The National Trust turns the wheel of fortune for two young farmers!

Camilla, Roly and Belle in front of the Donkey wheel which was built in 1865

A few days ago I visited a young couple who have just completed their first year farming Saddlescombe farm, a 450 acre National Trust farm which is situated in the South Downs National Park just 5 miles north of Brighton in Sussex. 

Camilla and Roly Pusey run Saddlescombe as a mixed farm, which at the moment has 300 breeding ewes, lots of lambs, 5 rams and a small herd of pedigree Sussex cows. They are selling boxed lamb direct from the farm and also through their website. They have also recently started to supply their lamb to local pubs which will undoubtedly begin to put them firmly on the map I'm quite sure!

The farm has a large Higher Level Stewardship scheme which helps Camilla and Roly to integrate conservation in with the production side of the farm. They leave weedy stubbles over-winter, coupled with good sized plots of Wild bird seed mix for farmland birds to feed on (They have Corn Bunting on the farm amongst many other species). They leave a large cultivated plot for Lapwing to nest on and are planting wildflowers across the farm.

They have also inherited some wonderful steep banks of old chalk grassland and Roly, with the help of the Sussex cattle and local volunteers is tackling the encroachment of scrub, which has slowly been enveloping the whole area. Roly was chuffed to see an amazing response to all his first winter’s hard work scrub bashing and organising the stock grazing, as the following summer a wonderfully colourful display of flowers appeared, including a number of Orchids! 

I was really struck by the enthusiasm that Camilla and Roly showed throughout my visit. They have a big task ahead of them to bring the farm up to scratch and develop other projects to help make the whole enterprise profitable. But they positively seemed to be thriving on the task, despite also having two small children in tow, they have an assortment of ideas afoot.

Already Camilla runs a Bed & Breakfast in the house and another clever idea that they have evolved is to “be a shepherd for the day or evening”! On offer, depending on what time of year it is, which includes all sorts of hands on activities and challenges to help people spend time together with the sheep. This ranges from helping deliver new born lambs, to handling and weighing sheep, through to working with the one and only farm employee - Belle the sheepdog - who will help the visitors gather and move a flock of sheep.

Camilla and Roly are working in a truly beautiful part of England and along with a range of different farmland habitats to manage, they also have some wonderfully old and historic buildings under their care. Once again the couple are brimming with ideas as to how these buildings might be utilised in the future. My favourite was a superb Donkey turned water wheel built in 1865, although the well from which it raises the water from has apparently been there for “Donkey years before that”!

As a National Trust member of long standing, I am very pleased to see the organisation placing young farmers into their properties, rather than potentially considering the easy option of renting out the house and contract farming the land. In Camilla and Roley the Trust has found two very hard working, committed and forward thinking tenants and I wish them the very best of luck.

So, my message to the National Trust is very simple: Look after them until the business is fully up and running and they will do the Trust proud, of that I'm sure!

If you want to watch how Saddlescombe farm is getting on through the year – go to:

Blog - http://camillaandroly.blogspot.com/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/CamillaandRoly

Website - www.camillaandroly.co.uk 

A is for Apple!

I spent an enjoyable couple of hours at the Blackmoor estate’s apple day today – and going by the crowds, the good old British apple is still much loved!

I am going to let a few pictures describe the day – from the apple point of view anyway – there was much, much more to see alongside apples!

It is great that farmers such as William Wolmer are prepared to hold days like this – not only encouraging folk to buy British, but also introducing them to the wonderfully delicious taste of “old varieties”- which of course will go a long way in helping to save them for future generations to enjoy too! 

  

Lots of people attended - the car parks were packed!

Don't you just love some of the names of these old apple varieties!
(click photos to enlarge)

Cornish farmers - doing their bit for wildlife.

The beautiful North Cornish coast looking towards Pentire point

 I was lucky enough to have a few days down in North Cornwall towards the end of last week. October is a lovely month to visit the county, as the summer hoards have now long gone and if you happen to strike it lucky weather wise, well you are in for a real treat!

Many of these Coastal farmers rely on various forms of diversification to supplement their farming businesses – tourism is an obvious one, but so too is the Government’s Stewardship scheme. As I walked along the cliff tops to Pentire point and then on round the coastline to Rumps point, where I turned back inland to Pentire farm, I was constantly aware of a variety of options that had been implemented by these farmers on behalf of wildlife.

