThere is huge potential for farmers to be incentivised and rewarded for protecting and sequestering carbon in their soils. Government initiatives and carbon offsetting schemes...
blogPlanting trees is great isn’t it? Good for the farm, good for the planet, good for our livestock for our crops for our soil. It’s...
blogThis is part 1 and 2 of a collaborative 2-part series of virtual events exploring establishment, management, soil health, grazing and ensiling in relation to herbal leys.
resourceA group of farmers on the Isle of Arran, sometimes called ‘Scotland in miniature’ because of the range of farming it hosts, have begun to...
blogWe’re living through a climate emergency, where 10% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. Keeping the status quo is not an option...
blogPROJECT BACKGROUND There is evidence to suggest that applying uncomposted (ramial) woodchip at an appropriate phase in a crop rotation can increase soil organic matter,...
research_projectAssess the potential business benefits of agroforestry for your farm or client and understand the possible benefits to the wider environment with this invaluable handbook.
resourceWe’re in a climate emergency and wildlife numbers are crashing, but farmers and land managers are uniquely positioned to help. Through clever farm design and...
blogHelen Browning, Chief Executive of the Soil Association and farmer at Eastbrook Farm in North Wiltshire introduces the farming enterprise which includes their 200 saddleback...
blogAgriculture has huge potential to be part of the solution to enhancing biodiversity, addressing climate change and supporting and enhancing natural resources, whilst also building...
blogOpportunities, Barriers and Constraints for Organic Management Techniques to Improve Sustainability of Conventional Farming PROJECT BACKGROUND British farming businesses are facing a number of challenges,...
research_projectMechanical weed control has long been used on organic farms, but recent advances in technology make it a realistic option for non-organic farmers too.
resourceThis abstract looks at how lucerne, sainfoin and chicory could be incorporated into your grazing leys and potentially supply high quality, drought tolerant feed for cattle and sheep.
resourceThis abstract explores how the organic practice of using diverse rotations to reduce pest and disease levels in following crops can be applied on non-organic farms.
resourceThe challenges facing farmers today are huge, with uncertainty around changes to CAP payments and questions about how farming will be valued in generations to...
blogFootage of farmer Stephen Briggs speaking at the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2019 on the process of planning a new agroforestry system, finding markets for wood products, and calculating the business opportunities.
resourceA useful note produced as part of an Innovative Farmers field lab, which focuses on the lifecycle of leatherjackets and outlines some of the management and biological control options.
resource Break free from costly organic concentrates: how organic home-grown feedstuffs can feed your dairy cows in winter and save you money.
resourceA field lab report comparing four green manure mixes; investigating their effect on soil structure and quality, benefits to the following crop, and their value.
resource Invest in your soil & reap the returns; an arable farmer’s endeavours in improving soil health through using green manures & grass leys.
resource Improving soil health and enhancing wildlife on a mixed organic farm through using sustainable natural inputs and innovative cropping.
resource Insights into Ian Wilkinson's quest to create a system of mixed farming with diverse cropping and livestock, reducing external inputs and adding value to commodity foods.
resource Now growing at over 7% year-on-year, the organic market has entered its fifth consecutive year of steady growth. Organic meat has also grown over the...
blog How to design an effective field trial - the basics you need to know to help you optimise yields and try out novel farming techniques.
resource The Soil Association, in collaboration with Catchment Sensitive Farming, will be running soil health workshops in February, where you will have a chance to learn...
blog We all know compost is good, right? Most of us also know that it is almost impossible to get enough good compost from our own...
blog Practical guidance produced from a Scottish field lab to help manage and control field rushes and improve swards and livestock productivity.
resource Tips to help you choose the most appropriate methods to assess and manage your soil health - provided by the GREATSoils project team.
resource What farmers face The Department of Energy and Climate Change is no more but the UK’s legal commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from...
blogHow to control arable weeds using organic methods; learn the cultural and mechanical ways to reduce or replace chemical herbicide use.
resource Encourage pollinators on your farm by creating and managing their natural habitats such as wildflower meadows, hedgerows and field margins.
resource It's a farmer's most valuable resource, but many soils are in crisis. This report by @SoilAssociation sets out 7 ways we can save our soils.
resourceA report highlighting the need for governmental action to protect pollinators and the importance of farming in pollinator-friendly ways.
resourceAll you need to know about organic arable crop rotations; why they are necessary, how to plan one, and some examples to get you started.
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