ORGANIC SOIL IMPROVER: Providing a full nutritional profile for you soil to make it healthier and more productive
In Episode 3 of the Sea2Soil Podcast, James Warne of Soil First Farming described the soil’s microbial life as “livestock below the surface” - billions of unseen workers breaking down residues, cycling nutrients, and supporting crop growth. But, just like the livestock above ground, these microbes need to be fed.
The challenge for farmers isn’t only about what to feed them, but when.
As temperatures rise in early spring, microbial life begins to stir after its winter dormancy. Add moisture from rainfall events, and suddenly the soil biology “switches back on.”
This is one of the best times to introduce products like Sea2Soil, supporting the biology at the moment when it’s ready to get to work. Feeding at this stage ensures microbes have energy available for residue breakdown and nutrient cycling right when crops need it most.
Every rainfall event throughout the summer reinvigorates microbial activity. While dry spells may slow things down, regular feeding during these active phases helps maintain a thriving underground ecosystem. Think of it as topping up the energy levels of your soil workforce so they can keep releasing nutrients throughout the season.
Autumn presents another window of opportunity — provided there is moisture and soil warmth. With cover crops in the ground, feeding biology can pay dividends, supporting residue breakdown and nutrient cycling before winter sets in. In this way, the soil is still working for you even after the main crop has been harvested.
When soil temperatures drop and biology slows into dormancy, feeding has less impact. The microbes are “asleep,” waiting for the warmer conditions of spring to return. That’s why timing matters: applying the right product at the wrong time risks missing the window where the biology is active enough to respond.
Microbes don’t operate on a calendar — they respond to the environment. Temperature, rainfall, soil structure, and organic matter all play a role. By matching your feeding strategy to the soil’s biological rhythm, you can:
As James explained, soil management is always a balancing act. But understanding the “wake and sleep cycles” of your underground livestock is a powerful step toward healthier, more profitable soils.
Listen to Episode 3 of the Sea2Soil Podcast: Feeding the Underground Livestock
In the far north of Scotland, near Halkirk in Caithness, John Mackay runs a mixed arable and livestock farm across several sites spanning more than 300 acres. With a background that spans engineering, the nuclear industry, and now an offshore career, John has always returned to farming whenever he’s home. That mix of experiences has shaped his perspective on how to best manage the land.
“Because I’m away offshore for long stretches, I’ve had to rethink how we farm,” John explains. “It’s about making the system work smarter, not harder. Improving soil health while reducing synthetic inputs is the way forward for us.”
Today, the farm grows barley (and previously oats) and runs livestock across rough grazing ground. John is also exploring ways to expand into more crop production over summer while increasing livestock numbers through winter grazing, whether by utilising forage crops or bringing in store lambs and cast ewes.
With plenty of late nights spent researching alternative farming processes and systems, John has built his knowledge. “After shifts, I’ll sit down and dig into regenerative practices, foliar nutrient systems, and biological inputs. That’s how I came across Sea2Soil,” he says.
After reaching out to Liz here at Sea2Soil for more information, John began trialling our product alongside foliar-applied urea, Epsotop, and molasses. And even without compound fertilisers, the results were encouraging.
“Our crops held their colour, rooted well, and bulked up nicely - even through dry spells,” John recalls. Demonstrating how Sea2Soil can be used in a very practical way to improve overall crop resilience in a changing climate, especially in drier seasons like we’ve seen in 2025.
The impact hasn’t been limited to arable ground. Grassland has also shown noticeable improvement.
“We’ve got older fields that sheep used to avoid,” John explains. “Since applying Sea2Soil, they’re now grazing those fields evenly. One field in particular was always strip-grazed for cattle, but the sheep would never touch the aftermath. Now they graze the whole lot without hesitation. That tells me something in the biology has shifted - it’s making the forage more palatable or healthier.”
John is also working with other partners, including Jenna Ballantine at NewGen Agri and Andy Cheetham at Hybrid Farming Systems, to build a longer-term foliar and biological-based nutrient plan. The aim is to reduce inputs and costs while steadily improving soil health.
“We’re realistic that yields might dip slightly as soils correct themselves,” John says, “but in the long run, this will be more sustainable and profitable.”
Balancing full-time offshore work with part-time farming has given John a pragmatic perspective.
“It’s not about doing things the old way,” he says. “It’s about doing them better. With Sea2Soil and the systems we’re putting in place, I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction. I know this isn’t a quick fix, but I want to work to correct some of the damage that has been done to the land here without manmade fertiliser where I can. It’s a big step for me, but I know I’m only just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
Want to know more about how Sea2Soil can fit into your farming system? Talk to the team today to see how they can support you - get in touch.