This part of the North Cornish coast line – between the two Pentires – the one I was visiting not far from Padstow and the other one next to Newquay – is the last remaining hotspot for farmland birds in the county - especially the Corn Bunting. If this population is lost, you would have to travel through Devon and Somerset and on to Wiltshire before you could be sure of spotting another one of these dumpy little brown jobs, often called the “Barley bird” because of its love of eating early ripening barley grains.

   

Farmers are doing their level best to help these birds by planting large areas of “un-harvestable cereals”, which are ideal for the Buntings to nest amongst (they nest on the ground) and then feed upon over-winter. This part of Cornwall also has a rich arable flora and so the farmers are also putting in “cultivated margins” – ploughing them over but then not planting them with a crop, so that the annual flowers can emerge and flourish.This is one of the few places that I have seen the very rare Corn Buttercup with its spiky seed head. 

I did not see any Corn Buntings on this occasion, but I’m sure they were about, perhaps now all gathered into one big winter flock, they may have just been feeding over the next headland out of sight.  I was happy though, because as a consolation there were huge flocks of mixed Linnet, Goldfinch, Skylark and Meadow Pipit all feeding on the wide variety of seeds within the field left specifically for them. Kestrel hunted small mammals and the last few Wheatear stopped to feed up before carrying on with their southerly migration. It was a wonderful spectacle to sit and watch for a while. 

With less money in the pot for funding the new Stewardship scheme, these Cornish farmers would sorely miss the extra income that they are paid currently to look after the local wildlife on our behalf. Should the funding, for whatever reason be stopped, it might well not only be the wildlife that goes, but perhaps the mixed farming of cattle and sheep too, changing a whole way of life that has carried on along this coastline for centuries.

We must work hard to make sure that this does not happen.

      

An un-harvested cereal field with an arable flower margin around the outside -
already alive with a wide assortment of birds feeding 

An arable flower margin, this time with a brassica fodder crop in the field,
 which will be grazed off by sheep during the winter months

Calling all farmers - Do not fear, CFE is here!

"Phil the farmer" giving lots of sound, practical advise to CFE advisers. (If only the jokes were as good!)

CAP Greening measures. Ecological Focus Areas. The 3 crop rule. Water Framework Directive. Soil Protection Review. Cross Compliance. GAEC. Tried & Tested. Voluntary Initiative. NELMS. Believe you me I could go on and on and on!

All of the above will most likely be complete jargon to the non-farmers amongst you, but it is just a tiny fraction of what anyone running an agricultural business needs to be up to speed on nowadays, otherwise it could result in hefty fines or penalties.  But what do they all mean and how do they translate onto individuals farms?

It is a very big ask for busy farmers to get abreast of so many edicts, so step up the CFE – yet another acronym – but this time a free, friendly and helpful one!! CFE stands for the “Campaign for the Farmed Environment” which has an advisor in every English county, there to help farmers deliver the best possible practices for water, soil and wildlife on their farms.

CFE advisers are not in competition with other conservation groups, but work closely with all locally based experts, organising timely events so that the farmers attending, quickly get a distilled, succinct, clear message as to what they should be doing. At a time of so much change in the farming world, this can literally be a God send to farmers, already overloaded by the burden of red tape.

Last week the CFE advisers from across England attended a training event at the GWCT’s own farm at Loddington in Leicestershire. Training courses such as this are important so that advisers are clear as to what the message is and confident that they clearly see how decrees, often created in Brussels, are then translated and adapted to fit into a typical English farm – not always an easy transformation!!

 

GWCT’s Jim Egan, a wonderfully grounded, clever organiser of people, headed up the morning with his usual enthusiasm and the lively discussion was full of tips, successes and indeed failures, as to what works well and what does not! Then, following lunch, we all spilled out onto the farm to hear the wise words of Phil Jarvis, the farm manager.

Phil has the great ability to unscramble reams of regulations and instructions, deciphering them all into a down-to-earth, practical and usable format. Don't you reckon that the best advice usually comes from the person who actually has to do it for real!

I head up the Campaign in my own county of Hampshire and have found one of the most rewarding aspects to be the “bringing together” of a really quite diverse array of organisations, to work alongside each other, so that farmers receive a joined up clear message. That is so important. 

If you would like to find out more about the campaign go to; http://www.cfeonline.org.uk/home/

And if you would like to read Farmer Phil’s blog, then go to:  http://loddingtonestate.blogspot.co.uk/                

British food self sufficiency

A British harvest scene

Following on from my last blog concerning a report on the public’s thoughts about agriculture, I keep mulling over one particular line that sprang out and hit me squarely between the eyes!

 “There is an ingrained perception that the UK could easily grow all its own food”.

