Insights from leading voices in regenerative farming: Interviews with Kresse Wesling CBE and Clare Mike
Regenerative farming is transforming agriculture by restoring soil health, increasing biodiversity, and building resilient farming systems. But the path to widespread adoption comes with its challenges. Here, we share insights from Kresse Wesling CBE, Co-Founder of Elvis & Kresse and Co-Farmer at New Barns Farm, and Clare Mike, Director of Technical & Business Development at LEAF. Their experiences highlight the realities of regenerative farming and how to encourage more farmers and companies to embrace it.
Kresse Wesling CBE: Co-Founder, Elvis & Kresse and Regenerative Farmer
Q: Why do you do it?
Kresse: We’ve spent years figuring out how to be a truly regenerative business. Our solution was to find a farm with poor soil and bring it back to life. Regenerative agriculture has enormous potential. It just needs more people to commit and celebrate the journey. At Elvis & Kresse, we’ve integrated farming into our business to show that any company can do it.
Q: What are the challenges and trade-offs?
Kresse: Farming is tough. You need patience and a keen eye. You have no control over the weather. We planted 3,000 trees and 12,000 vines in 2022. Then, a four-month drought hit, with temperatures over 40°C. It’s hard work, and unlike tech, you won’t see rapid financial returns. But I wouldn’t do anything else. This is our way of fighting climate change. It’s the work that needs to be done.
Q: What’s the opportunity?
Kresse: The potential is huge. Regenerative farming improves water systems, boosts carbon sequestration, and enhances nutrient density. It also supports biodiversity. However, these benefits only come if it’s done right. There’s too much “regen light” out there. We need full-on, chemical-free regenerative farming.
Q: How do we get more farmers and producers to invest in regenerative farming?
Kresse: We believe in total transparency and friendliness. We share our journey with our mostly conventional farming neighbours. If we succeed, our methods can be copied. One idea is to support test farms across the country. These farms could become training grounds for their neighbours and share all their data.
Q: What advice do you have for big companies and farmers to start the journey?
Kresse: Big companies should build long-term relationships with farmers. They’ll likely need to help fund the transition. Large corporations can also support test farms and farming networks. For farmers, it’s about sharing knowledge within the community. We need more accessible events, especially in winter when farmers have more time to engage.
Clare Mike, Director Technical & Business Development, LEAF
Q: What are the biggest challenges in meeting customer and retailer demands for regenerative farming?
Clare: Defining ‘regenerative’ is hard. It varies by farm type, and there’s not enough evidence showing it works financially. We also struggle with metrics to measure it. The short-term costs are a barrier, and farmers need financial support during the transition.
Q: How can farmers and producers work together to move forward?
Clare: Financial investment and access to advice are crucial. Demonstration farms and peer-to-peer learning can help. Supply chains should support farmers as ‘Living Labs’ to learn and build knowledge together.
Q: What are the key benefits of transitioning to regenerative farming?
Clare: It builds resilience in supply chains and farm businesses. It also encourages knowledge exchange and raises awareness among consumers. Engaging customers can drive demand for sustainably produced products.
Q: What’s slowing down the adoption of regenerative practices, and how can we speed it up?
Clare: The same issues—defining standards, proving financial viability, and ensuring support during the transition—are holding us back. Financial services can help by offering green finance options like favourable loans or overdrafts.
Financial opportunities for regenerative farmers
For those considering regenerative farming, there’s good news on the financial front. In the UK, farmers can access Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) funding, which supports efforts to improve soil quality. This can significantly offset the costs of adopting new practices. Additionally, the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy offers funding to promote sustainable soil management across Europe.
As Kresse and Clare shared, the journey to regenerative farming is challenging but offers profound benefits. By embracing transparency, data-driven & real time collaboration, and a willingness to invest, farmers, producers and retailers across the value chain can create a more sustainable, resilient agricultural system.
Join us at Unibloom for a demo and discover how you can quickly simulate scenarios for your projects and validate their impact on both climate and business targets in real-time. Learn how to engage all stakeholders and partners using our data-driven LCA (integrated with Agri-footprint database) and Financial platform, helping you save time, reduce costs, and gain accurate visualised insights in just minutes. Let’s explore how we can support your goals together!
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