Free Farmer Event - Improve your soil, increase your profits
Issued: 1st February 2011
Free Soil Improvement Event
for Farmers
A free soil improvement event for farmers will
take place on Friday 11th February from 10.30am-2pm at
Pateley Bridge Auction Mart, as part of a project delivering
catchment sensitive farming advice in Nidderdale.
Run by the Nidd Catchment Partnership in
conjunction with the Yorkshire Dales Farmer Network, this event
aims to highlight the importance of soil management in optimising
grassland productivity. Guest speaker Richard Paul, fertiliser
specialist from Farmway, will discuss the topic of liming to
achieve the correct soil nutrient balance, leading to improved
grass yields and reduced fertiliser costs.
The event will also include a practical
session on soil structure, and how to identify soil structural
problems by looking at the soil profile. There will be working
demonstrations of a grassland aerator, which can help remediate
surface compaction, and David Higgins from the Yorkshire Dales
Rivers Trust will show how the SCIMAP model can help locate areas
of soil erosion risk in Nidderdale.
Marian Wilby, Nidderdale AONB/FWAG Farm
Conservation Advisor said, "This should be a really interesting
event highlighting measures that will really benefit the farm
business as well as the environment."
Marian and her colleague Claire Foster will
also be available on the day to provide free advice to farmers on
how to complete their Soil Protection Review, to avoid a 5% Single
Farm Payment penalty. Attendees can bring their SPR to the event
for one-to-one advice.
If you would like attend this free event, please
contact Nidderdale AONB on 01423 712950 to book a place. Free
refreshments and lunch will be provided.