In reality, if Britain relied solely on home-grown produce, we would run out of food by the 7^th of August – so by now you would most certainly not be reading this, but instead, be out foraging along the hedgerows with everyone else, simply trying to stay alive. Quite a sobering thought.

The latest statistics show that we are now only about 60% self-sufficient and yet in 1991 we were about 75% self-sufficient. I find that an alarming statistic. I think that we all have an inbuilt faith that science and technology are merrily pushing these things along in an upward direction on our behalf, when in fact they are not doing anything of the sort.

For instance wheat yields have plateaued during the last decade and huge numbers of dairy farmers have gone out of milk, unable to cope with the tiny margins on offer. Lamb producers have faced massive competition from cheap foreign imports (which often do not have our stringent animal welfare conditions in place) and any vegetable grower will tell you that many supermarkets will buy from elsewhere at the drop of a hat, if there is a quick buck to be made.

I could go on and on.

We need to buy British and back our farmers if we want them to survive, grow and once again increase our percentage of self-sufficiency. We also desperately need Government to invest in future technology – it has been pitiful to watch the demise of so many research stations across the country, which under-pinned so much of the past growth that was achieved. 

But let’s not just blame the politicians - we can all play our part. It is a fat lot of good if 98% of us SAY that Britain needs a thriving farming industry, but then 45% of us go off to do the shopping and never pay any attention to where our food actually comes from.

So, ask yourself this question: In what appears to be an increasingly unstable world – are you content that we run out of home produced food in this country on the 7^th of August?  If not, then we had all better do something about it.

  

Farming - some thoughts from the people!

Farmers are much loved by the public for all that they do.

I have just finished reading a report about the public’s thoughts on “Agri-technologies”, the research having been conducted by Sciencewise, which is a funded programme to encourage the more widespread use of public dialogue in policy involving science and technology. It provides a rather interesting snapshot of public views and I have plucked out a few that I found interesting for you to share.

Just to set the scene – which is important I feel, prior to reading some of the public’s comments, I have also lifted some other information from the report. 

We forget, do we not, that food production is the UK’s biggest single manufacturing sector, responsible for 7% of national output. Meanwhile, the UN forecasts that global food production will need to increase by over 70% by 2050. To tackle this challenge, the aim set by the UN for the next 30 years is: Sustainable intensification of agriculture – raising the productivity of agriculture, while protecting the environment, including biodiversity, and contributing to the mitigation of climate change.

I love that phrase “Sustainable intensification of Agriculture” – cleverly thought up to keep everyone happy. But, you then read on to see what it actually means – WOW, not much of an “ask” then! Nevertheless, a challenge for us all to contemplate.

So, to the people’s thoughts.

“Feeding a larger and wealthier population is perceived as a priority issue by the public, however, although the availability of food is a priority for consumers, this does not necessarily imply that increasing food production is also a priority”. That is a little muddled is it not? But maybe not if you look at this next sentence taken from the report. “There is an ingrained perception that the UK could easily grow all its own food”.

“The majority in the UK saw agriculture as beneficial for the environment, contributing to the beauty of the countryside and helping to preserve and protect rural areas.

 - 87% of respondents in the UK agree that agriculture is beneficial for the environment

- 85% of respondents in the UK agree that agriculture contributes to the beauty of the countryside

- 88% of respondents in the UK agree that agriculture helps to preserve and protect rural areas

So, the industry appears to be passing the test with flying colours! But wait, next up on the questionnaire - GM crops – that will surely dent this cocky pride!

“The risks to the environment and biodiversity from GM crops were very widespread concerns, even among those who had fewer worries about the ‘food safety’ aspects of GM. However, a majority of UK consumers (74.5%) seems to be willing to purchase GM foods if they are cheaper than traditional foods”. Oh fine – not that concerned then!

But here comes the reality check in my opinion.

“In the UK, 52% think origin of food is important, but 45% don’t mind”. So, despite all the above comments basically praising UK farmers, when it comes to the crunch, 45% are not the slightest bit fussed where their food has come from.

And yet this is another line from the report - “A thriving farming industry in England is “very important‟ to 79% of people interviewed and for 19% “quite important‟. So although 98% of people think this – 45% don’t give a monkeys where food actually comes from!!

It does seem then, that for many folk, their views on farming, food and the environment are not that joined up. 

I have I stress, simply lifted interesting snippets from this report. So if you would like to read more then go to: http://www.sciencewise-erc.org.uk/cms/assets/Uploads/SI-agriscienceAug-2014.pdf

Make silage while the sun shines!

