I'm heading off to Blenheim today (the stately home in Oxfordshire, not the battlefield in Belgium) to the CLA Game Fair. And I'm in an optimistic mood.
It is the “art of the possible” that makes me optimistic. Optimistic that we really can see a halt to the loss of wildlife by 2020.
In the UK, our countryside can be rich in wildlife. It can deliver us safe and wholesome food. It can lock up carbon to help address climate change. It can keep our rivers and wetlands flowing with clean water.
And how do I know this? Simply by looking at the number of farmers demonstrating the art of the possible. Today, we profile four of the best. There are many more than just four, it should be said, but these are exemplars worthy of recognition for managing land for multiple value. The four are the finalists in our Nature of Farming Award, which we run in conjunction with Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife International, and kindly sponsored by the Daily Telegraph.
Like all farms, the farmers are a diverse bunch. But what is clear from reading about their work and from talking to our advisors who have visited the farms, their shared love of nature shows how they have integrated conservation into their commercial businesses. With such a high standard of entries this year, I don’t envy the public the final choice (though the chance of winning a weekend away for two will hopefully provide a little encouragement).
So whether it is the chalkhill blue butterflies finding a home on a Hertfordshire farm, the mountain hares being looked after on Mull, the rare Venus’s looking-glass in the arable fields of Wiltshire, or even the 14 species of water boatman benefiting from clean water being created by the reedbed filtration on a Shropshire dairy farm , all are stepping up for nature.
And their efforts are being recognised in high places. The Farming Minister, Jim Paice, says: “The shortlist for the Nature of Farming Award demonstrates the good work that farmers are doing across the country to improve wildlife on their farms. Farmers know that they play an important role in helping us achieve our ambition for a healthy and vibrant natural environment that we set out in our recently published White Paper. I wish all the finalists well in the competition and hope that other farmers see them as an inspiration of what can be achieved.”
The vote opens today and runs until the 31st August.
Regardless of who ultimately wins the accolade of the UK’s most wildlife-friendly farmer, the real winners are the wildlife who are fortunate to share the land with these farmers. And whilst we face some big challenges in the future, not least CAP reform and ensuring the work of wildlife-friendly farmers is properly rewarded, it's worth being optimistic.