Inside One Farmer's Mission to Heal the Soil

Farmer Claire Donkin grows wheat at Donkin Hill Farm in Bedfordshire, England. The summer of 2026 was extremely hot and dry, and her wheat harvest came in about 30 percent below what she normally expects. Instead of giving up, Donkin is trying a new approach to farming — one that focuses on healing the soil so her farm can survive tough seasons in the future. She is part of a growing movement called regenerative agriculture, which works with nature rather than against it.

Donkin is one of 110 wheat farmers in the UK who receive support through a partnership between pet care company Purina and an organisation called Landscape Enterprise Networks, known as LENs. Together, they help farmers like Donkin adopt better farming methods across 8,000 hectares of UK farmland. The programme gives farmers funding, tools, and expert advice. This kind of support makes it possible for individual farmers to try changes they could not afford on their own.

At Donkin Hill Farm, the changes begin underground. Donkin has moved away from deep ploughing, which can damage the layers of soil that plants need. Instead, she uses a method called reduced tillage, which disturbs the soil much less. She also plants cover crops in winter — these are plants grown not to be harvested, but to keep living roots in the ground all year round. Planting trees and managing hedgerows are also part of her plan to restore the farm's natural balance.

Donkin also uses modern science to track how well the soil is recovering. She tests the soil for microbes, which are tiny living things too small to see with the naked eye. These microbes are a sign of a healthy, active soil. By checking microbial activity, she can see if the soil is getting better even before any visible changes appear above ground. This kind of soil science helps her make smarter decisions about what to do next.

One of the most practical results so far is that Donkin's farm now needs less synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Fertilisers can be very expensive, so using less of them saves money. Her cover crops help cycle nutrients naturally through the soil, doing some of the work that fertiliser would normally do. "Our cover crops are helping reduce the amount of nitrogen fertiliser we need, reducing costs and giving us an early measurable sign that some of the changes are working," she said. It is a small but meaningful step in the right direction.

The benefits go beyond the farm's finances. Healthier soil holds water better, which helps crops survive dry spells. The trees and hedgerows on the farm also capture carbon from the air and store it in the ground, which is good for the environment. These natural features create habitats — safe places for wildlife like birds and insects to live. A farm that supports wildlife is more balanced and more able to recover after difficult seasons.

Donkin took over the farm from her father, and she feels a deep connection to the land. She says many of the ideas behind regenerative farming are not completely new — earlier generations of farmers also rotated crops, covered the ground, and looked after hedgerows. What is different today is that farmers now have soil science and data to back up these old ideas. "What is interesting is that many of the principles we are coming back to are things earlier generations of farmers would recognise immediately," she said.

Donkin knows that rebuilding healthy soil takes a long time, and she is still early in the process. But she believes the work she is doing now will help her farm cope better in the years ahead. "This farm is part of our family history, and Purina's support is helping us test, measure and adapt in ways we could not fund alone," she said. Her story shows how science, tradition, and outside support can come together to help farmers face an uncertain future.