Northumberland farm showing the way to a sustainable future with a carbon audit

The carbon audit of Bradford House Farm, near Ponteland, will be sponsored by Virgin Money as part of the bank’s ongoing support for farming customers facing the challenge of meeting the industry’s net zero carbon target in 2040.

The audit will be undertaken by industry experts, Carbon Metrics, who will present the results in a dedicated presentation “Carbon - Understanding the Journey to Net Zero - The journey for farmers to a Net Zero future and turning the challenge to opportunity” at the NSA North Sheep, on Wednesday, June 7.

Virgin Money’s UK Head of Agriculture, Brian Richardson, sees this event as a perfect platform to demonstrate the major business and environmental benefits of carbon auditing for the sheep farming sector.

“Farmers are under enormous pressure right now with rising costs and shrinking profit margins, and at the same time they are increasingly being challenged by their markets and by consumers to prove that they are cutting carbon,” he explained.

"Having an independent, professional carbon audit of their farming business gives the farmer a clear and accurate benchmark for measuring their current carbon emissions, and it forms the basis for planning changes in the business that will reduce carbon emissions and costs.

“The Woodman family who are very generously hosting the North Sheep event are very progressive and highly respected in the UK sheep farming community, and I am certain that their carbon audit will deliver results that will prove beyond doubt how valuable this is for a sustainable future.”

The Bradford Farm carbon audit will begin with a face-to-face farm visit to understand the history of the business, as well as data gathering of costings, fertiliser records, and nutrient management plans.

This provides the numbers for further discussion on how carbon can be reduced as part of the farm’s future management plan, says Simon Haley, director and founder of Carbon Metrics.

“Agriculture has to become more carbon neutral and embarking on this journey now can be hugely beneficial to both your farm and to the environment,” he said. “Our auditing process is extremely thorough and looks at all the avenues of your business.”