We recently caught up with Barnes Edwards from The Garlic Farm to find out what changes they’ve been making to their farm management practices over the last few years. Barnes filled us in on what they’ve learned from observations, which soil tests they’ve found particularly insightful, and how they’ve been regenerating biodiversity on the farm.
About The Garlic Farm
The Garlic Farm, based on the Isle of Wight, is a third generation family owned farm specialising in growing garlic and selling homemade garlic condiments.
Barnes Edwards took on the agricultural side of the business just under 5 years ago, having previously worked for 25 years in product design; problem solving and systems thinking in his previous career has laid a foundation for thinking about the land and farming in a more holistic way. Since Barnes embarked on his steep learning curve, the farm has converted to organic, with the adoption of regenerative practices, such as integrating livestock into the garlic growing rotation, “the animals are our eco-system engineers, we’re using them to improve soil health, water holding capacity, biodiversity and more”.
Barnes reflects that his lack of experience in agriculture prior to taking over the management of the farm was actually a superpower:
“That sort of new entrant freshness, just being really keen, but not really knowing what normally happens and just looking at what could happen… the naivety was good. Mike Harrington, who is very experienced, in caring for land and plants for multiple decades, quite early on when I met him he said it’s brilliant that you don’t know anything…You’re going to get so much more done, which is quite funny.”
Crop observation: Sainfoin & chicory
Observation: Red campion & bluebells
Understanding observation
Early on in his position Barnes discovered Soilmentor, initially using it as an educational tool to help him understand how to monitor his soils and tune into observational practices, “it was a guide, coach, and window into what to look at in the soil, why you’re looking at it, how to look at it and what it all means when you do look at the soil”. Now Barnes uses Soilmentor as a “tool to tune into the process of observation”.
“I think that’s really where the value of the Vidacycle platform is; you’re giving the encouragement and the relevance to observation; you’re nudging people to make those observations and you’re making the tracking of those observations really simple and easy.”
Barnes began to realise the importance of observation when he started taking infiltration rate tests on the farm:
“The most startling and inspiring, and sort of terrifying, is the difference in infiltration rate from in the field to in the hedge. You’re in the same place, you’re 20 metres apart, you’re at the same altitude, it’s all the same, and nature is just aggregating the soil in the most incredible way and humans are completely messing it up, metres away. That was pretty extraordinary really, and still remains fascinating.”
The farm team would often have to abandon their infiltration rate test in the field after a few hours, but were shocked to find that the water infiltrated the hedgerow soil within a matter of seconds. This extreme disparity in results inspired Barnes to use infiltration rate as a benchmark indicator of soil health on the farm, carrying out frequent infiltration rates to see how their soils are improving.
“The test is so simple, there’s little ambiguity, it’s hard to get wrong; it really does indicate health at the core of the system. It feels like if we can make progress with infiltration rates, then we’re making good progress.”
Infiltration rate in mins: 10
Infiltration rate in mins: 45 ``abandoned, all water left``
Regenerating Biodiversity
In recent years, the farm has increased visitors to its on-site accommodation, restaurant, farm shop, and wholesale garlic seed enterprise. These activities on-site has meant that the farm uses significantly more water than it used to; in order to reduce water usage, the team contracted Biologic Design to install a natural filtration water system. The system works by feeding foul water with gravity through a series of swales with soil, woodchip and filter plants in between; by the time the water gets to the end of the system, it has been naturally purified by microbes. This wetland ecosystem uses soil as the purification medium, rather than gravel as in conventional Reedbed Treatment Systems.
Since its installation, the swales have transformed into a natural wetland oasis, attracting rare insects, particularly endangered species of dragonflies and damselflies. This habitat has become an attraction to the farm in its own right, with a local dragonfly enthusiast visiting the farm to take photos of the different species.
This remarkable transformation has taken place in only a year, with the water filtration system having been constructed in April 2024. Since its installation, the team have harvested their first crop from fruit and nut trees that have been planted in between swales, and Barnes has noticed an increase in plant biodiversity springing up around the natural system.
“James, our local expert took a photo of an emperor dragonfly actually laying eggs in the swales, so that means they think it’s a good habitat to have babies in, which, given that it starts off as smashed up excrement and urine, that’s quite a good compliment, isn’t it?”
Black-tailed skimmers: ``a narrow bodied dragonfly that can be seen flying low over the bare gravel and mud around flooded gravel pits and reservoirs``
Hawk moth
Black-bodied chaser dragonfly
Blue-tailed damselfly
Black-tailed skimmer dragonfly
Banded demoiselle damselfly
Small red-eyed damselfly
Common blue damselfly
Common darter dragonfly
Emperor dragonfly: ``ovipositing`` (laying eggs)
Thanks to Barnes Edwards for chatting to us about your regenerative journey on The Garlic Farm, we love hearing how Soilmentor is being used to support ecological farming practices. If you are interested in learning more about natural water filtration systems, take a look here.
If you’d like to learn more about Soilmentor or have any questions, feel free to email the team on info@vidacycle.com.
