David & Nicola Chapman, Carr Farm 3/3
What are the benefits to the farm and is it increasing its climate and business resilience? If so, in what way?
When we took over the farm, we moved all the holding from arable to grassland and stopped all fertilizers and pesticides. In the first two years as the soil reacted to the withdrawal of these inputs it seemed that although there were new and different species of plants appearing the grass growth was less and forage crops notably reduced. However, after that initial period and with the introduction of more varied swards including deeper rooted herbal plants by overseeding plus the impact of the bale grazing over the higher/drier fields the total forage growth has significantly increased, the mix of species provides a more natural diet for the cattle which in turn has benefitted their growth rates and overall health.
Cattle grazing reed beds on one of the Suffolk Wildlife Trusts marshes
The reduction in worming regime has improved the dung beetle population which in turn sees the cow pats being quickly absorbed into the pasture rather than as previously sitting on top of the soil for months.
The increase in organic matter has improved the soils resilience to the almost annual drought conditions we now suffer in the summer.
These changes have resulted in new species of plants appearing each year, especially flowering plants, more and varied insect life which in turn leads to more and greater variety of birdlife.
Barn Owl at Carr Farm
How do you monitor it?
We really could do better with monitoring the changes taking place on the farm each year and if we could turn back the clock would have carried out a baseline survey of especially plant life but also soil health and bird numbers when we took over the farm. However, it doesn’t take a survey to see the improvements year on year in the increasing number of species on the farm, just being out and about working on the farm every day often results in realising many positive changes are taking place.
Nothing beats the excitement of seeing a new flower appearing in the meadow not seen before, a new dragonfly or damselfly on the marshes, the sheer number of skylarks now nesting on the marshes, ringing our first barn owlets, the arrival of our first bittern, the RSPB bird surveyor telling us that he has counted 52 red listed snipe on our wet marshes on just one morning and so many more ‘little wins’!
Calves under horse chestnut at Carr Farm
What lessons have you learnt and would like to share with others?
‘Regenerative’ and ‘sustainable’ are the new buzzwords used widely in all manner of industries to greenwash their not so green activities. In the case of farming under the Pasture for Life banner you can really make a difference. There is so much knowledge within the organisation and farmers willing to share their experiences.
However, sometimes it can feel like there is almost too much information and it’s easy to get bogged down with the science and theory and ‘best’ way of doing things. The biggest lesson we have learnt is to do what is right for your holding however big or small. Everyone’s farm is different, different soil types, climates, animal availability, even the time you are able to dedicate to your farm may be limited by having to work off farm. We’ve also learnt to just try different things and don’t feel that you must make big changes, sometimes the smallest change makes the biggest difference!
Belties having grazed hay in the fields
Read more about Carr Farm or our other Biodiversity Case Studies.
