Join us to make worms smile – Cirencester

Event Date : February 25, 2011

10.30am to 3pm

Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester.

Run by Phil Stocker and Elizabeth Stockdale and includes a nutrient budgeting workshop.

Contact Elizabeth Stockdale on e.a.stockdale@ncl.ac.uk for an information pack and to book.

How can farmers enhance soil life? Will improved management of the soil ecosystem benefit farmers? A team of farmers, advisors and soil scientists are exploring these questions for Natural England under the leadership of Elizabeth Stockdale (Newcastle University).

Join us to:

• Find out more about the soil biota.
• Better understand your soil as a habitat for a whole ecosystem of interactions.
• Find out how farm management practices can enhance the function and diversity of soil life.
• Reflect on how changes in management can impact on yield, product quality and environmental impacts.
• Help us gather information on the practices that enhance soil life which are currently in place in the field.
• Discuss the potential for integrating a number of land management practices to enhance the function, and diversity, of the soil biota into UK farming systems.
• Identify the constraints and opportunities for wider adoption of best practice in the UK.
• Explore how information about the importance of soil biota can be better communicated.

The workshop will also include a hands-on session assessing different soil types, so please bring your own soil samples along if you would like to join in the demonstration.
Please bring along an intact spadeful of soil, if possible. Ideally dig a small hole and take a slice (25 cm deep 10 cm thick) with the spade. Slide this slice into a large plastic bag and seal it up.

Liz Stockdale will be sharing information as well as leading some interactive discussion sessions. Attendance and lunch is free but you must register. Contact Elizabeth Stockdale on e.a.stockdale@ncl.ac.uk for an information pack and to book
.