For the first time in a generation, Alscot Estate has the opportunity to consider its long term land use strategy. This comes at a time where the agricultural transition in England, alongside a broader political agenda of tackling environmental crises, means that rural land management is now focused not only on quality food production, but also on environmental provision and social value.

As a result, Alscot’s ambition is to farm in a regenerative manner and from September 2024, we began farming regeneratively on “home farm” land.

In its broadest terms, regenerative agriculture refers to an approach that seeks to work with natural systems to restore and enhance the biodiversity, soil fertility and ecosystem service provision (such as carbon sequestration and water retention) of farmed land.

Regenerative agriculture aims to reverse the degradation of soils, focusing on rebuilding soil organic matter (SOM). Minimising soil disturbance and building up soil organic matter fixes carbon within the soil. Under regenerative models, as soils increase in fertility their water holding capacity also increases, thereby building the natural, biological productivity of the land and encouraging species growth. On the other hand, if land is intensively cultivated, it releases carbon into the atmosphere and water run-off is more frequent. Regenerative agriculture is, therefore, being proposed as a key solution to feeding growing populations, while also tackling climate change and the increasing environmental risk.

The Estate’s journey into regenerative and organic farming practises has taken Estate Owner, Emma Holman-West, far and wide in her research to fully understand the process and to be able to reach a stage where it has finally been implemented at Alscot.

See a short video HERE