Agriculture and Fishing: Sustainable Practice

Soil, water, light and wind decide what can grow or live on a site. Reading the site before you plan saves money and failed crops. You make a simple map and test the basics.

• Test soil with a simple kit for acidity (pH) and note texture, for example sandy, loamy or clay, by feeling a moist sample.
• For water, test or ask a local adviser about temperature, oxygen and clarity, and record the date and place of each test.
• Map the sun hours, wind direction, slope and places where water collects.
• Check local rules about land use, water use and wildlife, and check with your local authority before you start.
• Write a short site note saying which crops or species fit and which do not.

Activity. Build a site map with tests, sun and wind notes, wet and dry areas and a short list of suitable crops.

Standard to meet. Date the map and tests, check the rules, and link each choice to a result in the site note.

Small and well-chosen beats big and wild. You pick one crop or species, write a calendar and plan your inputs. A clear plan makes your records easy to compare later.

• Pick one crop or species that fits your site, season and skills, and avoid starting with several at once.
• Write a calendar with sowing, care, harvest and sale dates and the number of days between them.
• Plan inputs such as seed, compost, water and tools, with quantities and costs.
• Set a target yield and a target cost per kilogram before you start, so that you can judge results later.
• Ask an adviser to look at the plan and note any change.

Activity. Write a plan with a calendar, input list with quantities and costs, and targets for yield and cost.

Standard to meet. Include dates, quantities, targets and an adviser comment in the plan.

Water, feed and tools are your inputs, and using them wisely saves money and protects the environment. You measure what you use so you can improve it. Clean tools and tanks prevent disease.

• Measure water by volume each time, for example with a marked can or a meter, and write it in the log.
• Use compost or other organic feed where possible, and record the weight or volume used.
• Water at cool times of day, early morning or evening, to reduce loss to the sun.
• Clean tools, tanks and containers after use, and keep a note of the date.
• Compare inputs against your plan each week and adjust when use is too high.

Activity. Keep a weekly input log with water, feed and cleaning, and compare it to your plan.

Standard to meet. Show amounts and units for every week in the log, and explain differences from the plan.

Prevention is the first answer to pests, disease and poor welfare. Regular checks find problems early and help you choose the least harmful control. Animals and fish need clear welfare care under local rules.

• Check a sample of 20 plants or animals weekly and note signs of damage, disease or stress.
• Use prevention first, such as netting, crop rotation, clean water and good spacing.
• If control is needed, choose the least harmful method first, and check with your local authority and adviser before using any treatment.
• For animals or fish, provide space, clean water, suitable feed and shelter, and remove stressed or sick ones as advised.
• Record every action and the result a week later.

Activity. Complete weekly checks on a sample, record the results as percentages and write one prevention action.

Standard to meet. Date the checks, calculate percentages correctly and record a result for each action.

Running the project means caring every day and recording every week. You weigh harvest and note weather. These records are the evidence for everything you decide afterwards.

• Follow your calendar and write down any change and the reason.
• Record daily or weekly water, feed, labour hours and weather, using the same units each time.
• Weigh each harvest on the same scale and write the date, weight and quality.
• Calculate yield per square metre or per tank volume at each harvest.
• Take photos at the start, middle and end to show progress.

Activity. Run the 60 days with a log of inputs, weather and harvest weights, and calculate yield.

Standard to meet. Keep the log free of long gaps, give weights dates and units, and calculate yield correctly.

Cost per kilo shows whether the project can pay for itself. You add all costs and divide by the weight sold or used. Comparing with a market price shows whether your result is competitive.

• List all costs, such as seed, water, tools, packaging and labour hours at a fair rate, with currency on each line.
• Add the lines to get the total cost.
• Divide total cost by the kilograms harvested to get cost per kilo.
• Compare to the local market price per kilo and note the difference.
• Find the largest cost line and write one idea to reduce it.

Activity. Build a cost sheet with all costs, cost per kilo and a comparison to the market price.

Standard to meet. Give all lines a currency, divide correctly and show the comparison.

Fresh produce loses quality fast. Cooling, clean packing and quick sale protect value and food safety. You record how much you sell, share or lose.

• Cool the harvest quickly and keep it cool, because warmth speeds spoilage.
• Pack in clean containers and label them with the date and contents.
• Follow local rules on selling food or fish, and check with your local authority about labelling and hygiene.
• Sell or share within a few days, and record the amounts sold, given away and wasted.
• Calculate waste as a percentage and think of one way to reduce it.

Activity. Sell or share the harvest and record the amounts sold, shared, lost and the income.

Standard to meet. Add the amounts up to the harvest weight, calculate income correctly and show waste as a percentage.

A review compares plan with result and plans the next season. Good practice leaves land or water in better condition. You write a short care plan for soil or water.

• Compare planned and actual yield, cost and time in one table with percentages.
• Write three lessons, each with a number from your records.
• Plan the next season, such as a different crop to rest the soil, for example beans after leaves.
• Write a care plan for soil or water, with compost, cover crops, clean water or reduced inputs.
• Set a date to review the plan and a target number to reach.

Activity. Present a review with plan against actual, three lessons and a care plan for next season.

Standard to meet. Show percentages in the table, cite a number for each lesson and add dated actions to the care plan.