Farming for food, profit and wildlife

HOPEFARM

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Peter Cornelius

Barn owl hunting at Hope Farm

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When we bought Hope Farmin 2000, for us, it was unique.The RSPB manages morethan 140,000 hectares (ha) in the UK, so there aren’tmany habitats we don’t havepractical experience of, but atthat time a conventionalarable farm was one of them.We knew two things: life ischallenging for all who rely onfarmland and, perhaps more

worryingly, that we didn’t know all the answers. We still don’t. But we have learned many importantlessons – not least that a productive, arable farm canbe full of wildlife and produce good quality food.

Today, it is clear the production and environmentalchallenges facing farming remain inextricably linked:production is completely dependent on our naturalenvironment, and our environment is shaped by how

It has always been a greatBritish tradition to expand our knowledge and share it for the greater good. In Georgian and Victoriantimes it was through localagricultural societies, for the improvement ofhusbandry, plant breedingand breeding livestock. In the 20th century, it was through Government farms

and the need to feed ourselves.

In the 21st century we have Hope Farm. It is carryingforward that same ethos, but working to improve ourhusbandry of the environment for the benefit offarmland birds and other wildlife, and to maintain aproductive arable farm that is setting an example of what can be achieved in habitat improvement.

INTRODUCTION

we farm. The way we farm today must protectour ability to farm in the years to come.

I’m a born optimist – it helps in my job! Whilst nofarms are exactly the same, I am fortunate to seeexamples across the UK of farmers rising to thechallenges. Some replicate our learnings fromHope Farm, some help us manage farms better.It shows that these challenges can be overcome,but it needs us all to play our part. I’m committedto doing my bit. I hope you will be too.

Whether as a farmer, policy maker or interestedmember of the public, I hope you enjoy readingthis celebration of Hope Farm and the account of our first 12 years as arable farmers.

Martin HarperRSPB Director of Conservation

Many of the practical lessons learned on HopeFarm have led to the Farmland Bird package,which has gone a long way to help farmersmake the most of stewardship schemes.

As the century moves on, the pressure ofpopulation growth, climate change, dietarychange and increasing energy costs will makethe work at Hope Farm ever more focused.There is a need to increase food production,maintain a healthy balanced environment and todo it all with less impact.

I strongly believe that the RSPB, working withfarmers, can help to achieve all these goals, so that future generations can still enjoy thecountryside. Positive changes are already takingplace, and in the spirit of partnership, far morecan be achieved.

Michael SlyCambridgeshire farmer

INTRODUCTION

Chris Knights (rspb-images.com

)

4Corn bunting with food for its chicks

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Farmland is the dominant habitatin Britain. Arable farming alonecovers more than 5.8 millionhectares. As well as its vital rolein food production, agriculturalland provides a range of otherservices and supports a widearray of important wildlife.

Farming practices have changedconsiderably in recent decades.Aided by technological advancesand rewarded by public funding,farmers were asked to producemore food on their farms.Reductions in farmlandbiodiversity – the variety ofwildlife – have been attributed tothis greater specialisation incropping, as well as greater

intensification in cropmanagement. This wasparticularly evident in the 1970sand 1980s, when many birdspecies fell into steep decline andsome contracted in range. Otherwildlife, including arable plantsand insects, also declined duringthis period.

To address this, it is vital toinvestigate the causes for thesedeclines and demonstrate realisticsolutions, which can increasewildlife within profitable farming.

The RSPB has researched thespecific reasons why birds suchas skylarks, linnets and treesparrows have been lost in such

WHY IS THE RSPB INTERESTED IN FARMING?

numbers from our countryside.Having diagnosed the causes of the declines and testedsolutions to halt and reversethem, we makerecommendations that ouragricultural advisers can promoteamongst the farming community.

We believe it is possible tosuccessfully integrateconventional, commercial arablefarming with targetedmanagement for farmlandwildlife. To help demonstrate this,the RSPB decided to buy anarable farm. As a result of thegenerosity of our membershipand supporters we were able tobuy Hope Farm.

Peter Cornelius

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KEYWinter seed food

Oilseed rape

Spring beans

Winter wheat with skylark plots

Summer insect foodCropping pattern and habitatmanagement at Hope Farm in 2012

at Hope Farm, as these crops aremore reliable and more profitablethan spring-sown crops.

During the last 12 years the farm has been instrumental indemonstrating to the farmingcommunity, and beyond, thatprofitable arable farming andincreasing wildlife can go hand in hand. Implicit in our strategywas the desire to demonstrate a “best practice” EnvironmentalStewardship, Entry Level Scheme(ELS) agreement, by introducinghabitats such as wide flower-richor grass margins, wild bird cover,uncropped areas and lenienthedgerow and ditch management.

New features were introduced to demonstrate how ELS coulddeliver the “Big Three”requirements of farmland birds – summer and winter foodand safe nesting habitat – both in-field and along field boundaries.

Through careful consideration ofthe quantity and positioning ofthese habitats, we have seen an incredible increase in birdnumbers. If such increases werereplicated elsewhere, they wouldreverse many of the declines infarmland wildlife that haveoccurred. Farmers, policy-makers,farm advisers and farmingorganisations from across theUK, Europe and beyond havevisited Hope Farm to see firsthand how we have successfullybalanced crop production andwildlife management.

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THE FARM

Hope Farm is a 181 ha mainlyarable farm in Cambridgeshire.Over the last century, changes atHope Farm have in many waysmirrored changes in the UKarable landscape, particularly inthe east. Until the 1970s it was amixed farm with beef cattle and40 ha of permanent pasture, with short-term grass leys integratedinto the rotation. Arable crops,sown in spring, included wheat,barley, linseed and field beans. In the mid-1980s it became moreeconomical to convert the farmsolely to arable crops sownmainly in autumn.

We wanted to use Hope Farm tobuild on our knowledge of arablefarming and to help develop andencourage wildlife-friendlypractices. We recognised theneed to bring in expertise tocarry out farm operations and weuse agricultural contractors forday-to-day cropping operationsand habitat management.

When the RSPB bought the farmin 2000, a three-year rotation ofautumn sown crops, typical ofmany farms in the area, wascontinued: wheat–wheat–oilseedrape. Arable farms employ croprotation, with different cropsgrown in successive years in thesame fields, to allow greatercontrol over weeds, pests anddiseases, as well as to improvenutrient cycling and soilcondition. Autumn sowing is thedominant practice for establishingcrops on heavy clay soils, such as

Andy H

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ALTERING A ROTATION

Andy H

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Field beans

2000–2005At Hope Farm, we continued theprevious three-year rotation ofautumn-sown wheat and oilseedrape (year one: wheat; year two:wheat; year three: oilseed rape).First wheat varieties weretypically sold as cattle feed, whilesecond wheat varieties were sold for bread or biscuit making. The oilseed rape produces oil-rich seeds that are crushed toextract the oil for animal feed andhuman consumption.

