Terrington St Clement farmer wins top UK award for embracing sustainability on his land

A Terrington farmer with a passion for the soil and the crops he grows has been recognised in the British Farming Awards.

Mark Means was named as Sustainable Farmer of the Year at a ceremony in Birmingham for the way he has embraced sustainability in the day to day running of the family business.

Looking after and improving the soil has always been the main priority for arable and vegetable grower Mark. Operating a commercial farm, J S Means Ltd at Terrington St Clement, Mark has integrated environmental management into his crop production despite the challenges of mixing sustainability and vegetable production.

“If I improve the soil and the environment, the farm will give back,” he says. “This asset is our income provider. Looking after this is my main priority with all my decisions.”

Incorporating more sustainable practices has helped boost soil health and profitability, meaning the practices were compatible with a commercial enterprise. Efficiency was another key focus, with Mark highlighting the more efficient they could be, the more they could reduce their carbon output.

Mark is an investigator and always looking for new ideas to continue improving the farm but was careful not to jump on bandwagons, researching opportunities forensically before moving forward. He is currently trialling cover crops for potatoes with their biggest concern being wireworm and slugs in the crop.

However, he was taking a cautious approach to reduce risk by trialling it on small areas. “I would rather have the science there,” he says.

Mark was an early adopter of Leaf Marque and the farm has been certified since 2002, carbon auditing the business using the Cool Farm model for the past 10 or so years.

“I want to see our efforts increase biodiversity. Tree sparrows, bumblebees and marsh harriers are all targets for our farm to encourage more,” he said.

Alongside the farming operation, the farm has invested in energy generation and battery storage, which has paid dividends in the current climate of escalating energy prices. And looking forward, Mark wants to work even more collaboratively with other farms, with the ambition of having a vending machine selling local produce next to the A17.

The judges said they were impressed by Mark’s passion for the farm and dedication to sustainability. Sustainability was clearly embedded throughout the business and he was using sustainability metrics to drive the business forward. The judges also liked Mark’s willingness to engage with the industry and share knowledge.”

On his success, Mark said: “With all the work we do, I didn’t think it would merit this award. It’s an award for everyone who works for me.”

The British Farming Awards features 13 categories, is organised by Farmers' Guardian magazine and sponsored by Morrisons.