We’ve been longing for some rain for week’s now and this week its finally arrived in buckets! Our deep-rooted herbal leys have stood up well in the early summer drought, but the newly sown seeds can finally get going to all our relief. Suddenly there are weeds everywhere!
With only 3 cows left to calve, the farm is full of life. Should you visit this summer, you’ll meet our cows and calves who are located lower down the farm near the barns. The ewes and lambs are based further up the hill, rotating through fields of species rich leys and doing really well. We’ve fenced off some of our larger fields to create smaller ones enabling a longer rotation. The break gives the plants a chance to grow tall and flower (great for the insects) and lay their roots deeper (great for the soil).
Down in the valley we’ve been working on developing the wildlife corridor along the stream – fencing it off from the cattle and extending the area around the wildlife pond. Whilst the rabbits, foxes, stoats and badgers base themselves in the hedgerows, the valley is home to an array of wildlife including 7 species of bats, many birds, butterflies and beetles, not mention our much loved wild bee colony. In the autumn we plan to plant more trees along this stretch, preserving this very special habitat, and create a wildlife walk enabling guests to safely explore the farm and meet some of the residents.