By not altering the rotation, wecould produce a firm baseline of information about the farm’scropping potential and its wildlife.We changed rotation only duringthe harvest year 2003–04, whenautumn-sown and spring-sownbeans replaced autumn-sownoilseed rape after low rainfall led to poor germination of thelatter, a factor not confined toHope Farm.

2005–2012We included field beanspermanently in our rotation fromthe 2006 harvest. Initially, thesewere equally split betweenautumn-sown and spring-sown,but latterly we have drilled all thebeans in spring.

Field beans brought manybenefits. They allowed springcropping, which permittedlapwings to return to the farm asa breeding species, making use

of the bare soil and open fieldsfor nest sites, and the lowgrowing crops to raise theirchicks safely. Field beans helpedreduce our overall fertiliserapplications too, as they arelegumes and fix nitrogen fromthe atmosphere into the soil.

Our cropping pattern alsodiversified, undoubtedly helpingwildlife. Initially we had betterblackgrass control too, which isimportant in allowing subsequentwheat crops to grow well,allowing us to retain an over-winter stubble that provideda food source for birds during thewinter. However, retaining over-winter stubble led todifficulty in establishing the beansin spring, so we now permit initial

cultivations to take place post-harvest and sow a cover crop,such as mustard, to protect oursoils and improve soil organicmatter content.

By introducing field beans, wetherefore adopted a four-yearrotation (year one: wheat; yeartwo: oilseed rape; year three:wheat; year four: field beans). We changed our variety of wheatto one that is orange blossommidge resistant, avoiding theneed to spray insecticides duringthe breeding season. We alsochanged the way we establishedour oilseed rape, adopting abroadcast method rather thantraditional drilling. This gaveconsiderable savings in cropestablishment costs.

Spring beans

Swellphotography – Fotolia

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Oilseed rape

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

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Cultivations at Hope Farm

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com

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OUR OBJECTIVES:HABITATS AND CROPS

As with most farms in 2000, only a small area of Hope Farmwas entered into a government agri-environment schemedesigned to help wildlife. The previous owner had enteredinto a Countryside StewardshipScheme (CSS) in 1994, and waspaid to plant and manage somehedgerows and to create a fewtwo-metre rough grass margins.This provided some wildlifebenefit, but a greater range ofhabitats was needed on the farm to stabilise and increasepopulations of farmland birds and other wildlife. For birds, we achieved this by providing:

1. Seed food and berriesthrough the winter

2. Insect food for chicks in thespring and summer

3. Safe nesting habitat, both inthe fields for ground-nestingbirds and around theboundaries for hedge, or scrub nesting birds.

Over the last 12 years, we havegreatly enhanced the diversity ofhabitats. With our agriculturalcontractor, we have identifiedwhere to grow our crops andwhere to create vital habitats forwildlife. Other areas managed for wildlife are often in less wellyielding areas or awkwardcorners, making both financialand ecological sense. Thesewildlife areas have been createdusing a mixture of options withinthe current agri-environment

scheme, Entry Level Stewardship(ELS). Some other areas havebeen used to research new agri-environment solutions, some of which havesubsequently entered thescheme. The ELS agreement runs for five years, providing anincome of £30 per hectare, forbeneficial management of habitatthat already existed, as well ascreating new habitats.

1. SEED FOOD THROUGH THE WINTERWe quickly changed our set-asiderequirement from industrialcropping to rotational fallowstubbles, increasing the over-winter seed food for birds.However, the stubble habitat wasreduced when set-aside wasdiscontinued in 2007.

In addition to stubbles, we provideover-winter seed-bearing covercrops that support large numbersof finches and buntings. Thesecover crops include triticale,wheat, barley, kale, fodder rapeand linseed. We have also trialledleaving small areas of conventionalcrops unharvested, as analternative to cover crops.

2. INSECT FOOD IN SPRINGWe have considerably expandedand diversified our network offield margins to boostinvertebrate numbers. Theseinvertebrates, important in theirown right, are a vital componentof food for chicks. Many fields on

the farm now have six-metrewide margins. These range fromtypical rough grass margins,established under the old CSSagreement, to sown legumemixes (nectar flower mixes) andwild bird seed mixes, through toflower rich margins (see page 24).The variety of our margins hasbenefited wildlife such asbutterflies, moths and bees, andis likely to have contributed to theincreased breeding bird numbers.

We have taken other steps toboost insect numbers, includingswitching to a variety of wheatthat is resistant to orange blossommidge. This means we can avoidusing a harmful broad-spectruminsecticide on our wheat crops atthe end of May or early June, thepeak nesting season for manybirds. We have also created wetfeatures along our ditches to retainopen, standing water throughoutthe summer for birds andinvertebrates to use.

3. IN-FIELD NESTING HABITATWe tried and tested skylark plots,small bare areas in autumn-sowncereal fields, which are now anoption in ELS. Two plots perhectare take around 0.3% of thecrop area out of production, butincrease skylark productivity by50% (see pages 26–27). Includingspring beans into our rotation hasreduced fertilisers over the wholecropping cycle (see page 33), andled to lapwings holding territory inmost years since 2006.

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COSTS AND YIELDS:PRODUCING A TONNE OF WHEAT

The UK produces around 15million tonnes of wheat annually,approximately 2% of globalproduction. Since we purchasedHope Farm, the selling price ofwheat has varied enormously,from as little as £55 per tonne tomore than £190 per tonne.

Growing a field of wheat requirescareful management. This oftenstarts immediately after harvest,when the stubble is cultivated.The way we cultivate the fieldshas changed over the last 12years. Our contractor replaced theplough-based system, in whichthe soil was turned over to adepth of 25 cm, with a reducedcultivation system, in which soildisturbance is typically only to thetop 10 cm of the field. This wasbased on agronomic andeconomic decisions.

Use of the latest technologyreduces the cost of establishingcrops, requires fewer cultivationpasses, and makes it cheaper andquicker to sow the crops. Thewheat is sown in the autumn,typically in September or October.

Hope Farm is a conventionalfarm, so uses pesticides andinorganic fertilisers to help growcrops. This mirrors the decisionsof many farmers, not only locally,but on more than 95% of farmsin Britain. Pesticides are designedto protect crops by killing thingsthat can be harmful to yield orquality: for example, herbicidesremove pernicious weeds,insecticides remove insect pestsand fungicides kill fungalinfestations. We aim to minimiseour use of pesticides on the farm,

for example through choosing pest-resistant crop varietieswhere possible.

Pesticides and fertiliser are onlyapplied in suitable weatherconditions to prevent spray driftonto adjacent habitats or leachinginto watercourses. Applications ofpesticides and fertiliser arecarefully targeted towards theneeds of the crop, using thelatest technology available. Ouragricultural contractor receivesindependent advice from anagronomist to maximise theireffectiveness.