Silage making in fine weather

This spell of fine weather across much of the country is enabling farmers to make silage in very good conditions. The process of ensilage consists of preserving green forage crops (in this case grass) under acidic conditions, effectively pickling the crop, ensuring that it remains in a succulent and appetising state.

Silage is fed to cattle and sheep during winter months and is usually preferred by livestock to hay as it is more palatable and of higher food value. Good silage is light brown in colour, has a sharp taste and only a little smell if the lactic acid content is correct. It is a very stable food source and can be kept for years if required, provided that oxygen is restricted from the material.

As many crops are growing in height now, a field that has been cut for silage offers a “new” short hunting area for some species. Mistle thrushes in particular, quickly switch to these harvested fields to hunt for worms, along with Rooks of course. As the grass starts to re-grow Brown Hare will graze the fresh new growth.

Unfortunately, Skylarks are also attracted by the short grass and often choose to nest in these fields. If the gap is 7 weeks or more before the next cut of grass, then they should successfully fledge their brood, however if growing conditions are good for grass, the gap between cuts is often less than this, with disastrous consequences.

WOW! A good news story about farmers in the press!!

Two proud lads!

As I have mentioned before on this blog, there has been an enormous sea-change in the attitude of farmers across the country towards conservation in the last 20 years or so.

Not only have farmers embraced conservation and now most (73% are in a Stewardship scheme) integrate management options for soil, water and wildlife into their farm businesses, but they have also started to work alongside the local community in a much better way. I think that most farmers would freely admit that they have not engaged that well with the folk that live around them in the past, but events such as “open farm Sunday” and “Farmer’s markets” have helped to start to strengthen these links.

I have also discussed how important it is to involve young people from all walks of life, so that they start to understand a little more about how the countryside is run, where their food comes from and to “open” their eyes to some of the beauty that surrounds them, whether that is a stunning landscape or a tiny flower.

One great example of the progress being made, which I happen to be involved with, is the formation of the farmer led Marlborough Downs Nature Improvement Area.  Farmers have joined forces to manage a whole landscape, rather than just their own individual farms, so that they can collectively have a greater impact by all “pulling in the same direction”.

Here is a link to demonstrate how farmers, local conservation experts and youngsters have all come together to great affect:   http://www.marlboroughnewsonline.co.uk/features/general/2809-marlborough-downs-farmers-are-bringing-tree-sparrows-back-from-catastrophic-decline-with-some-enthusiastic-helpers

Now if this isn't a good news story – then I don’t know what is!!

Cultivating brains for the future of farming

Agricultural students - the future of farming

I sort of knew this would happen. Over the last 20 years or so, I have watched agricultural colleges either shut down completely or close their agricultural courses, preferring to offer “equine studies” or “countryside management” instead – not that there is anything wrong with these courses – but how short sighted have they been in no longer offering practically based pure agricultural courses?

It is estimated that food production will have to increase by 70% in the next 40 years to feed a growing world population. It will have to try doing so with the same agricultural footprint, and without depleting our natural resources or destroying our environment. A huge ask indeed.

Meanwhile, estimates suggest that UK agriculture needs 60,000 more workers for optimal productivity, and to be internationally competitive the sector will require graduates with advanced problem-solving skills.

There are currently 7,000 agriculture students graduating from UK universities and colleges each year (and I wonder how many of those genuinely have practical skills) – insufficient to replace the 10,000 or so leaving the industry through retirement, never mind increasing their numbers.

Agricultural businesses must work with universities and colleges to design courses that will produce graduates fit for the future; they should offer student placements to ensure that graduates get the business and practical skills essential to their future employment. Government too, should support training programmes and look to promote careers in agriculture.

What is more, they need to get on with it right away.

Soil Matters

How we manage this stuff........

The Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) was re-launched back in the autumn and now has a co-ordinator in every English county. I continue to head up the campaign in Hampshire, but the difference is that CFE now covers all grassland farms and encompasses much more about soil and water within its remit, while continuing to promote practical farm conservation.

I feel that one of the biggest strengths of the campaign is that it has so successfully brought together advisors, industry and experts from right across the farming and conservation sectors. Let’s face it, there is an enormous amount for a land manager to grasp if he or she is to run a farm efficiently and within the law! Yesterday, I attended just such an event with my CFE hat on which showed just how well different organisations can work together to disseminate practical, local advice.

The event entitled “Soil Matters” was organised by Kathryn Mitchell, the Integrated Farm Management (IFM) Development Manager from Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) and Serena Leadlay, the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) officer for the Hampshire rivers, the Test and Itchen. (Crumbs, it makes you realise just how many acronyms we use nowadays – I have put links to all if you want to find out more!!)

