ORGANIC SOIL IMPROVER: Providing a full nutritional profile for you soil to make it healthier and more productive
In this episode, Grant talks with Simon Revell from Claydon Drills about their expertise and interest in improving soil health for growers through better establishment using the Claydon Opti-Drill System.
Also being discussed and explored is the ongoing trials work with Sea2Soil on Claydon Farms, now coming to the end of its second year, including the latest observations from this season before harvest.
Finally, Simon gives listeners a fascinating insight into soil management, the health of soils and climate challenges faced on farms right across Europe.
The audio and video podcast will give listeners and viewers a great technical understanding of how establishment technology in the Claydon system, incorporating the use of a straw harrow, alongside soil improvers like Sea2Soil, can help improve vital aspects around soil structure, soil organic matter and soil fertility. Leading to better crop nutrition and yields, as well as protecting crops against adverse growing conditions.
Watch on Youtube or listen on Spotify.
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.
One of the most common questions we hear from farmers exploring regenerative agriculture is: “How long will it take before I see results?”
The honest answer, as soil educator Joel Williams shares in Episode 4 of The Sea2Soil Podcast, is that building soil health is not a quick fix - it’s a journey of continual improvement.
Most soils have reached their current condition after years of intensive management, nutrient offtake, and disturbance. Reversing that trajectory naturally takes time. Joel explains that while some benefits can be seen sooner, meaningful change generally occurs within a three-to-five-year transition period. Think of it less as a destination and more as a new way of farming that steadily pays back year on year.
Early boosts in biology: Adding organic amendments like fish hydrolysates or seaweed extracts can quickly stimulate microbial activity.
Improved rooting: Autumn applications of amino acids help winter crops establish stronger root systems.
Signs of resilience: Even within the first couple of seasons, farmers may notice better plant vigour or less stress in dry spells.
Soil structure improvements: As biology gets to work, soils start forming stronger aggregates, improving infiltration and water-holding.
Nutrient cycling kicks in: Locked-up nutrients become more available thanks to increased microbial activity.
Reduced input reliance: Many farmers worldwide report comfortably reducing synthetic nitrogen inputs by 20–30% at this stage, with some pasture systems going further.
Soil regeneration doesn’t stop at year five. With consistent application of soil health principles, minimising disturbance, maintaining cover, integrating livestock, and embracing diversity, farmers can continue to build resilience, fertility, and profitability for decades. Joel describes it as a lifelong journey: each year offering new opportunities to reduce the “baddies” (tillage, overuse of chemicals) and do more of the “goodies” (biology-building practices).
It’s easy to become impatient when trying something new, especially if you’re used to quick responses from synthetic fertilisers. But regenerative farming is about building lasting soil function, not chasing instant results. By framing it as a multi-year transition, you set yourself up to measure progress in seasons and systems, not in weeks.
Hear more from Joel Williams on the timescales of soil regeneration in Episode 4 of The Sea2Soil Podcast.
In this interesting and highly topical podcast, Grant James speaks with internationally renowned speaker and soil health expert Joel Williams, who provides a masterclass of insightful knowledge around improving soil health using amino acids, including why and when to apply them, as well as the best types of soil improvers to consider.
Joel also delves deeper into the core principles around managing soils and crops in a better, more sustainable way, shaping the future and providing invaluable advice for growers in this regard.
For more information about Joel’s work, visit www.integratedsoils.com
Watch on Youtube or listen on Spotify.
In Episode 4 of The Sea2Soil Podcast, Grant James is joined by Joel Williams, internationally respected soil health educator and founder of Integrated Soils. Together, they explore where soil conditioners fit into regenerative systems, the role of carbon-based inputs like fish hydrolysates, and the long-term gains farmers can expect when feeding both plants and soil biology.
In this conversation, we stumble onto the reawakening of farmers' interest in soil health, with Joel talking about the growing recognition of soil conditioners as a valuable tool. Products such as seaweed extracts and fish-based amendments not only provide nutrients but also stimulate soil biology with amino acids and other carbon-rich compounds - feeding microbes and plants alike.
A key message listeners will find in this episode is how rebuilding soil takes time. Joel emphasises that while farmers may see changes within 3–5 years, regeneration is a lifelong process of continual improvement. Inputs can help speed up the transition, but ultimately it’s about balancing nutrient offtake with sustainable inputs, while unlocking the reserves already stored in the soil.
Much as we have discussed in our recent blog post, timing is everything. When it comes to applying amino acids, Joel notes that living systems are always hungry for them - except during the depths of winter when growth slows. For autumn-sown crops, autumn is a particularly important window, as amino acids support early root establishment before dormancy. Spring and in-season applications also play a role in boosting nitrogen efficiency and protein synthesis.
From his work worldwide, Joel has seen many farmers comfortably reduce nitrogen inputs by 20–30%, with pasture systems sometimes cutting their inputs by up to 50%. The key is replacing reactive inorganic nitrogen with more stable, carbon-based organic forms. These not only reduce losses to leaching and off-gassing but also improve nitrogen use efficiency, allowing plants to produce more biomass per unit of input.
For farmers looking to begin their regenerative journey, Joel recommends starting with the five soil health principles: minimise disturbance, keep soils covered, maintain living roots, integrate livestock, and embrace diversity. Growing plants - whether through cover crops or perennial phases - is central to feeding soil biology. From there, organic amendments and bio-stimulants can be used to kickstart the system, while reducing practices that harm soil life.
As Joel concludes, it’s about “doing less of the baddies and more of the goodies” - a simple but powerful principle for anyone serious about long-term soil health.
Find out more about Episode 4 of The Sea2Soil Podcast with Joel Williams, landing on September 25th.
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 this episode, we hear from James Warne, a farmer in Devon and Managing Director of Soil First Farming, a consultancy business providing invaluable advice as well as agronomy packages for farmers looking to improve soil health and cultivation practices on their farms. James gives some great advice around ways to improve the microbial activity in soils and how feeding the ‘underground livestock’ in our soils is crucial to promoting and supporting healthy crops above-ground.
Watch on Youtube or listen on Spotify.
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.