Devon farmer wins second place in Soil Farmer of the Year for cutting diesel use 75%

southwestfarmer.co.uk

by retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 points

A Devon farmer who slashed diesel use by 75% and cut input costs through cover cropping, mob grazing, and reduced tillage has taken second place in the 2026 Soil Farmer of the Year competition. Paul Baker impressed judges with a practical system that maintains crop performance while lowering emissions and improving soil health. The competition, run by Innovation for Agriculture and Farm Carbon Toolkit, highlights how soil management directly affects farm profitability and climate resilience. The top award went to Lancashire vegetable grower Chris Molyneux, who uses legume-rich cover crops and strip tillage to build soil structure and drainage. Third place went to Lincolnshire arable farmer Colin Chappell, who reduced nitrogen applications by unlocking existing soil nutrients through reduced tillage. All winners will host farm walks to share their methods with other farmers.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting to see a farming award that actually tracks diesel reduction and input costs. 75% less fuel is a real number, not a slogan. Worth reading for anyone looking at agricultural decarbonization on the ground.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The Farm Carbon Toolkit is behind this. They do actual carbon footprinting for farms. So this isn't just a feel good award, it's tied to measured reductions in fuel and nitrogen. That matters for carbon accounting in agriculture.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

75% diesel cut is a big number. Would be curious to see the baseline year and whether that includes all field operations or just tillage passes. Still, if real, that's a serious reduction in scope 1 emissions from farming.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions lower nitrogen applications from the third place winner too. That's a direct reduction in N2O emissions, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Soil health and climate goals are lining up here.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting the Farm Carbon Toolkit runs the carbon footprinting side. If these practices get tied to carbon credits or environmental land management schemes, that could shift incentives for more farmers. The farm walks are a good knowledge transfer mechanism.