Supporting Nature-Friendly British Farming

Today we’re proud to support Farm24 with the Farmers Guardian and Morrisons. 
 
Farm24 aims to give people a behind-the-scenes look at British Farming. We’re sharing inspiring stories from our tenants farmers on our social media channels and discussing their commitment to nature-friendly farming.  Read more about our tenants here.

Tim Scott is our arable tenant farmer at Lark Rise Farm, Barton, Cambridgeshire.   

Tim has farmed the 400 acres at Lark Rise for over 30 years. Lark Rise has county wildlife status with many rare arable weeds in one of its fields, Westfield, which is threatened by the proposed East West Rail plans through Cambridgeshire. Lark Rise also has breeding lapwings returning each year as well as many other farmland birds. The CRT recently started conservation grazing too, in order to help manage the grasslands, improving biodiversity and supporting long-term conservation efforts. 

Tim says: “Farming Lark Rise in the way I do and successfully balancing the needs of food production, has been a labour of love. Over the years, the farm has been divided into smaller parcels of land, with wildlife-friendly habitat created to support many species of birds, mammals, insects, spiders, and the vegetation they live in or feed on. It is my strong belief that nature should exist across all my farmland and not only be confined to small areas within it.    

"I am immensely proud of the many achievements at Lark Rise, including the Red list Revival Award for 'Highest Density of Grey Partridge’ and the return of breeding lapwings as well as yellowhammer, corn bunting, linnet and skylark.   

“We also recently received news that we have an extremely high level of rare arable weeds too, showing the breadth of our nature recovery. When in my tractor, I am always amazed by the number of birds following me, demonstrating how many invertebrates there are living in the soil.    

“From day one until now, my remit from the CRT has been to farm in a unique style that mixes both modern technology and traditional methods to reverse biodiversity decline. If you get the bottom of the food chain right then, species higher up should thrive.”  

Matt Elphick is our tenant farmer at Brays Farm, Nutfield, Surrey with his partner Betsie Edge.  

After taking on a tenancy with the Countryside Regeneration Trust in 2021, Matt and Betsie began a regenerative farming journey that transformed both their land and business.  

They use a multi-paddock grazing system with native traditional shorthorns that thrive on pasture and raise calves at foot. Their approach prioritises soil health and ecological balance, avoiding fertilisers and chemical sprays in favour of working with the natural environment. The thriving dung beetle population on his farm, a key indicator of healthy pasture, reflects this commitment, as does the abundance of diverse plant species in the fields, which in turn benefit the cattle.   

Recently, the couple has renovated a traditional milk float to serve as a mobile farm shop, selling his pasture-produced milk, yoghurt, milkshakes, and cheese directly to customers. This model not only boosts the farm’s sustainability and profitability but also reconnects consumers with where their food comes from.  

“We have just 25 traditional Shorthorn cows, as well as some Albion cows,” says Matt. “Our cows graze on chemical-free pasture, are rotated daily to protect the soil and boost biodiversity, and — unlike most farms — calves stay with their mothers. It means we get less milk, but the animals are healthier and happier.” 

Bob Felton and Liz Wallis are the tenants at Twyford Farm, Horsted Keynes, West Sussex. 

After taking on a tenancy with the CRT in 2014, Bob and Liz recently renewed their tenancy for another 10 years, including taking on the tenancy of the CRT’s Cleavers pasture and woodland in nearby East Sussex.  

Bob says: “Nature-Friendly Farming has always been a big part of our life. We feel we are the guardians of the countryside here and feel very privileged to be here. It is our duty to look after it as best as we can.   

“We are continuing in the line it has been looked after for the last 70 to 100 years.”  

Bob and Liz have a wide variety of livestock on the farm from sheep to pigs to cattle and a few chickens.  They have purebred Charollais, Cheviot crosses as well as Poll Dorset sheep. They also have pedigree Beef Shorthorn cows and 75 store cattle (Angus cross, Hereford cross and Sussex cross).  

Twyford is also a retreat for Natureways Therapy, which offers workshops to inspire a sense of wellbeing and belonging to the natural world. The group meets at Twyford every Monday, taking part in a therapy group and helping with conservation.  

Kayleigh Robb runs Pierrepont Farm in Frensham Surrey and is a first-generation farmer.  

After taking on a tenancy with the Countryside Regeneration Trust in 2024, Kayleigh has begun a regenerative farming journey that has seen nature thrive on the farm.  

Kayleigh is pioneering a fresh approach to local food, with a milk vending machine that dispenses milk directly to consumers. This has recently been set up with funding thanks to the Surrey Hills National Landscape.  
 
Kayleigh is embracing nature-friendly farming and has returned the herd to its original 60 milking Jersey cows. A big change for Kayleigh is introducing calves at foot, which means the calves stay with their mothers for longer. Studies have shown that keeping calves with their mothers can lead to reduced mortality rates, quicker growth, and potentially better protection against mastitis in the cow. This way prioritises the calf's natural development and well-being by keeping it with its mother until weaning, rather than separating them shortly after birth, as with more intensive systems.  

By reducing the herd, it has taken some of the pressure off grazing and allowed less productive land to be reseeded with herbal ley rich in clover, sainfoin, lucerne and chicory.  

The grazing areas will also be planted with more trees and hedgerows to divide up paddocks, providing extra shelter for livestock and more habitat for birds and wildlife.  

Kayleigh says: “Nature-friendly farming means having a mixture of cows, pigs and sheep all working together to manage the land in slightly different ways. Going forward, we will work more with putting in herbal ley.   
 
“Choosing to farm regeneratively is a personal thing. I made a conscious decision to move away from intensive farming. You can really see the difference in nature, with the amount of birds, bees and the soil health.” 

How to support us

If you want to help us protect local wildlife and habitats, you can join as a CRT Friend, attend our in-person and online events and volunteer on one of our farms. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your inbox.