Heather Close, Balsar Glen 3/3
How do you monitor it?
We do some basic environmental monitoring each year but it is a time consuming process so less is done than I'd like. I plan to come up with a more targeted approach this year which will include water infiltration testing and bird species ID. We do regular soil sampling and Dad loves to get his spade out and count earthworms!
Monitoring by observation
Are there any benefits to the farm that are directly attributable to the Pasture for Life approach and/or would be lost if there were no ruminant animals on the farm? In brief, what are the benefits from having ruminant animals on the farm?
Having ruminant animals on the farm is really important. Plants and animals evolved together, the ecosystem is incomplete without an abundance of species. We lack apex wild predators in the UK, but humans can mimic their input by moving cows regularly and bunching them up.
Hedgerows on Balbirnie Home Farms
