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1995 - Native broadleaf trees (3000) planted for birds, red squirrel and carbon offset.
2001 - Extended hedges planted for food, shelter & wildlife corridors. Stone dykes around house and drive rebuilt (frogs, toads, slow worms and lizards use them).
2002 - Riverbank protected & planted to counter erosion and increase the numbers of invertebrates, fish and water vole. The stream has a healthy population of brownies and even a few young salmon.
2003 –Ponds excavated for amphibians, fish and birds. Un-harvested crop planted to give cover and food for birds. Areas of species rich grassland and wetland fenced off to exclude grazers for part of the year, allowing flowers to seed and ground nesters to breed. More trees and hedges planted and dykes repaired.
2005 - An avenue of lime and oak trees planted down the drive.
Sheep, ponies and Highland cattle graze peacefully in the fields and around the steading chickens scratch and pigs grunt while calves and ponies crop the grass.
We used to be organic, but found it too inflexible. It didn’t allow for spot weeding of nettles, docks and bracken or even the periodic dosing of animals against parasites. We seldom use antibiotics or fertilisers. The land and animals look better now.
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