The morning started with a series of indoor talks about soil and water and how best to manage them from both a cropping and environmental point of view. We then went out onto the Leckford estate, which is owned and run by the John Lewis partnership and is also a LEAF demonstration farm. Here we heard from a Lucy Roberts a groundwater technical specialist from the Environment agency (EA) and also from Kevin Ashford, an agronomist specialising in soils. Add to this heady mix the Leckford estate manager, Andrew Ferguson, who added his local expertise to day and you can see that anyone attending the day had a wealth of knowledge present to tap into.

We still have so much to learn about how we manage our soils and the impact that different management techniques have on our environment, especially the quality of our water. Talking to the farmers who attended, the general consensus is that we have only just started to “scratch the surface”. Sorry for this awful pun – but it is true!!

Impacts on the quality of this stuff!

Fighting the resistance.

Many target species are becoming resistant to sprays

I'm sure you have heard radio reports on how a wide range of antibiotics are not working as well as they used to and have also seen exaggerated tabloid headlines stating that “giant rats resistant to all poisons are roaming our streets”  - strange how they are always giant ones isn't it?

Increasingly, resistance build up to a number of important agricultural pesticides is also causing alarm within farming circles, as Steve Foster from at Rothamsted Research points out. He's been studying the peach-potato aphid and the grain aphid - the former has now developed resistance to many insecticides including pyrethroids, carbamates and organophosphates.

"Peach-potato aphid is the number one aphid pest in the UK and many parts of the world," he says. "Some have several types of resistance and there are cases when you just can't kill them with the compounds available," he adds.
 

It’s not just insecticides that are causing concern, with resistant blackgrass continually dominating the farming press, as its control can cost growers up to £100/ha in some cases, rendering fields unprofitable for growing a cereal crop. Resistance is also spreading across the country as highlighted by a survey that showed amongst the 20,000 farms known to use herbicides to control blackgrass, it now is estimated that 80% or more of those will have some level of resistance to at least one herbicide.
 

What is more, it’s not just grasses such as Blackgrass causing problems. Plants such as poppies, mayweed and chickweed are also posing an emerging threat, with reports of herbicide resistance in chickweed in the north of England and throughout Scotland  becoming more common.
 

Glyphosate (you may know it as Roundup or Tumbleweed) is a product that is used by just about every non organic farmer in the country and thus it would leave a particularly large hole if weeds became resistant to this particular chemical.  Paul Neve, an assistant professor at Warwick University, is working with PhD student Laura Davies to examine whether glyphosate resistance is likely to be seen in the UK. While he doesn't expect her research to uncover any resistant populations, he says it would be a "major problem" for growers if it developed.
 

"As we lose other available herbicides glyphosate becomes more and more important," he says. “Globally there are now 24 weed species with confirmed glyphosate resistance. Most are in North America and associated with GM crops. There are also some cases in Europe, but they are entirely in perennial crops such as vines, citrus and olive crops."
 

The project tested samples from 40 different blackgrass populations across affected areas of the UK. No resistance was found, and the weed was still being controlled by the field-recommended rate of glyphosate. Laura did however, find variation in sensitivity to glyphosate at lower than recommended doses, with less sensitive populations tending to be from fields with a history of more intense glyphosate use. That really does not bode well in my opinion.
 

With very little brand new chemistry coming on stream, the farming industry can ill afford to lose these important older products.  I feel that much more should be made of cultural control methods, such as better rotations, crop choice and even, in the case of aphids, beneficial predators. The use of many of these chemicals should kick in as more of a last resort.

I do however realize that this is sometimes easier said than done.  

Nick Clegg bangs another nail into the DEFRA coffin

I thought I would spare you a picture of Nick Clegg.

Not only have we lost two excellent ministers from DEFRA in recent times, Sir Jim Paice and Richard Benyon, who both (for a change) actually understood farming and the way the countryside works, but now it also appears that DEFRA has been weakened further. Apparently, it was Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who was responsible for the decision to remove the Ministerial rank from Defra’s farming role, the Department’s chief civil servant told MPs this week.

The recent Ministerial reshuffle saw Lib Dem David Heath replaced by Tory George Eustice as Farming Minister. But whereas Mr Heath carried the rank of Minister of State, Mr Eustice is a more junior Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, leaving Defra as one of the few Whitehall Departments without a Minister of State.

