Our Farm

Our farm is rather different in appearance as the hedges are twice as wide and tall as neighbouring hedges. We have introduced a number of biological control measures around the farm in an attempt to reduce pests and unwanted “visitors”. Since 2002 we have had 3 llamas to chase the foxes away – this made the local news in Somerset at the time, being broadcasted on TV, magazines and a local newspaper!

Predator flies have been introduced into the chicken houses to eat the house fly larvae.
Beetle banks have been established to encourage the presence of predatory beetles in the blueberry crop in order to reduce the slug population. Beetle banks also encourage other predatory insects like lace wings and ladybirds and help to maintain a healthy and diverse range of pest species. This diversity ultimately leads to the control of population sizes of single species so they do not become a problem. Piles of hedge trimmings are left around the crop to encourage stoats and hedgehogs – both of these are a farmer’s friend as they eat voles and slugs, who would otherwise be feeding on the bushes leaves and berries.

Finally we have deployed falcons with great success to keep blackbirds and starlings away from the blueberries.

 

We support pollinating insect life on the farm. We do this by increasing the availability of flowering plants around the farm which we achieved by introducing new plants and changing the hedge cutting policy when we took on the farm. Native bumblebees (Bombus terrestris audax) are introduced to pollinate the blueberries and we encourage solitary bees by providing shelters for them.

The grass between the blueberry bushes is only cut 2 or 3 times a year to further encourage insects which thrive with high grass and wild flowers. The ever present insect life provides an inescapable and continuous sonic backdrop for anyone taking a lie-down in the grass. We have planted 3 hectares of woodland – all broadleaved, native species, as well as new hedgerows to further maximise biodiversity in the area.

Llama

We have kept llamas since 2002, because they are known to keep predators at bay. We found the results to be very spectacular, especially when keeping one single male llama. Because we like their company and got a bit over enthusiastic we slowly increased the herd to four llamas, and one sheep who thinks he is a llama. Now, we find that their predator chasing skills are a lot less impressive, since they are now too busy chasing each other and flirting with Orinoco, the young female.

 

Kestrel and Barn owls

We encourage kestrels and barn owls by providing nest boxes for them. They both play a role in predating the voles in the blueberry orchard. With the heavy snow in the winter of 2010 the barn owls did unfortunately not make it through to spring, due to lack of access to the voles.

Beetle banks and pollen strips

We like to encourage as much insect life in our hedge rows, field (margins) and the grass strips between the blue berries, as we possibly can.

By creating a wide range of bio diversity in and around the orchard pest insects are present only on low, acceptable levels.

Brown hairstreak butterfly

Brown hairstreak butterfly like a specific type of environment which includes hedge rows with black thorn. Since the females lay their eggs on the two year old growth of the plant, annual hedge flailing can decimate a population.

We manage our hedges in such a way that we only flail once every three of four years, and never all hedges at once. This way we make sure that there is always plenty of two year old wood to lay eggs. We have also planted about 300 meters new hedge row with plenty of blackthorn to give this species a chance.

Woodland

In the winter 06-07 we planted 4000 broad leaved, native trees. The 8 species planted were already present on the farm. The aim of these trees is to enhance the local landscape, to encourage nature and to encourage our chickens to range more widely. A public footpath leads though the woodland which will give local dog walkers and ramblers a chance to enjoy the scene.

 

Compost and compost tea

Much less visible, but even more important is the bio diversity underground. A single gram of soil typically contains a billion bacterial cells representing over 4000 species, around 200 meters of fungal hyphae, 10000 protozoa and up to 100 nematode worms. Gary Bending, HRI.

To stimulate soil organisms in the blueberry orchard, we stopped all tillage after planting and establishing the crop, and we applied a thick mulch layer of coniferous wood peelings and bracken between the blueberry shrubs.

The peelings come from a local saw mill, the Brecon bales come from near by Exmoor where they are considered a weed.

Obviously no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used on the farm.<

To encourage bio diversity even more, we have applied compost before planting and use compost teas (extracts) regularly during the summer season.

 

Honey bees

We are trying to find an enthousiastic bee keeper to keep his or her bees here on the farm. The flowering hedge rows in early spring, blueberry blossom in May and June, the species rich grass lands in July and August, the gorse bushes year round will give a plenty full supply of nectar through out the season. Although we a have a great interest in bee keeping, we find that we do not have the time available to be able to commit ourselves to keeping bees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Badgers, Slow worms, Grass snakes,

On the farm we have the honour to house one massive badger set. Unfortunately we dont see much of them, since they are rather nocturnal, and especially the older animals are extremely cautious.

The species rich grassland is the home of quite a high number of slow worms and grass snakes. We know their favourite area’s to bask in the sun, and by being there at the right time, there is a very high chance of spotting them.