As Britain records one of its hottest, driest summers on record, a growing number of European farmers are turning to regenerative practices — diverse pasture mixes, reduced tillage, and rotational grazing — to build drought resilience into their operations.

Reuters reports that farms using diversified “herbal ley” pasture mixes, which improve soil structure and water retention, have needed little to no supplemental winter feed even after two months without rain. One English beef farmer profiled hasn’t bought winter feed in eight years since making the switch, and estimates his soil now holds roughly 105,700 more gallons of water per acre than before. An industry study cited in the piece found regenerative farms cut drought-related yield losses by at least 10% in about 85% of cases studied.

Banks, insurers, and water utilities across the UK are increasingly funding this shift — Lloyds Bank, for example, has partnered with regenerative food business Wildfarmed, two water utilities, and an insurer to pool funding for farmer soil-health projects, citing benefits for flood mitigation and water quality.

Read the full article: “Momentum grows for climate-resilient farming in Europe” — Richmond Times-Dispatch / Reuters