Farm overview
Ian is director of Brixworth Farming in Northamptonshire, a joint venture farm management and contracting business which includes his family farm. He is responsible for managing the business and its relationship with clients. Ian is focussed on improving the land he farms through good farming practice, stewardship and other scientific advances. He is BASIS and FACTS certified and is keen to see best use of precision farming, combined with careful variety selection and input use to optimise yields whilst continually improving the sustainability of the farming co-op. Farming over 2000ha overall, Ian has a team who are also engaged in regenerative farming principles. Brixworth is a LEAF Marque farm and engages with their local community to educate people on improved farm management, including hosting events such as Open Farm Sunday. Ian is running a number of different trials on farm, including monitoring and measuring soil nutrients, polycropping and using low emission fertilisers. He is also part of the Northamptonshire Uplands cluster group.
Project activities
- Creative Arena – an interactive event to discuss and evaluate climate friendly principles which can be adopted on farm (May 2023).
- Demonstration events – Farm walk and Open Farm Sunday (June 2023); Inter-cropping and farm tour (May 2024); ‘Bi-cropping: what future for more complex rotations?’ (September 2024).
- Training – BASIS Certificate in Sustainable Land Management course at The Allerton Project (March 2023).
- Trials – Summer catch crops (Kings).
- Lead Commercial Farm visits – Boughton Estate, Courteenhall, Rookery Farm, Winwick Manor Farm.
- Demonstration Farm activities – ‘Environmental Payments and Enablers: Making the Most out of Opportunities’ (June 2024).