The downgrading of the farming role has been criticised by MPs and industry leaders, with former Farming Minister Sir Jim Paice, suggesting it raised questions about the Government’s commitment to DEFRA and its agenda. NFU president Peter Kendall said the industry ‘ought to have an explanation’ over the apparent downgrading of the farming role in Defra.

Neil Parish, Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton said, “Agriculture has never been a more pressing issue than it is today and farming is a vital part of the rural economy. Food security is a grave challenge facing governments around the world. By 2050 the global population estimated to reach nine billion and it will take innovation and political will to increase food production to meet this demand. Many people in rural areas and the food and farming industries will see this as a snub from the deputy prime minister and I hope he will reconsider and give farming the support it deserves." 

I agree.

Volunteering to be trained!!

The cheeriest bunch of volunteers you are ever likely to meet!

 I ran a course last week on “Farming & Wildlife” for the South Downs National Park volunteers and I have to say, what a lovely bunch they were!! The request had come through as many of them felt that they could find courses to go on about chalk grassland and woodland habitats etc, but not necessarily about what happens on our farms. Of course most of the South Downs is made up of farmland, so if they are to influence and work across the whole landscape, it is important to understand how our farms work and what makes farmers tick!

The morning was held indoors at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park near to Petersfield in Hampshire, hosted by good friend and top notch countryside advisor, Nick Heasman (South Downs National Park Ranger – to give him his correct title!). I always like to hold informal meetings so that people can ask plenty of questions as we go along – nothing worse than a one way lecture! Well, I certainly need not have worried with this lot – loads of questions, which also turned into useful discussions - fantastic! 

In the afternoon we went onto George Atkinson’s farm – an award winning mixed farm with stacks to talk about and lots to see first hand. George is a great ambassador for the farming industry and speaks with passion about the way he farms and the wildlife that he looks after on his farm – no wonder he was a finalist in this year’s RSPB Nature of Farming awards. Read more about George at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/george-atkinson_tcm9-349732.pdf

Volunteers do a fantastic amount of work across the countryside, whether it is turning their hand to a bit of coppicing or scrub clearance to surveying areas for plants or birds. I think it is especially rewarding to those who perhaps live and work in our towns and find themselves hankering for a job out in the fresh air!

I think everyone enjoyed the day and hopefully learnt a lot about the farmland that surrounds them when they are up on the Downs. I certainly enjoyed their company – they were as enthusiastic a bunch as you are ever likely to meet!!

Why not think of volunteering yourself – it is a wonderful way to meet people and to put your energies to something really useful. This is the link to the South Downs volunteer’s page: http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/get-involved/volunteering
 

However, don’t forget there is work to be done wherever you may live in the country!

The South Downs is largely made up of farmland

Not all is well down on the farm, despite many farmer's best efforts.

The Lapwing continues to decline on our farmland

The latest official figures on farmland birds have recently been released and continue to show further declines. The Farmland Bird Index – which covers 19 species reliant on the farmed countryside – has seen a five year decline of eight per cent.

Looking back over 40 years the long term decline in farmland birds is 50 per cent, however the decline has slowed in recent years.

Turtle Doves are the fastest declining species – down 95 per cent since 1970, and reports from earlier this year suggest it is the worst year ever for sightings. Other species hit hard include Lapwings, which are down 63 per cent since 1970; Corn Buntings, down 90 per cent; and Skylarks, down 59 per cent.

The overall decline has however slowed, probably as a result of many farmers targeting their Stewardship options specifically towards these farmland birds. Just over 70% of English farmers are in a Stewardship scheme of some sort which is great; however those who make best use of the options available have nearly always taken advice from a qualified farm conservation advisor. Advice is the key if conservation schemes are to be correctly integrated in with individual farming business practices, and actually deliver what these birds need.

If we are serious about turning the fortunes of these farmland birds around, Government has to make sure that payments to farmers who are taking land out of crop production to provide habitat for these beleaguered birds, continues into the future and do not get swallowed up in sweeping budget cuts.

Not all species associated with farmland are doing badly though. Ironically, two of the less popular birds with farmers are doing spectacularly well such as Jackdaws, whose numbers have increased by 140 per cent since 1970, and Wood pigeons, which are up 134 per cent.

The Wild Bird Indicator statistics also cover seabirds and woodland birds. The figures for seabirds have shown an increase of 17 per cent since 1970 although they have declined in recent years. The figures for woodland birds have shown a decrease of 17 per cent.   

The Woodpigeon population is up 134% since 1970!

Clinton Devon Estate - the perfect host!