Crop rotation is a vital part of pestmanagement, as is the use ofnatural pest control. Weencourage this through theprovision of habitats such asbeetle banks, although the pestcontrol benefit from these tendsto be close to the field edges.

Autumn applications of herbicidesaim to help the crop get off to agood start. Fields are monitoredregularly, typically receiving a lateautumn herbicide spray ifcompetitive weeds such asblackgrass are present. In spring,fertiliser applications begin topromote growth after the winterhiatus. Monitoring of the crops forpest and disease threats and useof pesticides, when considerednecessary, continues through toharvest – typically in August. Themoisture content of the grain atharvest is critical. If it is greaterthan 15% then drying costs willbe incurred.

Crop yields fluctuate markedlybetween years, often dependent

on the weather, particularlyrainfall, at key points in thegrowth cycle. However, despitethis we’ve largely maintained oreven improved wheat yields atHope Farm – demonstrating thathelping wildlife does notnecessarily mean compromisingthe amount of wheat we grow.

Our “first wheat” yields rosefrom 8 tonnes per hectare in2000 to more than 11 tonnes per hectare in 2008. They havedeclined since, primarily due to changes in variety and recent drought conditions (seeFigure 1 on page 13).

The cost of producing a tonne ofwheat can change dramaticallybetween years, as can the price itis sold at. As an example, in 2004our first wheat yielded an averageof 10.8 tonnes per hectare. Wewere able to produce a tonne ofwheat for £48.18 and sell it at£60 per tonne, a profit of £11.82per tonne. In 2011, the cost ofproducing a tonne of wheat hadincreased to £100.44, primarilydue to increased fertiliser andpesticide costs (see Figure 2 onpage 13). Yields in 2011 averaged8.6 tonnes per hectare, selling for£153.62 per tonne with a profit of£53.18 per tonne.

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2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

8.0

10.0

12.0

Average yield (tonnes/hectare)

Year

FIGURE 1: AVERAGE FIRST WHEAT YIELDS ATHOPE FARM 2000–2011

FIGURE 2: COST OF PRODUCING A TONNE OF WHEAT IN 2011 (£)

Machinery operation

Herbicides

Fertiliser

Fungicides

Seed

Other sprays

£41.43

£23.72

£20.76

£6.65

£3.98£3.90

2011

6.0

9.0

11.0

7.0

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Helping wildlife while continuingto be profitable is the cornerstoneof our work at Hope Farm.

Since we bought the farm wehave used agricultural contractorsto manage the cropping. Ourcurrent contractor is based locallyand contract farms 4,000 ha inthe area. Being contract-farmedmeans that we pay realisticcommercial rates for our on-farmwork. The income from the farmis divided between the RSPB

and the agricultural contractor, similar to other farming contractual agreements.

As the land owner, the RSPBreceives a set-payment – the fixedreturn. This and the cost ofproducing the crops, such as theseed, sprays and operations, isdeducted from the total incomefrom cropping (which is made upof the sales of the crops, farmsubsidy payments, and anycompensation for lost income

during our trials work on the farm).This leaves the “divisible surplus”,which is divided between theRSPB and the agriculturalcontractor on a 23%:77% basis.Our contractor gains the greaterproportion of the surplus tomitigate the cost of owning andmaintaining the farm machinery.

We publish our accounts annually.To view them, please visitwww.rspb.org.uk/hopefarm

FARM ACCOUNTS:HELPING ALL TO PROFIT

EXAMPLE: THE ECONOMICS OF HOPE FARM IN 2011

In 2011, the cost of producing our crops – 60 ha (148 acres) winter wheat (variety: Scout), 63 ha (156 acres) oilseed rape (variety: Grace); 28 ha (70 acres) field beans (variety: Fuego) – was £82,924.70,plus the cost of agronomy (£1,865.40). The total income in 2011 was £187,044.13, generated from thesales of crops and a European Union CAP subsidy, the Single Payment Scheme (SPS).

Subtracting production costs (excluding agronomy costs) of £82,924.70 from the income from crop salesand the SPS, leaves a balance of £104,119.43. Further subtracting the £35,607.60 RSPB fixed return leavesa divisible surplus of £68,511.83. This is split in accordance with our contract farming agreement, providingus with 23%, or £15,757.72. When added to our fixed return, RSPB income from arable croppingoperations at Hope Farm in 2011 was £51,365.32. This income is subject to management labour costs and tax liability. We received an additional £2,719 for our Environmental Stewardship agreement.

0

2000

2001

2002

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2005

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2008

2009

2010

RSPB return (£)

2011

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

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One of the advantages of using acontractor is the transparencywith which the RSPB can assessthe costs of either producingcrops or managing for wildlife.The RSPB and rural propertyadvisers, Smiths Gore, haveassessed the profitability ofmanaging farmland for wildlife inEngland, and we believe it isgood news for farmers.

The analysis shows that farmerscould make more money fromgrowing seed crops for birds, ornectar crops for insects, thanfrom growing wheat in the same areas.

Smiths Gore have also analysedthe economics of environmentallybeneficial measures deployed atHope Farm. It shows that Entry

Level Stewardship (ELS)payments fully compensated forthe income foregone in changingfrom crop production toenvironmental management,and that thoughtful use of theoptions available can providevaluable income for a farmer.

ASSUMPTIONS (BASED ON JUNE 2009 FIGURES)Wheat yield: 8.6 tonnes per ha Wheat value: £170 per tonne Income from plots: £5 per plot Variable costs: • £50/ha seed • £200/ha fertiliser • £170/ha sprays • Knapsack spraying plots after drilling: 6 plots/hour @ £9/hour labour.

For further details and help in doing your own calculations, visit theSmiths Gore website. www.smithsgore.co.uk/publications

AN EXAMPLE OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SKYLARK PLOTSThis analysis compares 100 skylark plots (a total of 0.16 ha), established at crop drilling or by laterspraying out of the crop, with an equivalent area of winter wheat.

ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OFAGRI-ENVIRONMENT OPTIONS

Winter wheat Skylark plot Skylark ploton 0.16 ha (undrilled) (sprayed)

Income £234 £500 £500

Variable costs -£67 -£59 -£217

Gross margin £167 £441 £283

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In the first two years, the RSPBchanged very little at the farm, aswe wanted to collect baselinedata on the wildlife. This allowedus to see how our habitatmanagement and experimentaltechniques affected the farm’swildlife. RSPB research staff,volunteers and other expertscarried out detailed surveys ofbirds and other wildlife

throughout each year. Improvinghabitat for birds is a priority butwe also believe that changes wehave made, and continue tomake, will benefit other species. For example, increasing insectnumbers also means more foodfor insectivorous birds. Therefore,the monitoring programmeincluded butterflies, moths,dragonflies, surface and crop

dwelling insects, small mammals,hares, arable plants, fungi andbats, amongst others.

