The ‘Fell to Wells Project’ used the online auction platform ‘Naturebid’ to encourage (and pay) farmers to implement measures that will help reduce nitrate leaching to groundwater and protect Berwick’s drinking water supply
Tweed Forum worked with several project partners (Sylva Foundation, Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water, Natural England and Newcastle University) to develop and run a pilot nitrate reduction project, with funding from the Environment Agency.
This innovative and competitive project encouraged participation from farmers overlying the Fell Sandstone Aquifer. The aquifer extends in a narrow band, from East Ord in the north to East Lilburn in the south. The ‘Fell to Wells Project’ allowed farmers to bid for funding to deliver a small number of targeted measures on their land to reduce nitrate leaching to groundwater, using the online platform “Naturebid“. The two measures which were promoted were: ‘Establishing overwinter cover crops’ and ‘Reducing application of nitrogen’. Through the online auction, farmers selected the fields on which they wished to implement the measure. They then competitively bid for funding to implement the measure. The most competitive bids received funding from Tweed Forum, once the measures were agreed and put in place.
Up to 40% of inorganic nitrogen applied to fields does not get taken up by the crop. This means that there is a significant risk to the natural environment from excess nitrogen leaching through the soil to groundwater, and through surface water run-off into watercourses. This process can also incur a significant loss of revenue for farm businesses.
This small pilot project was designed to trial the auction process, as much as the measures themselves.
Key findings:
• 8 farmers bid for measure – 6 farmers were successful.
• The total amount of bids received (£46,183) exceeded the project budget of £28,000.
• Of the two measures available, nitrogen reduction was the most popular measure.
• Feedback showed that farmers found the Naturebid auction platform relatively easy to use.
• Farmers were broadly happy to recommend the platform to farmer colleagues. They appreciated the less bureaucratic approach. They generally disliked the use of the words “reverse auction”.
The project ran throughout the cropping season 2020-2021.