Farming for the future: Claydon Drills and the regenerative Journey

In this episode of the Sea2Soil Podcast, we take to the field - literally. Grant James sits down with Simon Revell, Export Manager for Claydon Drills, to discuss over 20 years of innovation, soil-first farming, and the role of natural soil improvers in shaping a sustainable future.

Recorded on a breezy July morning in front of Claydon’s long-running trial plots, the conversation explores the journey from profit-driven direct drilling to the wider environmental benefits now being realised on farms across the UK and Europe.

Simon explains how the Claydon system - refining cultivation without turning the soil - has helped farmers reduce costs, protect soil biology, and build resilience against increasingly extreme weather. He shares insights into cover cropping, straw harrowing, and trials with Sea2Soil that show promising improvements in soil structure and microbial activity.

But it’s not just about machinery. The episode digs into the challenges of farmer mindsets, the slow but steady adoption of regenerative techniques, and the importance of partnerships between businesses, agronomists, and researchers. Together, these collaborations are helping to future-proof food production.

Looking ahead, Simon and Grant consider the bigger questions: What does sustainability really mean? How do we keep soils productive for generations to come? And how do we keep pushing boundaries, through seed breeding, trials, and innovative natural inputs, so that farming can thrive in the face of climate change?

This is a practical, honest, and hopeful discussion about soil health, sustainable farming systems, and why the future of agriculture depends on both innovation and collaboration.

Read all about what to expect from Episode 5 of the Sea2Soil Podcast, coming to YouTube and Spotify on October 9th at 10am.