To assess the changes in birdpopulations, particularly keyfarmland species, we monitorboth breeding and wintering birdnumbers each year.

FARMLAND WILDLIFE:SETTING THE BASELINE

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TABLE 1: NUMBER OF TERRITORIES OF THE FARMLAND BREEDING BIRD INDEX SPECIES ON HOPE FARM 2000–2011

Species 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Kestrel 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 2

Grey partridge 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 3 3 5 4 5

Lapwing 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 0

Stock dove 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 1 2 3 3

Woodpigeon 33 30 30 34 33 35 34 42 43 48 54 62

Turtle dove 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 1

Skylark 10 18 24 27 27 34 32 30 23 44 41 42

Yellow wagtail 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 2 5 1 1 2

Whitethroat 25 26 26 22 31 31 37 36 31 48 49 52

Jackdaw 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2

Starling 3 6 10 7 5 11 18 14 17 19 16 22

Greenfinch 18 14 15 15 14 17 20 17 14 20 20 11

Goldfinch 3 3 2 3 3 1 1 7 6 9 10 10

Linnet 6 8 11 15 14 16 15 16 18 33 30 26

Yellowhammer 14 16 19 18 18 28 30 36 35 39 38 33

Reed bunting 3 5 5 6 4 5 6 5 9 9 17 16

Corn bunting 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

High conservation concern Medium conservation concern Not of current conservation concern

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Breeding bird numbers at Hope Farm are recorded usingCommon Bird Census (CBC)methods, where bird activity of all species is recorded andaccurately mapped over 10 to 12visits, from April to early July.This allows us to build a pictureof the number and locations ofterritories for each species, every year.

The Hope Farm breeding birdindex (Figure 3) illustrates theaverage change in the number ofterritories of the 19 key farmlandspecies, which formerlycomprised the Government’sQuality of Life farmland bird

indicator. Of these 19 species, 17 have held territory on thefarm since 2000, with only rookand tree sparrow absent (seeTable 1, page 16). Nesting habitatfor rooks is limited on HopeFarm and tree sparrows, oncecommon in the area, are nowonly rare winter visitors.

By 2011, the Hope Farmbreeding bird index showed thatthis suite of farmland birds hadincreased by an average of 211% since 2000, a remarkableachievement. This is in starkcontrast to the stable, or evenslightly declining, populationtrends of the same species

across England over the same period.

Many of Britain’s farmland birdspecies of greatest conservationconcern across the UK haveincreased in abundance at Hope Farm over the 12 years. Skylarks, starlings, linnets andyellowhammers have allincreased considerably, whilstgrey partridges, lapwings andyellow wagtails have colonisedthe farm. We believe this is dueto provision of safe nestinghabitat, plentiful invertebratefood during the spring andsummer, and abundant winterseed food.

HOPE FARM BREEDING BIRD INDEX

2001

2000

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

FIGURE 3: BREEDING BIRD INDEX AT HOPE FARM 2000 – 2011

Index (2000 = 1.0)

0

1

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4

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Many studies have identified alack of winter food, causing highmortality during winter andreduced breeding condition, as one of the main causes ofdeclines in many farmland birds.At Hope Farm we provide winterseed food through wild bird covercrops, occasional unharvestedcrop headlands and, for a time,we provided over-winter stubble,to help reduce the over-wintermortality rate.

As with the breeding birdmonitoring, we carry out regularsurveys to assess how birds haveresponded to this increasedsupply of food. Surveys arecarried out across the whole farmon one morning in December,

then again in January andFebruary. The results are stark. The first winter surveys in2000–01, showed the averagenumber of yellowhammersrecorded across the three surveyswas just one. This had risen to173 by 2010–11, and many other species have shown similar increases.

The overall response tomanagement work undertaken at Hope Farm, from 16 keyspecies, has been even greaterthan for breeding birds – primarilydue to increased provision ofwinter food (see Figure 4 below).The number of birds recordedduring the winter 2010–11 wasexceptional for recent times.

This was largely due to the largenumbers attracted to wild birdcover crops during the unusuallyhard winter weather. The foodprovided by the wild bird covercrops may have helped birdssurvive the winter better,potentially helping to increase thenumbers of birds able to nest inthe following breeding season.

Our hedgerow management hasalso changed from annual hedgecutting in August to rotationalcutting every third year. This hasprovided considerably moreberries on the bushes for winterthrushes, such as redwings and fieldfares, and has improved nesting habitat foryellowhammers and whitethroats.

WINTERING BIRDS AT HOPE FARM

FIGURE 4:WINTER BIRD INDEX AT HOPE FARM (2000–01 TO 2011–12)

2001/

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Index (2000 = 1.0)

Winter

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Jan Sevcik (rspb-im

ages.com)

Yellowhammers and tree sparrows feeding in the snow

WILDLIFE ON THE FARM:SURVEY RESULTS

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PLANT SURVEYS Professional botanists andvolunteers monitor plants ondifferent habitats on the farm.Surveys cover the field centresand crop edge, including the firstmetre of crop, in early May andthen again in late June/early July.Results show that the floristicdiversity of field margins increasedwith a total of 168 species in2009, compared with 103 in 2000. These included thenationally scarce broad-leavedspurge and slender tare.

This increase is partly explained bythe RSPB deliberately sowingsome species, such as ox-eyedaisy, to encourage butterflies

and bees, but more than 40 new species were recorded which were not deliberately sown. Eighty-three of the sameplant species were recorded inboth surveys and more than 50species were found within arable fields.

In both the 2000 and 2009 survey, the number and diversityof non-crop plants was greatest at the edge of the field margin and decreased with distance into the field.

BUTTERFLIES We monitor butterflies regularly, as they are a very importantcomponent of farmland wildlife.

They are also, as adults and larvae,eaten by a number of bird species.At Hope Farm, 26 species ofbutterfly have been recorded, 20of which are regularly found. Themost common include large andsmall whites, red admirals, smalltortoiseshells and meadowbrowns. The trends at the farmreflect the national trends of theButterfly Monitoring Scheme. Data collected over the last 11 years shows that numbersconsistently peak in early July.Yearly fluctuations occur: both2003 and 2009 had high counts ofmigrant painted lady butterflies,whilst 2006 saw low numbers ofsmall tortoiseshells, in commonwith national trends. Experiments

Meadow brown butterflyfeeding on a thistle

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BUTTERFLY SPECIESRECORDED ON HOPE FARM

Small skipperEssex skipperLarge skipperClouded yellowBrimstoneLarge whiteSmall whiteGreen-veined whiteOrange-tipWhite-letter hairstreakSmall copperBrown argusCommon blueHolly blueRed admiralPainted ladyMarbled whiteSmall tortoiseshellPeacockCommaSpeckled woodWallGatekeeperMeadow brownRingletSmall heath

have shown the provision of 6-metre wide native grassmargins, with wild flowers toprovide nectar, increase theattractiveness of the field marginson Hope Farm for butterflies. The nationally scarce white-letterhairstreak was recorded at HopeFarm for the first time in 2010.