In Episode 3 of the Sea2Soil Podcast, Grant James is joined by James Warne from Soil First Farming to dig into the fascinating – and often overlooked – world of microbial activity in soils.
Healthy soils are alive with billions of microscopic organisms – often described as “livestock beneath the surface.” These microbes play a crucial role in breaking down residues, cycling nutrients, and supporting profitable crop production. But, as James explains, they need the right environment to thrive.
Moisture, aeration, and good soil structure are the starting points. Once that environment is in place, it becomes a question of how to keep the biology fed. Without food, microbes can begin consuming stored carbon, reducing long-term fertility. Products like Sea2Soil, when applied at the right time, can provide valuable nutrition to sustain this underground workforce.
Timing is key. As temperatures rise in spring and rainfall reinvigorates activity, microbial life “wakes up” and begins working again. With cover crops in the autumn, there are further opportunities to boost biology – provided warmth and moisture remain in the system.
The conversation also explores:
Soil biology, James emphasises, is a jigsaw puzzle. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but understanding and nurturing the underground ecosystem is key to making soils healthier, more resilient, and more profitable.
Read up on Episode 3 of the Sea2Soil Podcast: Feeding the Underground Livestock, coming to YouTube and Spotify on September 11th at 10am.
Across UK farming, the conversation is shifting. With fertiliser prices volatile, soils under pressure, and sustainability targets tightening, many are asking: how do we create farming systems that are both profitable and resilient? One answer lies in rethinking waste - and transforming it into a resource.
That’s the essence of the circular economy in agriculture: closing the loop, reducing reliance on synthetics, and making the most of what’s already at our fingertips. At Sea2Soil, we’re proud to be part of that story.
Sea2Soil is made from fish by-products that would otherwise go to waste. Instead of being discarded, this material is carefully processed into a biological input that farmers can use to rebuild soil biology, improve nutrient cycling, and reduce their dependence on expensive artificial fertilisers.
It’s a simple but powerful idea:
As regenerative farmer Ben Taylor-Davies (Regen Ben) shared in Episode 2 of the Sea2Soil Podcast, inputs like fish hydrolysate aren’t just “fertilisers.” They’re food for the soil food web.
“We’re essentially creating fertiliser factories in the soil. If we can get protozoa eating bacteria, then we’re releasing nitrogen naturally back to the crop.”
By stimulating protozoa, bacteria, worms, and fungi, Sea2Soil helps re-establish the natural cycles that have always fed plants. That’s the circular economy in action - nutrients moving through biological systems, not bags.
The financial case for a circular approach is just as compelling. Fish-based products like Sea2Soil can replace fertiliser at a fraction of the cost. As Ben put it: “If I’m not using fertiliser, and I’m replacing it with fish at a tenth of the cost, that’s simple maths.”
In other words: cutting waste isn’t just about sustainability targets. It’s about making farms more profitable and resilient.
Circular economy thinking is increasingly shaping policy and practice across the UK. From DEFRA’s strategies to grassroots farmer innovation, the drive is the same: reduce waste, reuse resources, and restore ecosystems.
Sea2Soil is a practical way of doing exactly that - taking a waste product from the sea and turning it into a living input for the soil. It’s farming as it always should have been: connected, cyclical, and self-sustaining.
To hear more about how farmers are putting this into practice, listen to Episode 2 of the Sea2Soil Podcast, where Regen Ben shares how he’s using fish-based inputs to kickstart his soils, reduce fertiliser, and boost profitability.
Following a long, hot, dry summer, soils will be suffering in many areas and will need a boost in terms of soil biological activity ahead of next season. With rain and showers forecast much more widely across the UK for the coming days (late-August), it’s an ideal time to apply Sea2Soil and kick-start the microbial activity in your soils.
Whether drilling new winter crops, covers ahead of spring drilling next year, or leaving a fallow green stubble, applying a soil improver will provide vital nutrients to boost soil microbial activity and soil health, in turn improving early establishment of winter crops, cover crops and spring crops and alleviating particularly those crops suffering from additional stress.
Whichever way you farm, every soil and every field can benefit from the use of a soil improver, especially at vital times throughout the year where the product can help ensure optimal soil health, early nutrition and establishment by:
Find out what other growers and soil health experts think about soil improvers
Sea2Soil improves soils by actively feeding soil micro-organism populations, including protozoa and earthworms, with an array of vital nutrients and amino acids. In turn, the microorganisms release valuable nutrients from the soil in plant bioavailable form to feed the growing crop. This process can take time, depending on existing soil conditions, so it’s better to apply the product while the crop is young and again before key growth phases, giving a boost when the crop really needs it as it establishes and grows.
