A FARM near Basingstoke will be the location of an event organised by South East Water to show farmers how they can help improve the quality of drinking water in the area.

Farmers can visit Folly Farm on January 31 for the event hosted by David Miller, who was declared Arable Soil Farmer of the Year in 2022.

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He will hold a workshop showing attendees first-hand his innovative approach to sustainable agriculture and how his involvement in water company-funded trials has improved South East Water’s understanding of cover copping and its value to water quality.

Those in attendance will find out about the practice of growing cover crops on fields during the winter to hold soil together and prevent agricultural chemicals such as nitrate from infiltrating chalk aquifers below the ground when it rains.

These aquifers are the source of drinking water in the local area before it is treated and pumped to homes and businesses.

South East Water hopes to educate farmers about improving the quality of river or groundwater at the source, as a more sustainable approach long-term, reducing the amount of chemicals and energy used in the water treatment process.

Farmers can also find out how to access up to £20,000 in grant funding.

Mark Slater, catchment advisor for Hampshire and Berkshire at South East Water, said: “Farmers in key areas where we abstract water from the environment for public supply can claim up to £20,000 in grant funding to move towards more sustainable farming practices.

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“We can fund a variety of equipment and innovative farming practices, from GPS-enabled tractors for precision seed sowing, calibrating pesticide and fertiliser application machinery, rainwater harvesting systems and multiple sustainable land management techniques.

“We estimate that through our cover crop incentive scheme, locally we have captured almost 50 tonnes of nitrate within the cover crops over the last three winters, which could have potentially reached the water within the underlying aquifer.”

For more information visit southeastwater.co.uk/farming or to book a ticket click here.