MOTHS Staff and volunteers haverecorded more than 300 mothspecies using light traps atdifferent locations around thefarm. The most notable are twoBiodiversity Action Plan species –white-spotted pinion and square-spotted clay. Both areclosely associated with elm.Square-spotted clays have beenconfirmed as breeding on thefarm, after the discovery offeeding caterpillars.

DRAGONFLIES ANDDAMSELFLIESVolunteers have helped monitorthe dragonflies and damselfliesthat use the seven ponds on thefarm. Cambridgeshire supports 22 species of dragonfly anddamselfly, 15 of which have beenrecorded on the farm. The azuredamselfly has been the mostcommon species recorded so far.

SMALL MAMMALSTwenty-four species of mammalhave been recorded at Hope Farm.Monitoring of mammals, mainlyrodents such as mice, shrews and

voles, was carried out across the farm during the period2002–2004, using safe andharmless Longworth traps. Six species were recorded, withcommon shrews being the mostabundant. Water shrew wasrecorded only once. There wasconsiderable variation betweenyears, with fluctuations in thepopulation of field voles inparticular. Most small mammalswere found in oilseed rape fieldsand wide field margins. Barn owlsand kestrels commonly huntthese mammals along the fieldmargins and beetle bank, a raisedbank between two fields sownwith tussocky grasses.

BATS The Cambridgeshire andBedfordshire Bat Groupssurveyed bats on Hope Farm in 2000. Four species wererecorded in small numbers: apipistrelle species, brown long-eared, noctule and Daubenton’sbats. Bats are most commonalong hedges and tree lines andclose to water, and tend to avoidthe more open areas of the farm.A further survey in 2009 showedchanges in bat abundance anddiversity. There has been someincrease in the number of bats atHope Farm but not the number of species. Four species wererecorded in 2009: common andsoprano pipistrelles, noctules anda Myotis species (either Natter’sor Daubenton’s bat). Pipistrelle

bats were the most commonand accounted for approximately90% of the bats recorded.Common pipistrelles were foundin the farm yard, and in thevillages of Elsworth andKnapwell. Soprano pipistrelleswere particularly associatedaround the ponds created inrecent years.

THREE VITAL REQUIREMENTSThe principal factors that limitpopulations vary betweenindividual species, but as awhole, farmland birds have three main requirements –the “Big Three”:

• a safe place to nest• food in spring and summer for their growing chicks

• food and shelter over the winter.

At Hope Farm, we have beenable to provide all these needsthrough careful use of our EntryLevel Agreement (part of theEnglish agri-environment scheme)and good farming practice.

DELIVERING THE BIG THREEFOR YELLOWHAMMERS Yellowhammers have respondedpositively to our management atHope Farm, with 33 territoriesrecorded in 2011, compared with14 in 2000 when the farm wasfirst purchased. Nationally,yellowhammers have continuedto decline (by 15% since 1995*).

DELIVERING THE BIG THREE AT HOPE FARM

22

YELLOWHAMMER (TERRITORIES) DISTRIBUTION IN 2000

YELLOWHAMMER (TERRITORIES) DISTRIBUTION IN 2011

Winter wheat

Oilseed rape

Pasture

Spring beans

Trial

Demonstration

Yellowhammer territories

23

NESTING HABITAT Yellowhammers nest in oralongside hedges or ditches. We have wide field marginsalongside our hedges and ditches,and cut our hedges in rotation,once every three years. Thisproduces improved nestinghabitat, particularly throughscrubbing up of the hedge bases.

SUMMER FOODBoth chicks and adults needinsects to feed on throughout thesummer. Flower-rich mixtures,beetle banks and field marginsprovide perfect habitats for manyspecies of insect. Sympatheticmanagement to improve accessto these margins for birds allowsimproved foraging conditions.

WINTER FOODThis is essential if yellowhammersare to survive during the winter.Wild bird seed mixtures, over-winter stubbles andunharvested wheat strips haveprovided valuable seed resourceslike cereal grain. By providingmore overwinter seeds we haveincreased the wintering flocksfrom an average of one in winter2000–2001 to 173 in 2010–2011.

Yellowhammer carryinginsect food to its chicks

Tom Marshall (rspb-im

ages.com)

*Source www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/bbs/bbs-publications/bbs-reports

MORE FLOWERS AROUND THE EDGES

24

Uncropped margins of arable fieldsprovide important areas for wildlifewithin the farm and help protectwaterways and hedgerows. Roughgrass margins provide nesting sitesfor birds, such as grey partridges,and over-wintering habitats forinsects. Wild flower margins canincrease the number of pollinatinginsects. Field margin options,available in agri-environmentschemes for many years, arecurrently in 40% of Entry Level Stewardship agreements in England.

Grass-dominated margins haveless wildlife than those thatcontain a higher wild flowercontent. Without management,flower-rich margins candeteriorate, with the flowersrapidly becoming dominated bycoarse grasses. At Hope Farm,we’ve looked at how we canmaximise the benefits of thesemargins through a series of trials.

The first floristic grass margins,sown in 2003, were part of theSustainable Arable Farming For anImproved Environment (SAFFIE)project. The original trial, whichlasted from 2004 to 2006,compared the novel managementtechnique of scarifying with theconventional technique ofmowing. Scarifying, or powerharrowing, involves disturbing theground annually with a powerharrow to provide 60% bareground. It was envisaged that thisbare ground would encourage

beetles and annual wild flowers,as well as improve access forbirds to feed on seed and insectfood within the margin. The study found that margins wereimportant for many invertebratessuch as beetles, butterflies,sawflies and bees. Populations ofbeneficial insects increased by upto 80% and these can act asnatural pest control agents.Increased abundance of food(insects and seeds), and greateraccessibility to these resources,also resulted in greater bird usageof the margins.

While the results were positive,the feedback from policy makerswas cautious, and scarificationhas yet to appear as amanagement option inEnvironmental Stewardship.

We revised the trial to comparewhether, in the long term,scarification continues to supporta diverse vegetation structure,and to test the optimumfrequency of scarificationrequired. The revised trial tested a new treatment, biennialscarification, against marginsscarified annually and thosemanaged according to existingEnvironmental Stewardshipguidelines (no scarification).

Early results showed that biennialscarification gave a good diversitywithin the grass mixes,continuing to provide more bareground and suppressing the

vegetation height (compared toother areas of the margin thatwere not scarified). If this is thecase, biennial scarification willreduce management costs, as itwill only be required in alternateyears. It may also slow the loss ofthe sown seed component, andthe rate of colonisation bypernicious invasive species (forexample, creeping thistle) overtime. Further evaluations areplanned during 2012.

