Englefield Estate staff and farm tenants welcomed one of the leaders of the regenerative agricultural movement, Gabe Brown, to the Estate in July for an inspirational talk about farming profitably and in tune with nature.

Gabe, named as one of the world’s top 25 farming leaders, runs the 6,000-acre Brown’s Ranch near Bismarck, North Dakota, in the United States, showcasing a remarkable diversity of crops and livestock.  

He was hosted at Englefield House by Estate Chairman, Richard Benyon with James Meade, Head of Rural Property and Land, on July 28th.  Seven of Englefield Estate’s farm tenants along with Benyon family members, our farm contractors and an agricultural consultant also attended.

Gabe was accompanied by Salar Shemirani, his co-founder in the creation of Regenified, the consultancy and accreditation organisation helping farmers around the world move towards adopting agricultural practices that prioritise soil health and the support of natural ecosystems. 

Pioneering UK regenerative farmer Elizabeth Buchanan, a leading UK exponent of the practice who has advised the Government, major retailers and the Royal Estates, was also a guest.

After introductions Gabe gave a 45-minute presentation illustrated with slides before taking some questions. The party then moved to Village Field on the Englefield Estate’s Home Farm to inspect the soil supporting a crop of wheat.

James said a further informal question and answer session followed over a buffet lunch which enabled farm tenants to explore some of the ideas Gabe promotes and consider whether they might be appropriate for their farms.

“There were a number of thought-provoking questions from some of our tenants who were interested to hear if regenerative farming could work for them as commercial farmers,” James said. “Since the event we’ve had some very positive feedback from several of our tenants.”

The Estate is introducing regenerative practices at its Home Farm starting with investigating soil health and the best way to bring about positive change.

Gabe’s visit to Englefield was part of a wider tour of the UK that included an appearance at Groundswell, the regenerative agriculture festival held at Lannock Farm near Hitchin Hertfordshire, where he was introduced by the Prince of Wales. 

His six principles of regenerative agriculture call for minimal soil disturbance, maintaining a wide diversity of plant species, keeping living roots in the soil year-round, keeping the soil covered, integrating livestock and understanding the specific context of the farm.

Gabe has shown that farming in tune with nature, creating a diverse ecosystem and healthy soils, can be commercially viable as well as environmentally sustainable.  Several leading UK retailers are promising to source more food from farmers adopting regenerative practices.