Charlie Ennals and her husband Tom Gay are tenant farmers on the Blickling Estate, near Aylsham.

They have been working to build resilience into the 260ha farm, by improving soil health to protect yields from the impact of increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather, swinging from droughts to floods.

Ms Ennals, an agricultural relationships manager for regenerative farming enterprise Wildfarmed, has helped drive the regenerative strategy for her family farm's arable operations, run by her husband.

And she is one of the UK farmers highlighted by Defra's Farming for the Future campaign, which encourages farmers to work with nature to support their businesses. She also discussed the topic on a national webinar organised by Defra in partnership with Farmers’ Weekly magazine.

"It is really nice for it to be recognised that the work we are doing is positive," she said. "We don't feel like we have all the answers, but the things we are trying have definitely made a difference."

North Norfolk farmer Charlie Ennals is using a nature-friendly approach to soil health to protect her yields from the impact of extreme weather (Image: Defra)

She said the couple aimed to farm in a more precise way which improves both environmental and financial outcomes, in all weather conditions.

The process began by identifying areas of the farm at high risk of soil erosion and run-off - including one area which was particularly prone to damage during heavy rainfall, due to its sloping profile and low organic matter.

An in-field grass strip was established to stop the erosion, meaning nutrients are kept in the cropped area rather than running off the field and polluting rivers - while also creating a habitat for pollinators.

Another key strategy is planting winter cover crops, using plants such as radishes, clovers, millet and vetch to improve water infiltration and topsoil retention.

The range of roots help water soak deeper into the soil, improving structure and reducing compaction. It means the soil can retain water better in a dry summer, and prevent topsoil and nutrient run-off during wet winters.

"Last year when it was a drought we definitely didn't suffer as much as we could have done, and in heavy rainfall years our fields are pretty well drained," said Ms Ennals.

She added: “This is part of a whole farm approach where we’re trying to get ahead of the unpredictable weather conditions. Having the ground covered means that you feed microbes in the soil, you’re not losing the soil to run-off, you’re fixing compaction and you’re helping the water to infiltrate, so that results in better yields.”

The farm grows a low-input wheat for Wildfarmed, using flower strips as a companion crop, as well as a traditional East Anglian rotation of wheat, barley, oilseed rape and sugar beet.

Although the farm has no livestock, a neighbour grazes cattle on the cover crops during the winter, adding further organic nutrients to the soil.

Defra says farmers seeking to implement soil-friendly practices can get advice from their local Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) advisers.

The service, delivered through Natural England in partnership with Defra, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission, offers "free, impartial and confidential advice to farmers and land managers to produce food in a way that protects water, air and soil".

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