Longmoor Farm appears in new book on food and health

Soil to Gut: How to Regenerate your Health with Food examines links between diet, soil condition and human wellbeing. Written by former vet and nutritionist Dr Lucy Williamson, the book discusses the effects of the current food system on consumers and farmers and sets out evidence-based guidance on food choices.

Williamson writes that food choices can affect health, wildlife and the environment. She says that each £1 spent on poor-quality food can generate up to £2.64 in hidden health costs, excluding damage to nature and the environment.

Longmoor Farm, near Gillingham, is operated under a Duchy of Cornwall tenancy. Fifth-generation farmer Stuart Rogers and his wife Helen, a farm vet, have developed the farm’s practices around soil health, animal welfare and the restoration of the natural environment.

The couple introduced agroforestry by planting trees in grazing areas. The trees provide shelter, shade and forage for the farm’s Holstein cattle, while the farm has also recorded increased biodiversity and greater resilience. Rogers and Helen were named Carbon Farmer of the Year 2025.

In the book, Rogers describes milking the cows at 4am, with skylarks and bees present during summer and bats and owls during winter. He says the farm’s priorities are caring for the cattle, feeding them, milking them and raising their young, alongside improving the natural environment.

Williamson describes soil as the starting point for nature-positive farming and says that farmers restoring soil, biodiversity and nutrient density need public support. The book also considers changes in British dairy farming.

Published by 5m Books Ltd, Soil to Gut is available in hardback for £24.99.