The first in a series of short films produced as part of the 'Down to Earth' project; a collaboration between Agricology, RuralPod Media and Down to Earth Media (funded by the Rothschild Foundation), which focuses on promoting sustainable agricultural practices being used on the Waddesdon Estate and beyond. The project looks at approaches being used to transition towards no/low input farming methods whilst highlighting the potential for agroecological innovation.
‘Starting with the Soil’ introduces Waddesdon Estate in Buckinghamshire which has been historically managed using traditional agronomic principles but over the last 4 years has been transitioning to more regenerative farming practices to help make the 3,200 acres of arable land more resilient. Olly Pemberton, Farm Manager and agronomist, and Chris Leach, Head of Sustainability and Conservation, describe the estate’s sustainability goals of working towards net zero, reducing environmental impact and increasing biodiversity, and the challenges faced, which start with needing to build the soil organic matter and soil fungal networks to support the crops. They introduce and describe some of the detail of the impressive compost-making process on the estate…
*Narrated by Ben Eagle
Find out more about the project here tinyurl.com/7unsm9cp/