Chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) and mixed farmer in Cambridgeshire, combining direct drilling with extensive nature-friendly practices. Featured in Direct Driller Issue 11.
Profile
| Location | Cambridgeshire |
| Area | ~170 ha |
| System | Mixed; direct drilled since 2012 |
| Role | Chair, Nature Friendly Farming Network |
Approach
Martin Lines represents the growing convergence between conservation agriculture and nature-friendly farming advocacy. As NFFN chair, he champions farmer-led conservation — demonstrating that productive farming and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive but reinforcing.
Key practices:
- Direct drilling since 2012
- Herbal leys in rotation
- 6m wildflower margins on all fields
- Diverse rotations
- Cover crops
The NFFN connects farmers across the UK who are farming in ways that support nature recovery alongside food production — a growing movement that aligns closely with the Direct Driller community’s soil health focus.
[Source: dd-issue-11, 2026-04-11]
Related Pages
- John Cherry — Groundswell Founder, Lannock Manor Farm — Groundswell founder with similar philosophy
- Overbury Estate — Jake Freestone, Worcestershire — Jake Freestone’s LEAF Demonstration Farm approach
- Lower Pertwood Farm — Organic on Wiltshire Chalk — Large-scale organic with biodiversity focus
- Conservation Agriculture — Core Principles — CA and environmental benefits
- Net Zero Carbon Farming — Policy context for nature-friendly farming