In this webinar, two farmers from England and Wales share their approaches to hedgerows and woodland management through a live screening of their case study videos, followed by a Q&A to dig deeper into their practices.
Peter Leeson (Woodland Trust) discusses the climate mitigation benefits of trees on farms and address any concerns farmers may have e.g. acorn poisoning of livestock etc.
Meet:
James Robinson, Strickley Farm
Ruth Pybus, Broadleaf Wales
Peter Leeson, Woodland Trust
Explore:
How to develop plans for effectively integrating woodland on farms
How to approach restoring, creating or maintaining hedgerows
The practical implications
Available resources for creation or management
The webinar is part of NFFN’s wider Rethink Farming series where we’ll be showcasing farmers’ journeys with Q&A sessions in the months ahead. Become a free member of the NFFN to stay in the loop: https://www.nffn.org.uk/join-us/
Speakers:
James Robinson – The Robinsons have farmed at Strickley in south Cumbria for almost 150 years. James and his family now have 300 acres of organic land with 130 pedigree Dairy Shorthorns and 130 followers. His herd graze meadows, permanent pasture and herbal leys in small fields surrounded by seven miles of ancient hedgerows. These hedgerows are managed in a traditional twenty-year rotation of hedgelaying, and link a mixture of diverse habitats such as wetlands, species-rich hay meadows and ancient oak woodland.
Ruth Pybus – Ruth has spent the last 15 years converting 20 hectares of young mixed farm woodland to continuous cover woodland growing quality hardwood timber. The woodland is managed to improve opportunities for biodiversity and beneficial rearing conditions for the small suckler herd. The woodland won the gold medal for Small and Farm Woodlands in the Royal Forestry Society’s Excellence in Forestry competition 2021 and the farm is currently hosting a trainee under the RFS Forestry Roots scheme. She and her partner have recently started a business, Broadleaf Wales. The consultancy part of the business delivers woodland management courses and provides mentoring through Farming Connect, woodland creation plans under Glastir and various woodland support through the Woodland Trust. The business is also developing a local market for their timber products, including sweet chestnut cleft fence posts, stiles, field gates and planked timber. She enjoys the excitement of seeing the range of products growing in diversity alongside the rapid improvement in wildlife as the woodland develops. The cows like it too! www.broadleaf.wales
Peter Leeson, Woodland Trust – Peter was brought up on homegrown veg and, as a youngster, learnt to lay hedges on several small farms in Norfolk and Yorkshire. He has been at the Woodland Trust for 29 years and manages the Trusts’ Cumbria Treescape working to integrate trees onto farms and commons.