Vote for Doug Wanstall
Who will be crowned Climate Change Champion 2021?Beyond Net Zero and providing the conduit through Re-Generation Earth for others to take climate action and reduce their carbon footprint too, we believe Doug Wanstall of Bank Farm in Kent deserves your vote.
The initiative, supported by the NFU, has been running in CPM throughout 2021 following the success of the initiative in 2020. This has detailed the experiences of nine growers – thought leaders who have already started their journey to help deliver the NFU’s target of Net Zero emissions by 2040. They have the ideas, the progressive outlook and the determination to shape positive change.
Show your support – help decide which of them should be awarded the accolade of Climate Change Champion 2021. A summary of their achievements and links to full articles can be found on the Climate Change Champions landing page.
From there you can go to the on-line voting form, where you can score each one of the finalists on their achievements.
Voting ends on 1st November 2021 and the winner will be announced on 3rd.
Why vote for Doug – Climate Change Champion 2021?
As proud sponsors of the Climate Change Champions initiative, we recognise the challenge the industry is facing to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Every business will start their journey from a different place and have different objectives to get there.
Already beyond Net Zero, and with a deep-rooted passion and belief that Agriculture should be at the forefront of delivering solutions for climate change, Doug Wanstall not only recognises the climate emergency, he’s embracing it, and providing the mechanics through Re-Generation Earth for individuals and businesses to do the the same. It’s Doug’s enthusiasm, relentless ambition and determination that really is quite extraordinary and why we feel its so important that we share Doug’s net zero journey to inspire others.
You can read the full CPM article on Doug here, or read on below and watch the videos for a summary on Doug’s innovative and truly inspirational net zero journey. He really is worthy of Climate Change Champion 2021 in our eyes and deserves your vote.
Vote for Doug Wanstall – Climate Change Champion 2021 here
What makes Doug a Climate Change Champion?
Innovative Ideas
Doug is sequestering massive amounts of carbon into his soils and looks for every opportunity to turn this into a business venture to complement the farm’s diversified enterprises. The agroforestry Paulownia Cotevisa project in particular, puts the business in a strong position to benefit as a provider of climate change solutions.
- Dovetailing of diversified enterprises across the business provides a circular economy to minimise the farm’s carbon footprint
- Introduction of the Egg Machine in 2019 (farm shop vending machine) has helped build resilience in the farming business by providing the direct to consumer connection, without costly overheads
- Establishment of 5Ha of Paulownia Cotevisa, one of the fastest growing trees in the world, provides an unrivalled ability to sequester huge amounts of carbon – 4x faster than traditional agroforestry which can be coppiced after just 8-10 years with fast regeneration 7x over. What3Words and geo-targeting allows coppiced Paulownia timber to be fully traceable along with its precise carbon footprint
- Biochar retort provides huge potential to increase the carbon in soils with every opportunity taken to maximise its use and amplify its benefits – poultry litter; activated compost; ruminant feed; crop growth stimulant
- Just months away from the first net zero egg, bought in soya (the biggest part of the egg’s footprint) will be substituted with veg farm waste. The Eco Egg will be sold through the farm’s Egg Machine to local residents
- Use of Farm Carbon Calculator to identify and measure carbon footprint & track Net Zero emissions
- Academic verification projects with the University of Kent, including The Living Lab, are helping to turbo-charge carbon sequestration
- Development of Re-Generation Earth enables the sale of carbon credits to offset residual emissions of other businesses
Paulownia – the tree of the future
Productivity Push
Productivity from the cereals revolves around getting good biological activity in the soils. This has been carefully built up through mob-grazing the livestock, the addition of composted manures and management of the grass and herbal lays, ensuring a very sustainable level of production.
- Grazing cattle help add valuable organic matter to the soil
- 2 year composted manure used to nourish the soil
- Wood vinegar, a liquid byproduct of the biochar process, adds growth stimulant and insect repellency benefits
- Focus on a thriving soil and maximisation of soil microbiome adds biodiversity and productivity benefits with a reduction in bagged fertiliser and fungicidal seed dressings
- Focus on Reduce Reuse Recycle is driving Regenerative Intensification – a journey towards producing more with less
Cultivation Care
Soil movement is minimised to keep the carbon cycling in the uppermost layer. The Lucerne enterprise in particular and the Paulownia agroforestry venture take the carbon deeper, making better use of the whole soil profile as a valuable resource. Biodiversity and water quality benefits are built into the strategy.
- Tillage has been reduced and helped by use of a 3m 7-leg McConnel Shakaerator with low disturbance legs and winged points aimed at creating lift – this helps to ease compaction from the lucerne, without turning over soil, all helping to minimise carbon loss from the soil
- Carbon gains are maximised with 120ha of deep rooting lucerne capturing about 40t/ha of dry matter into its roots deep into the soils, which translates into 33t/ha of CO2 sequestered – this has helped elevate average soil organic matter across the farm by 1.5% and made a massive difference to the farm’s carbon balance
- Improved rooting lower down and increased soil fertility secures capturing of leached nutrients such as phosphate which otherwise can be problematic for water quality
- Composting of the farm’s poultry litter, FYM and brought in stable muck as part of a straw-for-muck deal with local farmers adds 6,000t of organic matter to the land, delivering a significant proportion of the crops N, P, and K requirement. This has led to a significant reduction in the amount of bagged fertiliser applied
- 2-3 year grass and herbal leys with a diverse mix of species for good rooting, draws more carbon into the soil, whilst the above ground biomass is converted into dung from grazing cattle adding further organic matter
Lucerne brings numerous benefits
Bio-based Boldness
Re-Generation Earth has set a direction for the business to benefit from its net carbon sequestering position. With a net balance of negative 5,ooot CO2/year, Doug is in a unique position to offer nature-based solutions to climate change by providing the ability to help others reduce their carbon footprint.
There are bright prospects in particular for the agroforestry Paulownia timber as a carbon-friendly construction and furniture material.
- 5ha Paulownia plantation provides sustainable agroforestry and carbon sequestration; leaves which are high in nutrients are mixed with the biochar producing excellent fodder for livestock
- The hardwood lightweight timber from the Paulownia Cotevisa – with its highest strength to weight ratio of any timber in the world – provides real commercial value with extraordinary ecological benefits. Timber will be coppiced every 8 years and sold into the construction / furniture industry
- Biochar retort will help supply heating for chicken rearing.
A circular economy deep-rooted in carbon commerce
Enterprises dovetail together to ensure maximum productivity from every hectare, with carbon capture and storage top of the agenda.
Doug’s net zero journey
We spoke to Doug to get a deeper insight into some of the challenges with delivering to net zero and why he wanted to get involved with the Climate Change Champion’s initiative.
Been inspired? Please vote
If you’ve been inspired like us, please vote for Doug Wanstall – Climate Change Champion 2021. Doug really is the perfect role model, and worthy of the impressive accolade. You can show your support for Doug by voting below. It literally only takes seconds to vote and Doug would really appreciate your support!
