Kingsplay Farming Company Ltd

Kingsplay Farming Company Ltd is a progressive 850-hectare mixed farming business run by Lucy and Nick Tyler in the Wiltshire countryside. With a clear mission “to enhance the health and welfare of our animals, and the quality of our produce, while optimising food safety, farm efficiency and sustainability,” the farm integrates dairy, beef, arable, and environmental land management into a smart, sustainable system.

The business operates a closed herd of 400 Holstein Friesian dairy cows plus replacements, milked through seven Lely Astronaut A5 robots, under a Müller M&S milk contract. Cows are grazed from March to September and served to both Holstein and Wagyu, producing home-bred, home-reared animals for their Wagyu F1 beef enterprise.

Arable operations cover 300 hectares of combinable crops, alongside 350 hectares of grassland and 175 hectares of forage crops, supporting the livestock enterprise and maintaining soil fertility. Around 50% of combinable crops are sold, with all straw retained on-farm to close nutrient loops.

Kingsplay Farm is LEAF Marque certified and actively engaged in Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), ensuring that biodiversity, soil, and water health are central to farm management.

Research interests:

• Soil and nutrient management: testing biological alternatives to synthetic fertilisers and improving manure use efficiency.
• Agroforestry: integrating silvopasture and silvoarable systems to enhance biodiversity and diversify income.
• Carbon and climate resilience: reducing inputs, improving energy efficiency, and cutting the farm’s carbon footprint.
• Water management: embedding water efficiency planning across livestock and cropping systems.
• Biodiversity and habitat connectivity: using ponds, tree roundels, and landscape features to support wildlife corridors.
• Farm workforce and succession: exploring how robotics, data, and business planning can strengthen long-term resilience.