What does regenerative farming look like in practice, and how can it help build more resilient dairy businesses?

Recorded live at Groundswell 2026, Mike Smith, Farmer Director and Vice Chairman of First Milk, is joined by Council Member Lucy Noad and Farmer Director Scott Calderwood to explore how regenerative farming practices are being put into action on their farms.

Together, they share their experiences of making changes, from introducing more diverse pastures and improving soil health to supporting biodiversity, animal welfare and more resilient grazing systems. They also discuss the benefits they're beginning to see, including healthier cows, longer grazing seasons and reduced reliance on purchased inputs.

But making changes isn't always straightforward. From trying new approaches and learning from setbacks to managing financial pressures, the conversation explores why sharing knowledge, learning from other farmers and having support throughout the transition are so important.

Looking to the future, they discuss what it will take to build farming businesses that are environmentally and financially resilient, and why collaboration and shared investment across the supply chain will be essential to making lasting progress.

Whether you're a farmer, adviser or simply interested in the future of dairy farming, this episode offers a practical, honest perspective on the opportunities and challenges of regenerative farming, straight from the farm gate.

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Carbon from the ground up

Can regenerative farming really put more carbon back into the soil?

Recorded live at Groundswell 2026, Mark Brooking, regenerative farming expert and former Chief Impact Officer at First Milk, is joined by Annie Leeson, CEO and co-founder of Agricarbon, to explore why measuring soil carbon matters and what the latest evidence is beginning to tell us.

Six years ago, First Milk and Agricarbon began working together to build a robust baseline for soil carbon across First Milk farms. Now, following the first remeasurement work, they’re starting to see how those soils have changed alongside the adoption of regenerative farming practices.

Mark and Annie discuss the initial results from three farms, where soil carbon increased over the measurement period, and why expanding that evidence base will be important in understanding the relationship between regenerative farming practices and carbon sequestration.

They also explore why soil carbon matters beyond carbon itself, from water-holding capacity and drought resilience to nutrients and nature, and how better measurement could ultimately help farmers demonstrate the impact of the changes they are making on farm.

Whether you're a farmer, adviser or simply interested in the evidence behind regenerative agriculture, this episode offers a fascinating look at what happens when we start measuring change beneath our feet.

Like this episode? Subscribe to ensure you never miss out. Want to find out more about First Milk and its regenerative agriculture approach? Visit www.firstmilk.co.uk

What does it look like when nature becomes part of the farming system, rather than something confined to the field edges?

Recorded live at Groundswell 2026, Lee Truelove, Director of Regenerative Farming at First Milk, is joined by Professor Richard Pywell from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) to explore how biodiversity can be integrated into productive dairy farming.

Together, they discuss new work taking place across six First Milk farms to measure biodiversity and build a clearer picture of the wildlife supported by regenerative dairy systems. From birds, bats and pollinators to dung beetles and moths, the aim is to understand which species can tell us most about the health and functioning of the farm ecosystem.

The conversation also explores the technology being used to gather evidence, including acoustic monitoring and autonomous moth traps, and why repeatable, science-led monitoring is so important for understanding whether biodiversity is increasing over time.

With rare bee species already being recorded on First Milk farms, Lee and Richard discuss the opportunities for dairy farming to support nature within the productive landscape, and why robust evidence could help farmers, customers and consumers better understand its impact.

Whether you're a farmer, adviser or simply interested in the relationship between food production and nature, this episode offers a fascinating look at what we can learn when we start measuring the biodiversity already present on our farms.

Like this episode? Subscribe to ensure you never miss out. Want to find out more about First Milk and its regenerative agriculture approach? Visit www.firstmilk.co.uk