A second trial aimed to develop a successful means of adding afloristic component to establishedgrass margins – rather thanhaving to create flower-richmargins from scratch. Ten species of flowering plant werebroadcast sown into experimentalscarified and non-scarified grassmargins in autumn 2007, and leftto establish in 2008. Theseincluded common knapweed, ox-eye daisy and red clover.

Assessments in the summers of2008 and 2010 showed that therewas minimal establishment of the10 sown plants. However, therewas significantly greater variety inmargins that had been scarified atthe time of sowing, than thoseleft unscarified. The scarifiedmargins also had more bareground and lower meanvegetation height. This gives amore heterogeneous sward,which increases the potentialvalue of the margins as foragingareas for birds.

25

Bumblebee feeding on meadowcranesbill at Hope Farm

Graham

e Madge (rspb-im

ages.com)

The skylark is one of the mosticonic birds of farmland, its songhaving inspired music and poetry.Unfortunately, skylarks in the UKhave declined by over 50%compared to the 1970s, anestimated loss of more than a million birds.

RSPB research showed thatskylarks nesting within autumn-sown cereal crops had a shorter breeding seasoncompared with those in spring-sown crops. Skylarksprefer to forage in vegetationbelow 25 cm and to nest invegetation shorter than 50 cm.Autumn sowing promotes earlier,more vigorous growth, making

most winter cereal cropsunsuitable for foraging by skylarksby early May, and unsuitable fornesting by the end of May.However, autumn sowing ofcereals is much more profitable; a reversion to spring sowing isnot financially viable for manyfarmers, meaning that othersolutions are required for therecovery of the skylark.

As the vegetation structure ofautumn-sown cereals appears toaffect skylark usage, solutionsinvolving the manipulation ofsward structure were tested. In 2001, we began a pilot study,providing 4 m x 4 m undrilledpatches in autumn-sown wheat

fields, achieved by switching offthe seed drill during cropestablishment. It was hoped thatthese bare areas – skylark plots –would enable skylarks to use thecrop for both nesting and foraging.Encouraged by positive results atHope Farm, we joined a researchconsortium – Sustainable ArableFarming For an ImprovedEnvironment (SAFFIE) – farmingproject to monitor their successon 35 farms across the UK, in2002–2006. Plots were created at a density of two per hectare.

Results showed that nests infields containing skylark plotsraised more chicks per breedingattempt than in conventional

2.75

2.5

2.25

2

1.75

1.5

1.25

1

0.75

0.5

0.25

0No skylark plots -

overallWith skylark plots -

overallWith skylark plots -

late seasonNo skylark plots -

late season

26

SKYLARK PLOTS: CONSERVATION THROUGH RESEARCH

FIGURE 5: SKYLARK CHICKS FLEDGED FROM NESTS IN FIELDS WITH AND WITHOUTSKYLARK PLOTS, DURING THE BREEDING SEASON AND LATE SEASON (JUNE ONWARDS).

No skylark plots (overall)

With skylark plots (overall)

No skylark plots (late season)

With skylark plots (late season)

Treatment and period

Chicks per nesting attempt

Dietm

ar Nill (N

aturepl.com)

27

wheat fields, with increasedfledging success, particularly laterin the season (see Figure 5 onpage 26). Fields with plots alsoproduced nestlings with betterbody condition. The number ofchicks raised in wheat fields withskylark plots increased by 50%,compared to conventional fields.

The SAFFIE study alsoinvestigated the predation ofskylark nests in relation tolocation of field margins. Itshowed that nests closer toboundaries suffered higher ratesof predation. Fields with acombination of 6 m grass marginsand skylark plots had the highestlevels of predation, which peakedwithin 50 m of these margins. We therefore recommended thatskylark plots be placed at least

50 m from the edge of fields. The skylark plots at Hope Farmhave been so successful, wehave increased the populationfrom 10 pairs in 2000 to 43 pairs in 2011.

Skylark plots have been adoptedwithin Environmental Stewardshipin England, although take-up hasbeen very low. To increase theappeal to farmers, plots can nowbe created within ELS by sprayingoff vegetation rather than creatingthem during drilling. It is hopedthat this will increase uptake inthe future: a greater number ofskylark plots in the countrysidewill have a positive effect onskylark numbers.

Trials carried out at Hope Farmhave examined the differences

between undrilled plots,established at sowing, and plotscreated by subsequent spraying.The timing of spraying was also investigated.

All plots in the trial were sparseenough to allow access forskylarks, and sprayed plots hadconsiderably less cover than undrilled plots. Spraying plots inDecember allowed more plantcolonisation than spraying later.Therefore, later spraying does notprovide enough vegetation usedby insects that provide skylarknestling food.

Overall, we found that sprayingplots by the end of Decembercreated the habitat most similarto undrilled plots.

Hungry skylark chicks

Sue Kennedy (rspb-images.com

)

28

The pillars on which Hope Farmwas founded were to remain acommercially viable, conventionalarable farm, while successfullyintegrating targeted managementfor wildlife.

We believe that we have achievedthis, increasing biodiversity whilstcontinuing to grow high yielding and good quality crops. Our clearest evidence of this isthe greatly increased number offarmland birds around the farm inrecent years and the goodtonnage of harvested crops.

In January 2011, the UKGovernment published a reporton the Future of Food andFarming, setting out thechallenges facing the global foodsystem up to 2050. One pointmade in this report is that,globally, more food will beneeded in the future but therewill be little new land available for farming.

This means we will need toproduce more food from the landwe’ve got and we will need to do

this without compromising theland’s ability to produce food inthe future, hence the concept of“sustainable intensification”.

Sustainable intensification isbeing used by some to justifyintensification by all farmingsectors across the UK. However,sustainable intensification meansdifferent things in different areasand different sectors. Forexample, some low-intensityfarming systems support uniquewildlife and provide other vitalservices such as carbon storageand water quality – intensifyingsuch systems would not besustainable because it wouldjeopardise delivery of these otheressential public services. In someplaces, where there are fragilesoils for example, we might needto farm less intensively in order to achieve sustainable land management.

Increasing food production mustnot come at the cost of loss ofbiodiversity, or other vitalecosystem services that arecentral to future food security.

The RSPB recognises that thereare significant challenges ahead,but we believe that discussionsmust be based on evidence and aclear understanding that simplyincreasing production will not initself achieve global food security.

Hope Farm offers an excellentexample of how targetedmanagement for biodiversity cansit alongside highly productivearable farming.

Sustainable intensification goesbeyond direct impacts onbiodiversity: it includes aspects offarming that have impacts beyondthe farm, such as greenhouse gasemissions and agriculturalpollutants. In taking reasonablesteps to minimise these, everyfarmer could move towards moresustainable farming systems thatdeliver across a range of keytargets, not just food production.

This is a challenge that we haveset ourselves at Hope Farm.

