Natural England - Soils for Profit Project

Soils for Profit Project

The Soils for Profit Project (S4P) works with farmers to help them improve their soil, manure and nutrient management whilst also signposting to other sources of relevant support.

Soil for Profit Project

The project aims to help farm businesses become more efficient, and therefore improve profitability, whilst also producing environmental benefits. This is achieved by providing advice, training, demonstration and, if relevant, access to other sources of support including other elements of the South West Agricultural Resource Management (SWARM) initiative.

S4P is currently available to every farm in the South West region who farm in excess of 5 hectares and it is projected to continue until 2013. Project delivery currently includes:

  • A free on-farm advisory visit and written action plan to identify practices and items which will deliver the greatest economic and environmental returns.

  • Signposting to other sources of help including other projects included in SWARM and other parts of the RDPE, including Resource Efficiency for Farmers and Environmental Stewardship.

  • Group events which include workshops, demonstrations etc. The next series of events are available now.

Further information 

  • Soils for Profit Project (S4P) please contact Natural England on 0300 060 1244 or soils4profit@naturalengland.org.uk

  • Resource Efficiency for Farmers (R4F) Projectexternal link, delivered by Rural Focus, call 08456 047047

  • The Think Soils handbook: (2.45mb)pdf document is a practical guide to ‘digging a hole’ and examining soil condition. It draws on material in the more comprehensive thinksoils soil assessment manual, but focuses on the practical techniques needed to effectively assess soil structure.

  • Soils and Runoffexternal link: this short clip looks at the importance of examining, understanding and improving soil condition to reduce run-off and diffuse pollution from agriculture.

  • Soils and Runoff - a practical guide to examining soil structureexternal link: this clip shows you how to examine soil structure, covering the soil surface, top soil, subsoil and different soil types. The clip provides an illustration of some the examples from the thinksoils manual.

  • South West Agricultural Resource Management (SWARM) initiative - Small Capital Grant Scheme - has been suspended to new applications whilst its replacement (national small grant scheme) is developed by Defra. Please contact Catherine Martin on  07825 797003.

  • For other elements of SWARM please refer to the SWARM knowledge hubexternal link

  • Soils for Profit Project also works closely in the South West region with Catchment Sensitive Farming

Soils for Profit Project is part of SWARM funded by Defra, delivered by Natural England working in partnership with the Environment Agency:

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