Dairy co-operative First Milk and Nestlé Waters have announced a joint project in Pembrokeshire that will work with up to 30 dairy farmers to reduce soil compaction and improve water infiltration on their land, with the aim of capturing up to an additional 250m litres of groundwater per year.
The four-year partnership will focus predominantly on the use of regenerative farming practices including rotational grazing of dairy herds, increasing sward grassland diversity and rooting depth, which combine to improve soil structure allowing for more water infiltration, increase soil organic matter to promote the soil’s water holding capacity, and support biodiversity.
Mark Brooking, Chief Impact Officer at First Milk, explained that farms signed up to the project will be individually assessed on a field-by-field basis to identify necessary interventions. Direct payments will be made to farmers annually, linked to a unique programme of water infiltration activity agreed with First Milk. These payments will be in addition to First Milk’s standard milk price, which is already boosted by a regen premium.
Nestlé will pay First Milk, who will pass on the funding to their farmers. Farmers will also benefit from increased production as a result of participation in the programme.
Brooking said, “When farmers have signed up we’ll undertake a process of benchmarking; some analysis in each field. This will include chemical analysis, water infiltration, penetrometer testing, etc., and we’ll identify the fields where the biggest gains can be made. The more actions a farmer undertakes, the greater the payment.
“Actions might include mechanical interventions to reduce compaction or a change in practices, moving away from set-stocking to rotational grazing for instance, so there’s a myriad of things.
“Even in their current milk price farmers get a variable rate above the baseline price based on their regen score – these new payments will be over and above that.
“This is a really great innovation – it’s one of the first examples of where a company is using regen farming to pay farmers outside of the direct product. Nestlé Waters aren’t buying milk, they’re buying nature-based solutions, and that’s something we’d like to see more of.”
Through a combination of workshops, farm visits and individual on-farm advice, farmers will take a holistic approach to managing soil compaction and reducing water run-off, which will ultimately help improve water quality in the area, including in the Eastern and Western Cleddau river and tributaries of the Taf River.
First Milk member, Daniel James of Gellyolau Farm, said, “We are really looking forward to taking part in this project – healthy soils are the cornerstone of good farming and we’re keen to see what improvements can be made here at Gellyolau that will help us farm more regeneratively and at the same time help to protect the river for future generations.”
Matthew Faulkner, Factory Manager of the Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages site in Princes Gate, said, “We’re excited to be working with First Milk farmers to improve groundwater quality and quantity in Pembrokeshire where our Princes Gate site operates. We have a responsibility to support the local community, create a positive water impact and to be a good neighbour. This initiative is the first of its kind for the Nestlé business where we are working with farmers who are not directly in our supply chain but who we have a shared interest with to improve the local environment. I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits to the area over the coming years.”