4 Front Farming Company Ltd

4 Front Farming Co Ltd was established in 2017, when four neighbouring farmers in Fife came together to collaborate, in order to achieve more regenerative, sustainable and profitable farming. The business is LEAF Marque certified and supplies oats into Quaker.

4 Front Farming covers 1200ha of land in Fife, Scotland, primarily growing oats, winter wheat, malting barley and combinable beans, alongside green manures, temporary herbal leys and some vegetable lets. The business is led by Farm Manager, Matt Waldie, who has been recognised as a ‘Climate Hero’ for his work using regenerative practices to restore soil health and soil carbon.

4 Front Farming's regenerative farming practices:

Direct drilling into multi-species cover crops

Minimum tillage

The integration of herbal leys

Mob grazing to help build soil organic matter levels.

Through using minimum tillage and direct drilling, the business has drastically reduced its energy requirements (and carbon emissions) through reduced diesel consumption. The use of herbal leys and mob grazing have further benefited this approach, providing time for the soil to rest and recover.

Matt has also been involved in LEAF’s Nature Based Solutions project, working with a range of farmers across different sectors who are using nature to mitigate climate change and build resilience on their farms. The project involved completing carbon footprinting analysis, and working with expert advisers to identify opportunities for increasing carbon sequestration and implementing more nature based practices.

Research interests:

• Producing food whilst maintaining and enhancing biodiversity
• Improving soil health and carbon sequestration
• Educating consumers about how food is produced