North Lincolnshire farmer, Colin Chappell was the inaugural winner of the Rawcliffe Bridge Sustainability Award in 2022.
Colin runs an arable unit on the banks of the river Ancholme and impressed judges with his engagement with carbon and soil monitoring, implementation of multiple wildlife schemes, his approach to reducing nitrogen, but above all, his dedication to community.
“Winning the Rawcliffe Bridge Sustainability Award has changed my life,” he says. “It was the first award I entered and gave me the confidence to enter others. It also made me constantly re-evaluate the meaning of sustainability.”
Since winning the award Colin’s found recognition in the farming community, travelled to countries to discuss agricultural sustainability and, having acquired more knowledge and experience, continued to adapt his own farm.
“While you’re unlikely to pick Latvia as a first choice destination, it was an incredible experience. The farmers there were so curious and there were some striking similarities between us grabbling with the changes that came as a result of Brexit and their experiences, having recently left Russia.
“Talking with others who are facing the similar issues is quite life-affirming and offers perspective,” he says
Colin is renowned for his own thirst for knowledge. The summer following the award ceremony, he visited, Guy Prudom, the 2022 Rawcliffe Bridge runner-up, and left the farm pondering how he could incorporate the benefits of having livestock on the farm – without owning animals.
“We are all constantly learning. Wherever farmers live and work, we’re constantly adapting to change.”
Today Colin is thinking about sustainability in a different way, his son is keen to take over the business but by 2050 climate change is likely to see the land under water most winters.
“2019 was the first year we were flooded so bad we solely produced spring crops,” he recalls. “That was fine until we got to the drought – which hit hard and early. Spring crops on heavy clay soils is not only difficult but risky, and really emphasises the need to build soil health, increasing infiltration and water holding capacity.” That has helped navigate this year’s flooding.
To increase the resilience of the farming business Colin has put 95 hectares into environmental measures. It was a much-needed financial cushion when the wet weather hit last autumn and winter.
“We could have put the whole hectarage into the scheme, but I really don’t like that idea.
“I believe that at some point in the future we’ll see wider society rediscover the true value of food and when that comes, we will need farmers like my son, that have the knowledge and experience of food production. If all our land is in SFI, he will miss out on vital experiences, and it’ll be much harder to bring land back into production.”
Fortunately, this autumn has been kind and Colin has all the winter crops safely in the ground.
“In September, I was worried I’d made a mistake in delaying drilling for black-grass control. We had a couple of weeks of relentless heavy rain. But it did stop, the fields dried and today all the winter crops are in. I’ve not needed to redrill any fields and all the crops are looking good. Conditions for travel have been near-perfect.
“After last year, when I was worried that I wouldn’t have any crops to harvest, we’re in need of a good season.”
