The Farmer Conserving Soil, Wildlife, and His Finances: An Exhibition in Northumberland

“We are delighted to be part of this collaboration because it draws attention to the importance of conserving soil – our lifeblood – and how it can offer opportunities to help combat climate change, and biodiversity loss.“

– Sarah Burn, Head of Engagement, Northumberland National Park

Soil is fundamental to sustaining life on earth. It is also irreplaceable, yet 12 million hectares of agricultural soil are lost globally every year.

A teeming excitement has been stirring in Northumberland at the launch of our seventh We Feed The UK story.

Incentivised by increasing artificial fertiliser costs, Stuart Johnson has been naturally restoring the soil on his farm for 12 years. By brewing up compost teas and introducing sustainable grazing, he’s reduced his chemical usage and related costs by 90%.

With dung beetles and earthworms as crucial collaborators, wildlife is returning to the farm. As a result, Stuart won Soil Farmer of the Year 2023. 

“I’ve come to realise that it’s the most important part of the farm. Everything we produce comes from the soil. Encouragingly, more farmers are asking about our methods as fertiliser prices have surged. Because we’re not buying fertilisers, we’ve detached ourselves from the external price increases crippling other farmers.“

– Stuart Johnson, Farmer

New images of Stuart’s efforts by documentary photographer, Johannah Churchill, shine a light on the overlooked richness beneath our feet. ‘Unearthed: Soil Restoration in Northumberland’ is currently on display at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre.

Johannah’s beautiful images complement new powerful poetry by BBC’s Kate Fox, unearthing the hidden world of soil restoration. Kate captured the local audience, performing her poem live at the exhibition’s celebratory opening in early November.

Johannah’s work is an exploration through the seasons, divided into two complementary exhibitions, documenting the micro and macro of life on the farm. ‘Constellations‘ is a series of scanographs and microscopic images of overlooked worms, ‘weeds’ and waste. In contrast, ‘Down to Earth’ captures the all-important work above ground that goes into conserving soil.

“Positivity is often represented by the act of ‘looking up’. On the farm, I had to shift my focus to realise the constellations were at our feet this whole time.”

– Johannah Churchill, Photographer

Alongside the carefully curated photographs are some unexpected additions. A hanging contorted root, and a bowl, made with clay collected from the farm and filled with nutrient-rich soil. This living bowl of fertile earth breathes its own story, sprouting new life and evolving with each new day of the exhibition.

The Sill works with schools, groups, and individuals to provide opportunities for people to connect with their environment. As a result, school, college, and university students and local groups will all get the opportunity to engage with the power of restoring and conserving soil.

Our upcoming Regenerative Conversation event, hosted as part of this exhibition, will bring members of local farming communities together to ask questions, share wisdom and unite. In collaboration with prominent agroecological custodians, this event aims to spark more local involvement in a food system that benefits humans and more-than-humans alike.