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FARMING

FUTURE CHALLENGES

During the first 12 years, wehave achieved most of our coreobjectives for Hope Farm,showing that increasingfarmland bird populations canbe achieved whilst running aprofitable, conventional arablefarm. The results have farexceeded our expectations, but with the UK Farmland BirdIndicator still declining, it’s clearthat this success is not beingreflected nationally.

In the future, there are likely to be significant challenges for agriculture, with highercommodity prices, climatechange, food security and otherpolicy drivers all likely to impacton arable farming.

To retain our relevance andcontinue to work towards ourcore objectives, our future workat Hope Farm will incorporatefour themes.

MAXIMISING BIODIVERSITYWe aim to keep the Hope Farm breeding bird index at least 120%greater than the baseline in 2000. The farm will also continue to trialnew research designed to maximise the benefits for biodiversity,especially with respect to farmland birds.

PROFITABILITYWe will continue to grow good quality and high-yielding crops, seekingconsistently to deliver wheat yields above the UK average, givingequal weight between environmental and economic returns in ourday-to-day management decisions.

REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONSWe aim to reduce the farm’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 15%within the next five years.

DIFFUSE POLLUTIONWe aim to establish a robust baseline monitoring programme tomonitor agricultural pollutants on the farm, allowing us to set targetsto begin reducing this pollution within the next five years.

Richard R

evels (rspb-images.com

)

Hoverfly on knapweed 29

DIFFUSE POLLUTION

Diffuse pollution is the loss ofpollutants from wide areas ofland to water. Agriculture is amajor source of diffuse pollutionfrom nutrients (mainly nitrogenand phosphorus), pesticides andsilt. High levels of nutrients inwater cause excessive plantgrowth, which can starve waterof oxygen and kill animal life. Ithas been estimated that the costof cleaning up diffuse pollutionfrom agriculture is in excess of£400 million annually, the cost ofwhich is ultimately paid for by thepublic, through water bills.

New European legislation such asthe Water Framework Directivesets challenging targets for thereduction in diffuse pollution fromfarming. Failure to meet thesetargets will rightly result inincreased restrictions.

At Hope Farm, we are attemptingto address the problem of diffusepollution in several ways. Firstly,the farm uses best practicefarming techniques, applyingpesticides and fertiliser accuratelyand in suitable weather

conditions; sowing grass marginbuffer strips along watercoursesto reduce soil run-off and erosion;and sowing overwinter covercrops to reduce nitrate leachingfrom bare soil.

Secondly, we are trying to identifyways in which pollution enteringditches and watercourses can becleaned up before the waterleaves the farm. We have createdseveral large ponds to test theirability to clean fertilisers andpesticides from watercourses. By creating these features, andmonitoring their effect, we aim tohelp farmers and wildlife facefuture challenges. We anticipateplanting reeds in ponds willincrease our ability to removeexcess nitrates in the water,whilst any phosphate will havethe opportunity to settle withinthe feature rather than leavingthe farm.

These small ponds have alreadydemonstrated that they areinvaluable to wildlife within a well-drained, arid agriculturallandscape. Retaining wet ground

during the breeding season helpskeep earthworms closer to thesurface, more accessible to birdslike song thrushes. Water alsoattracts insects, which are a goodsource of food for young lapwings,yellow wagtails and reed buntings.

A study by the Pond ConservationTrust examined the ecologicalquality of the Hope Farm pondstwo years after their creation. It suggested that the ponds werein good ecological condition,particularly in terms of theirinvertebrates. The report recorded27 invertebrate families includingdragonflies, mayflies, caddisflies,water beetles, flatworms, leechesand water snails, as well as 11 species of aquatic plants. A confounding factor to thisecological development was thedrought conditions in 2010 and2011, when all the wet featuresdried out. We intend to surveythe features regularly to assesshow the ponds have developed,and particularly whether theecological quality has increased ordeclined with age.

Malcolm Hunt (rspb-images.com

)

Broad-bodied chaser

30

Chris B

ailey, RSPB.

31

Small reedbed in a ditch at Hope Farm

Keeping average globaltemperature rises to less than 2°Cwill require a significant reductionin greenhouse gas emissions, suchas carbon dioxide (CO2), methane(CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).

The UK Government has signedup to achieving 80% reductions by 2050 and, according to theDepartment for the Environment,Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),agriculture is estimated tocontribute approximately 8% ofthe UK’s total greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions. Of this, onlyabout 10% is CO2, with far largercontributions from CH4 and N2O.

In the UK, about 39% of the totalmethane emissions, 67% of N2O emissions and 1% of CO2emissions are produced by

farming. Nitrous oxide is a moreefficient absorber of infraredradiation and its global warmingpotential is 310 times greater thanCO2. It is released from theproduction and use of fertiliser(including from muck-spreading)and soil disturbance. Methane is21 times more potent than CO2and is released by natural livestockemissions and manure. Carbondioxide is released by burningfossil fuels (for example, fuel intractors, farm vehicles, machineryand the production of agriculturalchemicals and cultivations). Inaddition, CO2 can be eitherabsorbed by or released fromsoils, depending on landmanagement practices.

One of the challenges for thefarming industry will be adapting

A CHANGING CLIMATE

32

businesses to an altered climate.Predicted changes in the UKinclude warmer summers, wetterwinters and more extremeweather events and unseasonableweather patterns.

Crop yields may be affected bychanges to temperatures, rainfall,CO2 concentrations in theatmosphere and more extremeand variable weather. There maybe an increased risk of new cropdiseases and some pests maybecome more serious. Somechanges may also bring benefitsand business opportunities, suchas longer growing seasons,possible increases in growth ratesand yields and the opportunity togrow new crops.

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com

)

33

HOW FARMING CAN RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Mitigation of climate changeinvolves the adoption of practicesthat will either reduce emissionsof greenhouse gases (GHG) to theatmosphere and/or remove GHGsfrom the atmosphere into long-term stores. There is considerableuncertainty about the estimates ofemissions from the agriculturalsector because they are heavilyinfluenced by variables such asclimate, soil quality andmanagement practices.

A large number of measureshave been proposed as havingthe potential to reduce emissionsfrom agriculture. However, aswell as low-carbon foodproduction, agriculture has acritical role in achieving objectivesincluding the protection andenhancement of wildlife andother natural resources, and theecosystem services that theyprovide for society. It is thereforeimperative to take an integratedapproach to sustainable climatechange mitigation, which takesaccount of these multipleobjectives. This will allowperverse outcomes to be avoided(for example, where a mitigationmeasure reduces carbonemissions but increases othertypes of pollution) and will ensurethe potential for synergies – the“win-wins”– are fully exploited.

