East Lothian: Building resilient arable systems – soil, roots and the bottom line

This jointly organised farm walk and discussion with The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) and AHDB will address the economic realities of modern arable farming and the essential contractor:land manager relationship.

With input costs fluctuating and extreme weather events increasing, relying on high-input models poses a growing threat to business viability.

We'll explore how low-input agronomy, whole-farm systems and practical adaptations can protect farm margins.

By combining host farmer experiences, contractor perspectives and detailed AHDB financial benchmarking, the session will demonstrate that stepping down inputs can improve bottom-line profitability without sacrificing yield.

Speakers

• Martin Lines, arable farmer and contractor
• Lottie Alves, NFFN Country Manager
• Nim Kibbler, NFFN Country Manager
• AHDB specialists

They'll look at practical machinery adaptations that avoid heavy capital investment, explore soil biology and provide guidance on contractor marketing.

The day offers a transparent, peer-to-peer space to challenge business-as-usual and navigate agricultural transition with others.

Please dress appropriately for the farm walk.

BASIS and NRoSO points applied for.

Adrian James
Knowledge Exchange Manager – Cereals & Oilseeds