The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) encourages farmers to improve soil health while balancing productivity. Two popular actions — SOH1 (No-till Farming) and SOH3 (Summer Cover Crops) — deliver both environmental and business benefits.
But as with all SFI actions, requirements and evidence can be difficult to manage. Here’s a clear guide to what they involve, and how JustFarm ensures you stay compliant while maximising payments.
What do SOH1 and SOH3 require?
- SOH1 (No-till Farming): Farmers must establish crops without inversion tillage. That means using methods like direct drilling or strip-tillage to minimise soil disturbance.
- SOH3 (Summer Cover Crops): Farmers commit to sowing cover crops during summer months to protect and build soil health before the next rotation.
📲 With JustFarm, you don’t need to hold these requirements in your head or wade through the handbook every time. The system logs your operations, timestamps methods like strip-till, and records sowing dates — all ready for inspection when needed.
How much are they paid?
- Payment rates vary by land type, but DEFRA outlines them in the SFI handbook. Both actions are designed to be financially attractive while rewarding long-term soil management.
💷 JustFarm makes it easy to see what actions apply to your land and what payment rates you can expect. Instead of scrolling through government PDFs, JustFarm links the right rate to the right parcel automatically.
What are the agricultural and environmental benefits?
Both actions are designed to build resilience while protecting the environment:
- No-till (SOH1): Improves soil structure, reduces erosion, saves fuel, and cuts labour costs.
- Summer Cover Crops (SOH3): Adds organic matter, improves biodiversity, enhances nutrient cycling, and reduces leaching.
Why JustFarm Makes SOH1 and SOH3 Simple
Managing soil health actions should be about farming better, not endless admin. JustFarm makes compliance straightforward:
- Log strip-till or direct drill operations with field-by-field detail
- Timestamp cover crop establishment and record seed invoices
- Upload before-and-after images in seconds
- Generate inspection-ready reports without touching a spreadsheet
Take Action
Soil health is at the heart of farming’s future, but compliance doesn’t have to be a barrier. Sign up for JustFarm today to make SOH1, SOH3, and all your SFI actions audit-ready — and never worry about missing evidence or deadlines again.