The countryside just wouldn’t be the same without our wildlife, but, according to The Wildlife Trusts’ latest State of Nature Report, one in seven native UK species are at risk of extinction – and farmland creatures, particularly birds, are in most trouble.
Jordans knows it doesn’t have to be this way, that’s why it created the Jordans Farm Partnership. This unique collaboration between Jordans Cereals, The Wildlife Trusts, Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) and the Prince’s Countryside Fund, sees each of Jordans’ 31 British oat farmers work in harmony with nature, dedicating at least 10% of their land to wildlife.
Hamish is busy restoring the 46 ponds on Ragley Hall Farm in Warwickshire. Already, he’s cleared out silt and rotting leaves and removed tree branches from their stagnant, wildlife-depleted waters. He’s also placed a six-metre-wide buffer strip of grass and other vegetation around the ponds to protect them from activities that occur on the wider farm, such as applying fertiliser to crops.
Insects and other invertebrates are already on the up, and so are the birds that feed on them. As well as nesting moorhens, herons breed on the farm estate and lapwing feed their chicks on the insects. Toads, frogs and newts all use the rejuvenated ponds for breeding in spring, too.
The arable fields at Ralph Parker's Highfield Farm in Cambridgeshire are a key habitat for many farmland birds, including corn bunting, lapwing and grey partridge. To give them a helping hand, Ralph doesn’t just sow all his crops in autumn, after a harvest he drills around a third of his crops in the spring. This means that the winter stubble left from the previous crop offers cover for wildlife and provides a vital area of foraging for farmland birds, while broad-leaved plants are encouraged to grow in the unplanted fields, providing seeds for the birds to eat.
Passionate farmer Stephen Honeywood is on a mission to enhance the countryside for future generations, that’s why he gives nature the space to follow its own path at Halls Farm, Suffolk. He lets hedgerows thicken and spill out to create wide scrubby habitat, and he sows plenty of cover crops for wild birds. His work has also seen silver-washed fritillary butterflies (a species of conservation concern that occupy the nearby woodlands) start to colonise on the farm, making the population larger and less vulnerable.
Here, the eighth-generation farmer reveals what the average day looks like for him and how he’s helping to put nature first...
Morning: It’s an early wake-up call for Stephen, whose alarm rings at 5.30am. While enjoying his morning cuppa, he savours the peace and quiet that comes with being the first one up – but it isn’t long before his working day begins. At 6.30am, he’ll rally the team for the morning meeting to plan the day’s work schedule, which can vary from planting the year’s pollen and nectar mixes to installing barn owl boxes.
Stephen, who lives on the farm with his wife Jude and their children, also regularly gets in touch with his Jordans Farm Partnership manager Juliet, from the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. While the pair would usually meet on the farm, they’ve been communicating via Zoom due to COVID-19. Since implementing their conservation plan, the farm is now home to 70 species of bird – just one of the partnership’s many success stories!
Afternoon: Mornings are often busy for Stephen, so he’ll stop for lunch and catch up with his wife Jude at around 1pm. Then he’s back on the farm to continue the day’s work. An important part of the job is monitoring the oat crops to ensure they’re doing well in the weather conditions. If a little uncertain about his crops’ development, he’ll set up a meeting with his agronomist (plant doctor) to discuss what can be done. As well as growing oats for Jordans Cereals, Stephen and his family have also created Honeychop, a range of unique oat straw fibre feeds for horses and ponies. The range is lovingly crafted on the farm, with Stephen and his father, Robert, overseeing the production.
Evening: At around 6.30pm Stephen calls it a day and heads into the house for dinner with his family – gammon with new potatoes and greens, followed by homemade apple crumble is a favourite in the Honeywood household! After eating together, Stephen loves nothing more than to head out for an evening walk around the farm with his wife. The farm’s hedgerows serve as bat flight paths between roosting sites in his old barn buildings, so it’s usually the optimum time to watch them circle overhead and catch a glimpse of the barn owls! Then it’s bed by 10pm after an early start and another busy day on the farm.