John Egerton has been farming his land near Rosslea in County Fermanagh for over forty years. However, how he farms his land has been changing. For the past two years, John and his sons have been measuring carbon on the farm to have a baseline figure for reducing emissions. John has also adopted new approaches to managing his fields, such as planting multispecies or herbal layers to help reduce the use of artificial nitrogen and stitching in both red and white clover to reduce the amount of artificial nitrogen.
Agriculture in Northern Ireland is the highest-emitting sector, contributing to 28% of greenhouse gas emissions, and John’s efforts to reduce his carbon footprint are inspiring farmers across the country. John has worked alongside scientists from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), and he will be one of hundreds of attendees at the facility’s open days in Hillsborough. Government scientists at the open days will demonstrate cutting-edge research and the latest developments designed to help farming transition to lower emissions.
Elizabeth Magowan, the Director of Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences, expressed her excitement for the science that would be on display, adding that farmers are “hungry” for this information. She believes that “armed with the information and an understanding of what their metrics are, [farmers] will make changes,” and that’s precisely what John Egerton has done. These positive changes, he explained, have improved productivity and air and water quality, as well as the carbon footprint of his farming practices.
Farming practices after World War II have been incredibly intensive to meet the needs of a population where food was rationed. But with the new challenge of tackling climate change, the focus has shifted to more sustainable practices. John Egerton is implementing some of the innovative practices developed by AFBI scientists. John believes that some farmers can become very defensive when told they’re doing the wrong thing, but ultimately, his farming is a sustainable business that prioritizes both the environment and finance
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More