Herefordshire farmer John Joseph has been crowned top winner of the 2025 Soil Farmer of the Year, after stealing the spotlight for his exceptional commitment to soil health and regenerative farming.
The competition, jointly organised by Farm Carbon Toolkit and Innovation for Agriculture, recognises UK farmers who treat soil as a vital, living resource.
At the Groundswell event, the top prize was awarded to John Joseph, who manages 100 hectares of sandy loam soil at Trecorras Farm in Herefordshire.
Over the past decade, John has transformed soil management on his farm by introducing companion crops, implementing a seven-year rotation that incorporates grassland into the arable system, adopting 100% direct drilling, and reducing inputs.
Jade Prince, soil specialist at Hutchinsons and competition judge, praised John’s “clarity of purpose and scalability.”
She said: “Every decision on John’s farm has a clear agronomic and economic rationale. What stood out was his ability to link soil management to business viability, showing that good soil makes good business sense.”
Second place went to Jonathan Hodgson, who farms 285 hectares of clay soil at Great Newsome Farm in East Yorkshire.
His approach includes strip tillage, companion cropping, cover crops, integrated livestock, and the removal of seed dressings and insecticides.
“Jonathan’s approach to enterprise stacking was particularly inspiring,” added Ms Prince. “From growing barley for his own distillery to producing dual-purpose flax and grazing sheep on cover crops, he is building diversity and resilience into both soil and business.”
Third place was awarded to Andrew Mahon, who manages 800 hectares of Hanslope clay in Bedfordshire.
Since 2015, Andrew has largely adopted direct drilling, with shallow discing to establish small seeds. He is now focusing on alleviating localised soil compaction and enhancing biological activity through targeted interventions.
Deborah Crossan, Head of Soils and Natural Resources at Innovation for Agriculture, commended Andrew’s pioneering use of biological inputs.
“Andrew is pioneering on-farm applications of Johnson-Su compost extract and biological feed at drilling.
"His attention to soil biology and microbial support is not just progressive, it’s proving highly effective in driving organic matter gains and establishment success.”
Following the awards, the three winning farmers will each host on-farm events to demonstrate their soil management techniques in practice.
These farm walks will provide valuable learning opportunities for other farmers aiming to improve soil resilience and reduce input dependency.
“Seeing these systems on the ground is invaluable,” said Ms Crossan. “They demonstrate how different soil types, farming systems, and business models can all benefit from a soil-first approach.”
