Featuring: Brooksby Campus, Melton
Theme: Educational farm embracing regenerative agriculture
Last month, the team from Rutland Agricultural Society visited the Brooksby Campus of SMB College Group in Melton Mowbray smbcollegegroup.ac.uk
We were there to explore how one of the region’s longstanding land-based education farms is embracing regenerative agriculture — and what lessons this holds for farmers, students and the wider community.
A Campus Steeped in Heritage
The Brooksby Campus spans an impressive 850 acres and combines historic architecture with working farm operations. It’s part of SMB College Group, and the estate has been used for land-based education and farming for many generations. With commercial arable and livestock units alongside glasshouses, workshops and heritage buildings, it offers a rich environment where students learn by doing and farmers share insights.
A Balance of Tradition and Innovation
What We Observed: Regeneration in Action
During our visit, we were struck by the practical application of regenerative principles. Some of the key initiatives included:
Agroforestry & Tree-Alley Systems
On fields at Brooksby, tree rows and alleys of mixed species sit alongside herbal leys under rotational grazing systems. This integration of trees, pasture and livestock is central to how they’re improving biodiversity and long-term productivity.
Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing
Rather than keeping animals on static pasture, livestock are moved frequently through smaller paddocks. This mimics more natural grazing patterns, improves soil health and encourages a richer sward and insect life.
Soil, Cover Crops & Minimal Disturbance
The college emphasises keeping the soil alive, with cover-cropping, reduced or minimal tillage, and maintaining living roots year-round. These practices help protect soil structure, organic matter and reduce erosion.
Education, Innovation & Facilities
Brooksby is also investing in its future. In 2025 they announced an £18 million Agri-Tech Centre: a facility for precision farming, drones, GIS mapping and other emerging technology. This combined with their existing sustainability strategy makes the campus a live-laboratory for modern farming.
Why It’s Important for Our Region
What’s happening at Brooksby matters to the farming community across Rutland and the East Midlands:
Farming with nature = better food production and better outcomes for habitat and society.
More resilient soils = better protection against drought, floods or input cost rises.
Integrated systems = potentially lower costs and higher ecosystem services (biodiversity, carbon capture, habitats).
A workforce trained in regenerative methods = a stronger future for our farms and food producers.
Looking Ahead & Invitation
We’re thrilled to publish the full blog about our Brooksby visit — and we hope you’ll take time to read the insights and consider how they might apply to your own land, business or interest in farming.
📣 If you run a farm, food business or rural enterprise and would like the Rutland Agricultural Society to visit and feature your work in a future Farming Focus article, we’d love to hear from you:
📩 Email: showteam@rutlandshowground.com
A big thank you to the team, staff and students at Brooksby Campus for opening their farm and sharing their knowledge with us. We look forward to seeing how their story continues to unfold — and how it may inspire farms local to us.
