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Working with Lockerley Estate - Better, Bigger, More Joined Up
Remember the Lawton Review in 2010 and the coining of the phrase Better, Bigger, More Joined Up? Never has this been more important than it is now. Climate change is happening, biodiversity is declining and we need to ensure that we take a landscape scale approach to conservation. Lockerley Estate champions the restoration of nature, integrating wildlife with farming across its 2000 ha estate of farmland and woodland, and Wessex Farm Wildlife is really proud to be part of the process. Together, and with the support of Natural England and Forestry Commission, we designed a Higher Tier Stewardship Scheme that delivers for wildlife and the farm business across the entire estate.
Yesterday, 29th August 2023, was such a great day. Firstly, it was brilliant to meet up again with staff and volunteers from the wonderful Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) and secondly it was a very significant stage in a project that has been in planning for years. Several years back, I sat down with Craig Livingstone, Lockerley Estate’s Director of Farming and Estates to discuss the possibility of creating species rich grassland on an area of arable land adjacent to HIWWT’s Broughton Down SSSI Nature Reserve. Yesterday, we took green hay from Broughton Down and spread it across areas of prepared bare ground in the 7ha which has been taken out of production and grassed down to make space for nature. We hope that that the precious seed contained in the green hay from Broughton Down will accelerate the process of turning this former arable land into an area humming with insects and full of characteristic chalk grassland flowers. It is anyone’s guess how long this will take, but already it is helping buffer and extend the SSSI and providing a home for the Skylark and Partridge which were very much in evidence as we worked.
Lockerley Estate and Wessex Farm Wildlife want to say a huge thank you to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the hard work of their staff and volunteer team who made this possible.
Left to right: Mary Parker HIWWT volunteer, HIWWT volunteer, Bea Walecki HIWWT Reserves Officer, Matt Bloor Lockerley Estate Woodland & Conservation Manager, Alison Cross Wessex Farm Wildlife
Simms Farm, Oxfordshire- Getting Ready for SFI 23
With a Mid Tier agreement up and running, thoughts have turned to how to maximise opportunities presented by the SFI. Simms Farm has been accepted as part of the Controlled Roll Out, though as I write this, on 6th September, there are still no instructions as to how this is to take place.
Nevertheless, we are looking at how best to top up the Mid Tier agreement. Classic infield options have been well used within the Mid Tier and the AB9 winter bird food is looking amazing. Established earlier this year under Marek Nowakowski's guidance, it is full of seed that will keep the birds happy for some time. Once the seed supply is exhausted, supplementary feeding will keep them going through the hungry gap. This is particularly important for the farm's grey partridge population.
So, having ruled out more bird food or nectar flower mixes for the time being, what about the hedgerows? - lots of opportunity here. Simms Farm has plenty of hedges which weren't included in the Mid Tier. The farm has a hedgerow management plan and SFI can help support the cost of managing this valuable resource.
Then, there are unproductive field corners and areas which can be entered into SFI, and with the relaxed rules on grassland eligibility, there is additional permanent pasture which can be managed under the low input option. Companion cropping and insecticide free cropping are already part of the farm's IPM approach, so money to be had here too. More good news - the SFI's flexible approach to rotational options offers a chance to increase cover crops in years when the rotation requires more than is committed to in the Mid Tier.
Now we need the SFI to become a reality and not just a promise of something that never seems to get any nearer to actually happening.
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