Hello,
The annual RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award is open for applications until the end of this month. If you have any farmers locally who are doing their bit for wildlife, why not encourage them to enter? This year we've launched a new 'Highly Commended' category so even more farmers entering the competition can be rewarded for their efforts.
Information on the Award, last year's winners and an application form can be found at
or email nature-farming@rspb.org.uk for a postal form. Claire
MrsT,we have a few farmers in our recording area who seem to go out of their way to improve things for wildlife but I while I am not sure of farmers in other parts of the country most of the Dales farmers I meet up with are a bit shy at pushing themselves forward for this sort of thing,One of our local friends associations runs an annual award for local farmers in our AONB and they nearly have to be dragged to collect their awards.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
I'm doing a Volunteer and Farmer Alliance project survey for a farmer near Banbury this year. He was the regional winner of the Nature of Farming Award in the Midlands a couple of years back (sadly he didn't manage to carry off the national award too). I've done just one visit out of three so far and already racked up 49 species on the farm. I expect to top out at around 60-65 species by the middle of June.
He's got just about every stewardship option there is in the book, in place, from arable weed strips to ponds, new woodland planting to low-intensive flower rich meadows. His grass margins around his arable fields are about 50% wider than what he's actually paid to put in and I don't think there's a single tree on the entire farm that doesn't have some kind of a nest box attached to it. He's also built a little education centre behind his main barn complex and local schools come and find out about wildlife friendly farming.
Colin
i know a lot of money hungry farmers. all the farmers i know take take and take again.
i think it is only european policies enforced by our goverment that stop the new big hitter farmer from creating deserts out of our countryside.
corni
A smile will open more doors than any key.
Really sad corni that you do not know what you are talking about do some research and you will find those policies that you misguidedly think are enforced are actually VOLUNTARY,you ought to get your facts right.You so obviously know nothing about farming or deserts or voluntary conservation grant policies.All must be available on the internet with a bit of research.
Unknown said: I'm doing a Volunteer and Farmer Alliance project survey for a farmer near Banbury this year. He was the regional winner of the Nature of Farming Award in the Midlands a couple of years back (sadly he didn't manage to carry off the national award too). I've done just one visit out of three so far and already racked up 49 species on the farm. I expect to top out at around 60-65 species by the middle of June. He's got just about every stewardship option there is in the book, in place, from arable weed strips to ponds, new woodland planting to low-intensive flower rich meadows. His grass margins around his arable fields are about 50% wider than what he's actually paid to put in and I don't think there's a single tree on the entire farm that doesn't have some kind of a nest box attached to it. He's also built a little education centre behind his main barn complex and local schools come and find out about wildlife friendly farming. Colin
Colin,it is great when you get onto a farm like this,one or two in the Dales area have gone the extra mile to make things work
Got to agree with Sooty on this point,the greatest percentage of farmers have a great deal of respect and love for the land they look after.Most of my recent experience has been with upland farmers and their income from farming is so little it makes you wonder why they carry on.When out on their land either doing voluntary surveys or for pleasure they are always worth stopping and talking to.Farmers are in a cleft stick they are required to produce as much food as possible for as little as possible yet on the other hand they have to preserve the countryside for wildlife and us,a no win situation?
I agree, this isn't the thread for knocking farmers, and yes there is little profit in farming anymore, and without subsidies, many would fold, then where would we be when their land gets sold off and developed.
How can we expect to get the more resistant farmers on board if all we do is constantly knock them
It's both what you do and the way that you do it!
You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren. William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922)
mpiekp said: How can we expect to get the more resistant farmers on board if all we do is constantly knock them
This sums it all up,nicely put
Hi mpiekp that is perfectly put and think farmers everywhere would thank you,they will never respond while all they get is critisism and what we should be aiming for is that gradually however frustrating it is for wildlife lovers is that they will follow the lead of several farmers who put a lot of effort into improving things.Encouragement will get us better results than constant knocking and this thread in particular asked for wildlife friendly farmers not people giving them the big stick.
sorry if i upset you with my views sooty, but i'm only trying to say it as i see it.
in my experience farmers do nothing for anyone unless it benefits them. wildlife will benefit because the farmer is doing all he can to make sure his pheasants are well kept for his & his friends entertainment. other than that i don't see how farmers beneftit the wild.
if a river is polluted it is normally linked to an arrogant farmer poisoning the water. not saying deliberately,but they could always have done things differently.
how often do you see chemical drums dumped in edgesides?
how often do the arrogant farmers plough up public footpaths?
how often do arrogant farmers snarl at walkers because they are using these same footpaths?
for every farmer that cares there 100s who don't. countryfile doesn't portray all farmers just a minority.
corni.