A good mix of people attended the course 

 I ran a course on farmland wildlife last week in a beautiful part of south Devon, on the Clinton Devon Estate, which is not far from Budleigh Salterton. Sometimes when running a course, but certainly not always, everything slots neatly into place, so that I too can actually enjoy the day. This was one of those days!

You would not believe the unforeseen things that can exercise the mind when running these events, even though you think you have covered everything twice over! I could give you many examples, but for the time being how about this one. A number of years ago I organised a “farm walk” to see and discuss how best to manage for wildlife on the farm. It stated all the usual stuff on the invite – bring suitable footwear and wet weather clothing as this was an outside event etc. So, I was quite surprised to see a chap struggling out a car with his whole leg in plaster and being handed crutches, having apparently broken his ankle just the week before!! I quickly changed the well planned route so that he could follow around behind the walking group, in a four wheel-drive vehicle.
 

The event at Clinton Devon however was definitely at the other end of the scale. The inside part of the course was held in the very plush board room and the estate staff could not have been more helpful. The afternoon session was held out on the farm, in a most glorious part of Devonshire countryside and the weather was sunny and warm. What’s more there were lots of excellent habitats to look at and discuss.
 

We also had a great mixture of people attending – Farmers, Keepers, RSPB and National Trust amongst others. I find it very rewarding when you see this mix of folk talking together and in most cases finding out that they actually have much in common – tremendous!

So a big “thank you” to the Clinton Devon estate for hosting this enjoyable day and for helping me to keep any potential gremlins at bay!

  

A wonderful "weedy" stubble - perfect for a wide range of wildlife!

The Cranborne Estate - ahead of the game!

Viscount Cranborne and his estate team receiving the trophy from GWCT's Mike Swan

Congratulations to the Cranborne Estate who has been awarded the GWCT's Wessex Grey Partridge trophy this year. The estate team has put in place a programme of measures which combine together to support grey partridges (and many other farmland bird species) throughout their life cycle. These include improved hedgerow management, grass margins, beetle banks and insect rich brood strips to provide food for chicks.

There is also abundant winter escape cover, large areas of wild bird seed mixes and a generous winter and spring supplementary feeding programme. All of this has been coupled with targeted predation control to maximise the number of pairs that successfully rear their young. This has resulted in an increase from just a few pairs to a total of 34 pairs in 2012. Sadly the dire summer of 2012 saw very few chicks surviving, and resulted in a reduction to 18 pairs in the spring of 2013. Despite this halving of the pair count, there were many more partridges to be seen this autumn than last year, and we can anticipate continued population growth from here on. 

It's not all just Essex estuary talk - no, great results too!!

David Smart standing in a newly sown flower strip

I visited the Essex Wildlife Trust’s 700 acre farm at Abbotts Hall (not too far from Colchester) last week, as they grow crops for Conservation Grade. Trust manager David Smart showed me around and I must say I was impressed by how much is going on conservation wise – whilst the remit is still to definitely farm commercially, they are certainly accomplishing a lot besides!
 

This is great because it means that the Essex Wildlife Trust really understands what trials and tribulations the county’s farmers are facing, which must surely give them real credibility when they come to advise farmers locally. The Wildlife Trusts in general are improving their knowledge and advice about farmland, as maybe in the past they have concentrated on the “special” habitats and nature reserves within their given county, sometimes rather ignoring the wider farmed landscape.  I hope this does not sound condescending – but I do think this was often the case.
 

Abbotts Hall farm not only grows wild bird seed mixes and wild flower areas, but they have also created a large lake area which is now home to lots of birds and a thriving Water Vole colony. They also took some arable land adjacent to the marshes out of food production some dozen years or so ago, letting it go back to a natural coastal habitat – which is precisely what it has done – it is now hard to believe that it once was ploughed!
 

Also along this extensive area of coastline there are a range of habitats such as mudflats, marshes, saline lagoons and the "fringe" area where sea and farmland meet, and it is just here that the plant Hog’ Fennel can be found, which just happens to be the food plant of the extremely rare Fisher’s Estuarine Moth. The trust has been involved in a project to introduce this species back into suitable habitats – and the result is?  The farm now has a small but thriving population of this endangered moth!
 

To me however, one of the most impressive things I saw was the best field of Oil Seed Rape so far this year. Now you are talking – growing lots of food and wildlife on the same farm – that’s what it’s all about! Well done Essex Wildlife Trust!!

Listen up everyone - farmers ARE doing their bit for wildlife!

Hertfordshire farmer Barbara Sapsed in her "wildlife crop!"

