Contest aims to promote regenerative farming on the island
The Jersey Royal Company has used the occasion of Open Farm Sunday to launch its 2025 Cover Crop Competition.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, parent company Albert Bartlett has promised that this year’s competition will be even bigger, welcoming more growers and farmers and showcasing Jersey as the regenerative farming island, where sustainable practices like cover cropping are part of everyday life.
The Cover Crop Competition is designed to shine a spotlight on Jersey’s vibrant farming community and its commitment to biodiversity, soil health, and sustainable agriculture.
The competition invites all Jersey growers to demonstrate their expertise by cultivating outstanding cover crops in four key categories of Best Bird Cover Crop, Best Visual Cover Crop, Best Pollinator Cover Crop, and Best Soil Health Cover Crop.
Growers and farmers will receive expert guidance from agronomists, environmental specialists and sponsors. Judging will take place in August and October, with the winners announced at the Jersey Farmers Conference in November 2025.
Building on success
According to Albert Bartlett, last year’s competition set a high bar, with innovative entries and dedicated farmers delivering measurable benefits for local wildlife and the environment.
The 2024 winners included Fosse Au Bois Growers, Meleches Farms, J&S Growers, and Somerleigh Farms, whose achievements were celebrated for advancing sustainable agriculture on the island.
This year, the competition has welcomed Jersey Dairy as a new sponsor, joining a list of supporters including Jersey Birds on the Edge, Normans Seed Suppliers, Enhancement Land Resource Management (States of Jersey), Jersey Bees Association, Pollinator Project, and Jersey Biodiversity Centre.
