At Newhouse Farm we grow 620ha of combinable crops on our own land together with 440ha on neighbouring Chilton Manor Farm as part of a contract farming agreement.
We grow wheat and barley in a rotation with oats, oil seeds, peas and beans. Using precision techniques to drill, fertilise and protect our crops, we minimise the amount of tillage; all of which reduces inputs and helps to enhance the structure and health of our soils.
We are actively working towards a more sustainable farming model, experimenting with regenerative practices to enhance the environment in which we farm.
We aim to improve the environment in which we farm
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Making fertiliser, pesticide and diesel use more efficient through nutrient and crop yield mapping and using satellite-driven precision farming techniques
Minimising disturbance to our soils to promote levels of micro-organisms, build levels of organic matter and sequester more carbon
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Maintaining over 65 hectares of plots which are rich in nutrients and provide shelter for a range of insects, birds and other wildlife
Taking marginal land out of arable production as part of a programme of extensive tree planting – in 2022 we planted 20,000 trees in a former arable field
Trialling agro-foresty on a field scale level whereby arable crops are grown between rows of fruit and nut trees to improve levels of beneficial insects, beetles etc, and to improve arable crop health allowing us to reduce chemical fertiliser and pesticide use
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Newhouse Farm aims to sequester more CO2 than we emit. Preliminary studies conducted using data collected over a 6 year period, suggest that we have achieved this, primarily through reduced cultivation. Reducing cultivation depth causes less soil disturbance which allows more CO2 to be absorbed in organic matter in the soil - as well as saving diesel.
We are working with a number of organisations to build on these studies to form a robust picture of our impact on the environment.
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Over 6 years we have replaced 8 oil boilers with three woodchip boilers, using wood chip which is harvested sustainably on the farm.
See ‘Estate & Woodland’ for more information
Working with LEAF
Newhouse is a LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) Demonstration Farm. We work with LEAF to trial different techniques and experiment with integrated farm management to improve our soil health and continue our journey into sustainable farming.
We encourage other farmers to communicate, discuss and demonstrate best practice and learn from our on farm experiments.
Innovation
We have benefited from exposure to and early involvement with a range of technologies and practices and are currently actively participating in on-farm trials for various organisations including NIAB, Southern Water, Agrii and Reading University.
Rotation
We are working to increase the area of grass and herbal leys that we incorporate into our rotation and on which we graze our sheep. This is beneficial for improving soil structure and increasing the amount of nutrients next time it is used for a crop.
Soil Testing
Soils are tested regularly to map levels of nutrients and organic matter to enable us to target inputs where they are most effective.
Working with a Cooperative
All of the farm’s grain is stored at Trinity Grain – a farmer owned cooperative which stores, blends and markets grain for 300 farms across the south of England.
Farm Cluster Group
We are part of the Candover Valley Farming Cluster. Cluster groups are becoming increasingly common across the country, allowing neighbouring farmers, land owners and managers to make decisions about nature conservation on a landscape scale rather than single farms working in isolation. We meet regularly to discuss our targets and have talks from experts on subjects such as woodland management, funding applications and responses to climate change.
Awards
We are proud to have been awarded first prize in the Basingstoke and District Agricultural Society’s competition for Best Farmed Large Farm 2023 for the third year in a row