We encourage farmers to keep intensive tillage to a minimum across the rotation cycle. The more soil is disturbed, the more it loses its structure and the harder it becomes for underground life to thrive.

We were able to reduce tillage events at the Farm of the Future in North America by preparing fields for potatoes the fall before. We have also tried to reduce compaction by limiting where heavy machinery travels on the field.

We encourage the strengthening or ‘armouring’ of soil with living plants called ‘cover crops’. Over time, armouring the soil aims to prevent erosion from wind and rain, and stop soils from drying out.

The potato fields on the Farm of the Future in North America stay armoured for more than 170 days of the year by growing a diversity of cover crops.

By focusing on increasing organic matter, over time, farms aim to promote soil fertility and resilience, as well as increase soil infiltration and water holding capacity. Regular soil health assessments are key to track any improvements.

At the Farm of the Future in North America, we annually monitor improvements against a 1000+ soil sample baseline.

Pesticides can have a detrimental effect on biodiversity. We want to reduce risks of crop protection products and promote soil biodiversity which may over time enable the natural function of soil, such as the ability to fight pests and diseases.

On our Farm of the Future in North America, we have been able to use fewer, less harmful products with well-timed application.

We encourage diversity both on and around the farm ecosystem. While bringing more life to the soil in the form of worms and insects may over time help the spread of nutrients on the farm, natural habitats around the farm aim to support insects that can benefit the crop over time.

More than a quarter of the Farm of the Future in North America is dedicated to natural habitat, such as hedgerows and forested areas.