Suffolk farmer, Steve Honeywood - doing so much for wildlife

Last week I was working in the Eastern counties – in Suffolk and Hertfordshire to be precise – doing farm based assessments for ConservationGrade (CG). Farmers who grow crops for CG have to have a minimum of 10% of the farm in wildlife habitats, such as flower rich areas which provide pollen and nectar or wildlife seed mixes which produce lots of different seeds for over-wintering birds to feed on. I check that they are indeed meeting the CG requirements and also give advice, were necessary, on how to improve what they are doing.
 

When I give talks to the general public – in other words not a farmer based audience – I often ask them “what percentage of farmers do you think are in a voluntary Government Stewardship scheme, which funds them to manage and provide habitats for wildlife?” The usual answers I get range from around 10 – 20%. The actual answer is over 70%.  

What is more, on the farms that have decided not to go into one of these Stewardship schemes, (often because they want to do things their own way – without Government rules and regulations) it certainly does not mean that they are devoid of wildlife habitats. There is often plenty to see such as grass buffer strips along water courses, over-wintering stubbles and game cover crops.

OK, Conservation Grade farmers tend to be amongst the very best in the country at growing crops, not only for us to eat, but for a wide range of wildlife too. But we really have to begin to shout more loudly about the vast majority of farmers out there who are playing their part in managing the countryside for much more than just food production.  Sure, there is still more to be done to really turn around the fortunes of certain farmland species with are still declining, but the public perception that very little is happening on farms, is way off the mark.

PS. Steve also has a thriving horse feed business which is accredited by Conservation Grade! Use this link to also see his on the farm page as it will give you some idea just how much he is doing!             

What a bunch of wasters.

Wasted food

I have taken an extract below from a United Nations report, which should make every one of us stop and think. I suspect we are all guilty to some extent, although as my children would vouch, I hate waste and have instilled in them not to needlessly throw anything away.
 

Why oh why do UK supermarkets still market FRESH produce – “buy one get one free”.  My local Tesco recently had enormous cauliflowers with this marketing ploy splashed across them. I watched as shoppers couldn't resist the offer – but to get through this amount you would ideally be planning to make cauliflower cheese for your local rugby club – waste was inevitable.

This is what the report stated:

“The food the world wastes accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than any country except for China and the United States, the United Nations said in a report on Wednesday.
 

Every year about a third of all food for human consumption, around 1.3 billion tons, is wasted, along with all the energy, water and chemicals needed to produce it and dispose of it.
 

Almost 30 percent of the world's farmland, and a volume of water equivalent to the annual discharge of the River Volga, are in effect being used in vain.
 

In its report entitled "The Food Wastage Footprint", the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that the carbon footprint of wasted food was equivalent to 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year.
 

In the industrialized world, much of the waste comes from consumers buying too much and throwing away what they do not eat. In developing countries, it is mainly the result of inefficient farming and a lack of proper storage facilities.
 

"Food wastage reduction would not only avoid pressure on scarce natural resources but also decrease the need to raise food production by 60 percent in order to meet the 2050 population demand," the FAO said.
 

It suggested improving communication between producers and consumers to manage the supply chain more efficiently, as well as investing more in harvesting, cooling and packaging methods.

It also said consumers in the developed world should be encouraged to serve smaller portions and make more use of leftovers. Businesses should give surplus food to charities, and develop alternatives to dumping organic waste in landfill.
 

The FAO estimated the cost of the wasted food, excluding fish and seafood, at about $750 billion a year, based on producer prices.
 

The wasted food consumes about 250 cubic km of water and takes up about 1.4 billion hectares - much of it diverse natural habitat that has been cleared to make it arable”.

So, let us all start to do our bit right now – to throw away a third of all fresh food that we buy is nothing short of abhorrent.

Do you buy British farmed produce?

British cattle on a British farm

Did the bacon buttie you had for breakfast this morning contain BRITISH bacon? Was the lamb you had for supper produced in the UK or had it travelled across the world from New Zealand? Not sure?  Well you should be!

The UK produces just 62 per cent of its own food. British food supplies would run out on August 14 if all the food produced in Britain in a year was stored and eaten from January 1.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has launched a “Back British Farming charter” to get us all eating more food produced from British farms – go to: http://www.nfuonline.com/get-involved/back-british-farming/whats-new/the-back-british-farming-charter-explained/

Apparently a One Poll survey has revealed that 78 per cent of consumers thought supermarkets should stock more British food. All I can say is “what is wrong with the other 22% of consumers!!

I fully support the NFU on this campaign, as long as of course, they don’t take their eye of the ball as far as the environment goes. SUSTAINABLE farming at all times.