The microbial community (underground livestock) in soils require constant feeding. Soil improvers used in combination with a crop or cover crop are an ideal way to do this, ideally with minimal soil disturbance.
In the autumn, apply Sea2Soil early (around drilling or pre-drilling) to help get the soil micro-organisms going as soon as possible. A split application approach (in autumn, followed by early spring) is the most effective timing.
Quick guide to optimal application timings:
Winter oilseed rape:
Winter covers, green stubble fallows:
Spring crops:
The Sea2Soil trials research programme and collaborative partnerships are improving our understanding of soil health every year. As we find out more, more growers are trying Sea2Soil on their farms, too.
For more information on applying Sea2Soil this season, product specifications or information around our research programme, please contact Grant James by emailing grant.james@pelagia.com or calling 07976 879646.
In this episode of the Sea2Soil Podcast, Business Development Manager Grant James sits down with regenerative farmer Ben Taylor-Davies (Regen Ben) in Ross-on-Wye to discuss the realities of soil improvement, the role of biology in farming systems, and how Sea2Soil is helping kickstart natural processes across his diverse enterprise.
When asked about his past experience with soil improvers, Ben didn’t hold back: “Many soil improvers I’ve tried don’t improve soil. You spend an awful lot of money on promises, and often the results just aren’t there.”
Instead, Ben has found that keeping things simple - and focusing on what really changes soil structure and biology - makes the difference. Sea2Soil, with its unique combination of both, has led to remarkable improvements on his farm, particularly by stimulating protozoa populations.
“That’s been the massive missing link for us - protozoa predating bacteria, releasing nitrogen back to crops at the start of the season. Instead of applying bagged nitrogen, we use fish and protozoa tea to kickstart the system, and it has an enormous effect.”
Ben’s farm is as diverse as it gets - with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and bees, alongside an equally wide mix of crops. For him, Sea2Soil has become a cornerstone of how he establishes and manages those crops.
“Every time we plant a seed, it goes in with Sea2Soil. The aim is to colonise the rhizosphere with as much life as possible - feed the earthworms, feed the protozoa, and let them turn bacteria into fertiliser factories.”
Crops such as rye, barley, wheat, oilseed rape, potatoes, and sugar beet have all responded positively. Ben also uses Sea2Soil extensively in his agroforestry, where he’s noticed better mycorrhizal associations and, interestingly, far less tree damage from voles, hares, and deer.
Rather than chasing headline yield numbers, Ben takes a pragmatic view of profitability and input costs.
“If I’m not using fertiliser, and I’m replacing it with fish at a tenth of the cost, that’s simple maths. I don’t need a piece of paper and pen to work that out.”
For Ben, Sea2Soil is not an ‘add-on’ input - it’s a direct replacement for expensive synthetic fertilisers, making his system both more cost-effective and biologically resilient.
So what would Ben say to someone considering Sea2Soil for the first time?
“The biggest thing in regen farming is how you spin the flywheel and get the system moving. Fish has always been a part of natural farming systems. My grandfather would wonder why we’re even having the conversation.”
Ben sees Sea2Soil as a natural fit in regenerative agriculture - and values its role in the circular economy.
“It’s a waste product that we’re converting into massive benefits. If you’re looking to improve soil, Sea2Soil is an essential part of the programme.”
👉Read up on Espiode 2 with RegeBen before its release date!
Healthy soil equals healthy crops. That’s the core message of The Sea2Soil Podcast – and it’s never more relevant than when we talk about soil cultivation. In Episode 1, host Grant James speaks with Steve Townsend of Soil First Farming about why excessive soil movement is one of the most damaging – and costly – practices in modern agriculture.
In this companion blog, we dig deeper into the points Steve raised and explore why reducing cultivation could be the most profitable decision a farmer makes.
Cultivation, or soil movement, has long been a cornerstone of conventional farming. It includes ploughing, harrowing, discing – all designed to prepare seedbeds, manage weeds, and “refresh” the soil.
But while these techniques might give short-term gains, they often come with long-term costs that aren’t always obvious. As Steve puts it: “Cultivations are the things that damage our soil. If you damage the soil, you damage the biology – and then you spend more money on inputs like fertiliser.”
Soil isn’t just the ground we walk upon – it’s alive. Beneath our feet lies a complex food web of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other microscopic life forms. These organisms recycle nutrients, build soil structure, and support plant health.
Frequent cultivation disrupts this balance:
Over time, this biological decline forces farmers to rely more heavily on synthetic fertilisers and chemicals, increasing costs and reducing soil’s natural productivity.
Disturbed soil is fragile soil. Once aggregates are broken, they’re more prone to erosion – washed away by rain or blown away by wind. And it’s often the most fertile topsoil that goes first. As Steve points out: “We are letting too much of our soil go down the river. And it’s not the worst bit of soil that goes – it’s the best bit of soil that goes.”
