Gentle Farming
Discover Gentle Farming’s regenerative approach to farming for better sustainability – from soil health to technological innovation, insects to mob-bots…
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About Gentle Farming
Gentle Farming is a family-run farming business based in the east of England, focused on soil health, reducing risk and improving long-term sustainability.
With regenerative farming at its core, the team at Gentle Farming – based at Oakley Farm on the Norfolk/ Lincolnshire border – have 17 years of experience in regenerative agriculture. This includes producing carbon negative, regeneratively farmed produce at a lower cost than any other farming system, and no-till farming which has seen the business improve profitability whilst maintaining yields. In their 800 hectares of land, 720 is in food production, where the farm grows a range of different cereal, perennial and break crops.
Gentle Farming has a real passion for innovation. With various inventions and patents in development on the farm, the end goal is to manage productive farmland for soil health and grow healthy and affordable food. The team has been perfecting these systems to grow food which will benefit both people and the planet – working on several projects to push the boundaries in the agriculture space including robotics development, an insect farm, mob-bot, and weather stations. Many start-ups have seen their first steps taken on the land too, and the team is always on the lookout for interesting opportunities!
Resources available on the farm include fava beans, a range of grass leys and cereal crops, and waste streams (co-products as we call them at Pitch Up!) from wood to fruit waste from insect production.
“In my opinion, diversity in all its meanings is essential to running a profitable and sustainable business in the future. Working with a network of awesome farms looking to do the same is always very appealing, and having a professionally put together campaign like Pitch Up! is super exciting.”– Thomas Gent
Who?
Proud to be the fourth generation on his family’s 800-hectare farm, Thomas works alongside his dad and grandad to manage operations. Since 2008, they’ve been practising regenerative farming techniques, focusing on soil health, reducing risk and improving long-term sustainability.
During lockdown and with time on his hands, Thomas founded the Gentle Farming brand to showcase the work and innovation taking place on his farm. Since then he’s supported and advised many start-up companies – from robotics and technology to sustainable financing and insect farming – and has a real passion for mentoring new companies.
Thomas is also the Regenerative Farming Lead at Agreena, which operates Europe’s largest carbon farming programme. His role sees him engaging with corporates and farmers looking to progress the regenerative farming movement.
Other businesses on the farm:
Economad – economad.co.uk / @economadltd
Producing simple, affordable and effective solutions that enable farmers to transform their livestock waste into usable energy and fertiliser.
AgriGrub – agrigrub.co.uk / @agrigrub
The UK’s largest calci worm farm with a mission to eliminate the emissions produced from food production.
Listt.io – Listt.io
Expertise in robotics and automation to create appropriate technology solutions for nature friendly farming.