Mike Powley farms at Oak House Farm in Green Hammerton and part of the Sustainable Landscapes programme, has spent years developing resilient, low-input farming systems. He integrates arable crops with livestock to close nutrient loops, using red clover to improve soil health, fix nitrogen naturally, and feed cattle – linking soil management directly with livestock performance. His approach is long-term, adaptive, and focused on making the whole farm system work together.”

Yorkshire Wolds feature chalk-based, free-draining soils that range from shallow upland profiles to deeper, fertile valley loams. These conditions support highly productive arable farming, with wheat, barley, oilseed rape, and pulses as the main crops, alongside some sugar beet and limited sheep grazing on the thinner soils.

Around Topcliffe, the land sits on the fertile Vale of Mowbray, characterised by deep, moisture-retentive loam and clay-loam soils with patches of alluvial material near the rivers. These rich, versatile soils support high-yield arable farming, especially wheat, barley, oilseed rape, potatoes, and field beans, with some livestock and grassland on heavier fields.

Around Shipton, near York, the landscape is shaped by the Vale of York’s deep, fertile loam and clay-loam soils, with sandy or alluvial patches closer to drainage channels. These productive, moisture-holding soils suit a mix of arable and mixed farming, supporting wheat, barley, oilseed rape, vegetables, and potatoes, with some grassland and livestock on the heavier fields.

Across the East Riding of Yorkshire, farming sits on a mix of fertile glacial tills, chalk-derived soils from the Wolds, and alluvial loams in river valleys. This variety supports strong arable production, with wheat, barley, oilseed rape, and potatoes widely grown, plus vegetables and horticultural crops on lighter soils, alongside pockets of grazing and mixed farming on the heavier clay areas.

Around Doncaster, the landscape features fertile lowland soils ranging from rich alluvial loams along the rivers to productive sandy and limestone-based soils to the east, with heavier clay areas in former wetland zones. This diversity supports high-output arable farming – wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet, and potatoes – alongside vegetables on lighter soils and significant livestock and grassland on the heavier clays.

Around Selby, the land is dominated by deep, productive alluvial and glacial till soils, with fertile loams and clay-loams formed from historic river and floodplain deposits. These moisture-retentive, versatile soils support intensive arable and horticultural farming, including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, potatoes, and field vegetables, with grassland and livestock on the heavier clay areas.

Around Walkington, the farming landscape sits on the western edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, with a mix of chalk-influenced loam soils and glacial tills that offer good fertility and reliable drainage. These versatile soils support strong arable rotations, including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, and pulses, with some grassland and livestock on the heavier patches closer to the lower ground toward Beverley.

The area around East Ness, in the Rye Valley of North Yorkshire, features fertile alluvial and glacial soils—mainly deep loams and clay-loams with lighter sandy patches on higher ground. These productive, moisture-retentive soils support mixed and arable farming, with wheat, barley, oilseed rape, potatoes, and grassland for livestock common across the area.