Providing a piece of specialised equipment to support Eves Hill Farm in adopting beneficial land management practices that improve soil and water quality in the River Wensum catchment.
Everyday farming activities – from grazing livestock to seeding – can lead to soil compaction. Without proper management, this reduces water infiltration, increasing runoff that carries sediment and nutrients away from the land and into nearby watercourses. As a result, water quality declines, and aquatic biodiversity is negatively impacted. To compensate for nutrient loss, farmers apply fertilisers manually, perpetuating a cycle of compaction, application, loss, and environmental degradation.
Soil compaction on fields can be unavoidable due to machinery use and livestock grazing on farms. To mitigate its impact, compaction-reducing practices must be integrated into farming routines. This principle is a key part of our Water Sensitive Farming (WSF) initiative, which provides free, trusted farm advice to support the restoration of freshwater environments and nature while enhancing landscape resilience and improving farm business sustainability.
Since 2021, we have been working with Eves Hill Farm - located in the River Wensum catchment with a connection to multiple water sources, including Blackwater Drain and Swannington Beck. Our initial focus was on identifying alternative water sources for livestock to prevent them from entering and poaching watercourses, an action that damages riverside banks, vegetation and soil. This effort complemented the farm's existing good practices, including the exclusion of fungicides and pesticides, Bokashi composting and agroforestry.
In 2023, we joined forces with the WWF and Carlsberg partnership to help farms adopt sustainable practices that reduce river pollution, improve water use efficiency and protect nature. A shared priority was equipping farmers with essential tools to support these efforts and enhance soil and water quality. Eves Hill Farm was identified as a site that would benefit from specialised tools to mitigate compaction and was subsequently equipped with the Aerworx Aerator – a machine that uses a combination of speed and weight to drive and pull thin blades up to 30 cm into compacted soil. This process fractures the soil, quickly and sharply.
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The Aerworx Aerator benefited overall soil health by increasing water infiltration, oxygen levels, structure and biology. By reducing the need for manual nutrient application, it also helped limit pollution in surrounding watercourses. It demonstrated versatility across the working farm, boosting yields in grasslands, meadows and crops. However, tools like this are most effective when integrated into a broader, holistic approach to enhancing farm sustainability and driving positive environmental outcomes.
After adding the Aerworx Aerator to their equipment rotation, Jeremy, the owner of Eves Hill Farm, remarked:
“It’s a pivotal and innovative piece of kit. It will help us fast-track soil recovery.”
Following its success, Eves Hill Farm has been actively raising awareness of this valuable piece of equipment.
This work was made possible through our Water Sensitive Farming initiative. Essential equipment and practices to increase soil and water health were supported by funding from the WWF and Carlsberg Partnership.
If your farm or business would like to find out more and get involved, please contact info@norfolkriverstrust.org
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