Cultivation can also lead to compaction. Repeated passes with heavy machinery press soils into hard layers, reducing water infiltration and root growth. This creates a vicious cycle where fields become harder to manage and require even more energy to work.
The biological and physical damage caused by cultivation leads to direct economic costs:
Reducing soil movement flips this on its head: healthier soils mean fewer inputs, lower costs, and more resilient yields.
Conservation agriculture – the approach Steve champions – is built around three key principles:
This shift won’t happen overnight. Farmers need to plan rotations, consider new equipment, and learn to “trust” the soil biology they’re building. But as more UK farmers join networks like BASE UK, they’re proving that profitability and sustainability can go hand-in-hand.
Products like Sea2Soil can support this transition. By adding readily digestible proteins and carbohydrates, Sea2Soil feeds soil microbes at key stages of regeneration, helping rebuild biology faster and strengthen the soil food web.
Ongoing trials – including research with Nottingham University – aim to quantify this boost, but the logic is simple: feed the biology, and it will feed your crops.
Thinking about moving towards less soil disturbance? Here are some first steps:
Steve Townsend’s conversation with Grant James in Episode 1 of The Sea2Soil Podcast brings these ideas to life, with practical insights from decades of on-farm experience.
Listen to Episode 1: Why chemistry, physics, and biology must all work together for healthier soils, with Steve Townsend.
Want updates on future episodes, trial results, and practical soil health tips? Sign up for the Sea2Soil newsletter and join the journey towards healthier soils and healthier crops.
Healthy soil equals healthy crops. That’s the simple truth at the heart of Sea2Soil’s mission – and it’s the focus of our brand-new podcast series, The Sea2Soil Podcast. Hosted by Sea2Soil’s Grant James, the series dives deep into soil biology, soil health, and the regenerative practices that are transforming agriculture around the globe.
In our very first episode, Grant sits down with Steve Townsend of Soil First Farming, a leading consultancy helping farmers reduce costs and boost profitability through conservation agriculture and improved soil management. Steve brings decades of hands-on experience, guiding farmers through the transition from conventional methods to regenerative systems that put soil biology at the centre of farm success.
What you’ll hear in Episode 1
Steve also shares insights from farmer-to-farmer knowledge networks like BASE UK, highlighting the power of community learning when adopting new approaches.
Why start listening to this podcast?
Grant James explains: “At the end of the day, if we don’t have healthy soil, we don’t have healthy crops. Through these conversations, I want to help farmers and growers understand their soil biology – and show that small changes can have huge benefits for productivity and sustainability.”
Listen to the Episode
Listen to Episode 1: Rethinking Soil for a More Profitable Future
At Sea2Soil, we know there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to improving soil health or building a resilient farm system. Every field is different, every farm is different, every grower faces unique challenges - but one thing remains constant: the power of shared knowledge and practical insight.
That’s why we’ve launched The Sea2Soil Podcast - a brand-new series of honest, expert-led conversations diving deep into the world of soil health, regenerative farming, and sustainable agriculture.
Hosted by Grant James, Sea2Soil’s Business Development Manager and trusted voice in the farming community, the podcast brings together leading figures from soil consultancy, agronomy, regenerative farming, and more.
Each episode is designed to give you:
Sea2Soil is about more than just producing effective soil improvers - we're on a mission to support the transition toward healthier soils and better farm resilience. That means putting the right voices in the spotlight and creating space for conversations that matter.
We’ve been out in the field, not in the studio, recording episodes that speak to the real challenges and big opportunities in soil management today.
Each episode is packed with scientific knowledge, on-farm experiences, and practical tools to help you adapt, improve, and future-proof your soil health strategies.
Here’s a sneak peek at the first season lineup:
Episode 1: Steve Townsend - Why chemistry, physics, and biology must all work together for healthier soils
Episode 2: Regen Ben - Regenerative farming in action on a Herefordshire farm
Episode 3: James Warne - Feeding the ‘underground livestock’ and boosting microbial activity
Episode 4: Joel Williams - A masterclass on using amino acids to improve soil health
Episode 5: Simon Revell - What two years of trial work reveal about Sea2Soil and the Claydon System
Episode 6: Marian Dichevski - The future of regenerative farming across Europe
The Sea2Soil Podcast will be launching very soon across all major platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear new episodes and get behind-the-scenes updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Whether you’re knee-deep in your regen journey or just starting to explore new soil strategies, this podcast is here to support you. It’s time to hear from the people shaping the future of farming, with honest conversations that cut through the noise.
The Sea2Soil Podcast.
Expert insight, in your pocket.