Arable farmers can help mitigateclimate change by implementingmeasures such as:

• improved nutrient management to match application of fertilisers to crop nutrient requirements, at all times. Regular testing of the soil nutrient status on a farm,

in line with adopting the latest technology, will allow nutrients to be applied where they are really needed. On the Hope Farm phosphorous nutrient map (Figure 6), areas that are dark green or blue require no additional phosphorous, whereas areas in orange or redwill require extra phosphorous.Access to this data potentially reduces waste, which could have previously occurred by adding phosphorous to the green and blue areas as well.

• crop rotations – for example, including leguminous crops to reduce external fertiliser input.

• reduced or no tillage. While there is some uncertainty over the impact on soil carbon, there are emissions benefits associated with a reduction in ploughing, and positive impacts on soil quality and soil biodiversity.

It is also critical that agricultureadapts sustainably to climatechange. Action will be needed to help wildlife survive climatechange by building a resilientnetwork of habitats within the landscape, for example, through the use of agri-environment measures.

FIGURE 6: HOPE FARM SOILPHOSPHOROUS INDEX 2008

HOPE FARM CARBON FOOTPRINT

To assess the carbon footprint of Hope Farm, and options forreducing it while maintaining food production, the RSPBcommissioned the University ofEast Anglia (UEA) and LawrenceGould, a specialist farm businesscompany, to carry out a study ofour footprint for the 2007 harvest.

The first part of the reportassessed several industryapproaches for estimating thefarm’s greenhouse gas footprint:

1) A farm boundary basedestimate, similar to the approachadopted by the CLA (CountryLand and Business Association)CALM (Carbon Accounting forLand Managers) tool approach. 2) A crop-specific basedestimate, assessing the footprintper tonne of wheat, oilseed rapeand field beans. 3) A carbon profile estimate. Inthis approach the manufactureand transport of the fertiliserinputs are added to the farmboundary estimate. This allows amore transparent breakdown ofthe farm’s whole operations.

Some of the study results include:

• The CALM based approach produced an estimate, for the total net GHG emissions, of 155 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) for 2007.

• Crop-specific based estimates – GHG estimates per tonne of crop were higher for oilseed rape than winter

34

Preparing for cultivationsat Hope Farm

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com

)

35

wheat, with our spring beans producing the lowest estimate.

• Carbon profile approach – net GHG emissions for harvest 2007 were estimated as 274 tCO2e. This figure is the net of emissions from the farm profile, including: farm operations, crop drying, fertiliser and agrochemical inputs, transport and carbon sequestered (or captured within the soil) by conservationstrips, new grass buffer strips, and existing mapped woodland(assumed to have been planted some time after 1950).

• The report highlighted significant uncertainties in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions using the IPCC Tier 1 methodology. The rate at whichnitrous oxide is emitted by soils depends on the interaction of many factors including carbon content and nitrogen availability; bulk soil density; soil pH; rainfall and temperature.

• The greatest sequestration impact is from woodland creation, although true net sequestration is not known due to lack of data on soil organic carbon prior to planting(this has been estimated to be the same as currently in arable fields).

• More thorough measurement and complex modelling is required to estimate the organic carbon storage C

hris Bailey (RSPB)

capacity of Hope Farm soils, and the permanence of soil sequestration from conservation plantings (such as wild bird mix), incorporation of crop residues, etc.

• The more significant reduction in GHG emissions from conservation measures came through removal of land from intensive crop production, in particular the removal of nitrogenous fertiliser related nitrous oxide emissions – and the indirect emissions from its manufacture and transport.

The RSPB will use these reportfindings to examine how we canadapt our farming operations,with the help of our agriculturalcontractor, to reduce the GHGfootprint of the farm, whilemaintaining high yields andfarmland bird numbers.

Future research will focus onpotential carbon sequestrationthrough EnvironmentalStewardship measures such aspermanent grass, floristicallyenhanced and pollen and nectarmargins, and wild bird cover.

Fertiliser spreading at Hope Farm

DEMONSTRATING THE VISION:FARMING AND THE RSPB

Farming is an integral element inland management across a largenumber of our nature reserves.This crosses many farmingsectors: arable, upland livestock,lowland livestock and mixed.Approximately 25,000 ha of RSPBnature reserves are farmed insome way. We also work withmore than 4,000 farmers acrossthe UK annually, through ourteam of agricultural advisers, who offer specific advice onwildlife management and helpwith Environmental Stewardshipapplications, and our largenetwork of volunteers whosurvey birds on farms through the Volunteer & Farmer Alliance.

Several RSPB nature reserveshave large farming enterprises,run commercially. Some of these are highlighted below.

MANOR FARM, WILTSHIREManor Farm is the operationalbase of the Winterbourne Downsreserve, where RSPB staff,equipment and livestock are busycreating a landscape-scale area ofchalk grassland to provide a safehaven for stone-curlews onpermanent semi-natural habitat.Here, 162 ha of arable land hasbeen reverted to chalk grassland.To manage these less productivegrasslands, ewe lambs arebrought in each autumn and soldthe following year as shearlings.The breeding ewe flock of northcountry mule ewes is being

replaced by Romney Marsh ewes.Cattle are brought in under leasefor late summer grazing andstepping stones of arable havebeen kept to maintain a variety offarmland birds. The arable rotationcomprises autumn-sown wheat,stubble turnips, spring barley andoilseed rape. This is bolstered byfallow plots for ground-nestingbirds, wild birdseed mixture plots,uncropped cultivated margins forrare arable plants, grass andnectar flower margins, fieldcorner management, skylark plotsand over-winter stubbles.

TARNHOUSE FARM,CUMBRIATarnhouse Farm is a workingorganic farm of 2,041 ha thatcovers around half of the RSPBGeltsdale reserve. It is a mosaicof upland heath and blanket boghabitats, with smaller amounts ofacid grassland, hay meadow,woodland and arable land. Thefarm is run by a tenant farmer,John Errington, with his daughterBeth. The principal activity isgrazing, with meadows managedfor haylage. The majority of thefarm is in Uplands Organic EntryLevel Stewardship and HigherLevel Stewardship. There arecurrently 60 Blue-Grey and 32Aberdeen Angus breeding sucklercows in five separate herds. All cattle are spring calving inApril/May, and most stores aresold privately in autumn toorganic finishers – 25 are kept for

grazing the hill the following year.Around 500 Scottish Blackfacesheep graze the open hill in threehefts. The sheep are sold mostlyas stores at around 30–35 kg anda small number of ewes withfollowers are sold in spring.Grazing levels are carefullymaintained to benefit birds such as black grouse, lapwings and curlews.

OUSE WASHES,CAMBRIDGESHIREThe Ouse Washes is the largestexample of lowland wet grasslandin the UK and has been farmedextensively and virtuallyunchanged since its creationwhen the Fens were drained 350years ago. The complete area ofthe Ouse Washes, including thesurrounding river banks, is 2,200 ha, of which the RSPBmanages 1,200 ha. The rest ismanaged by other conservationbodies and private ownership. Asland managers, we work closelywith 33 local farmers who provideupward of 2,500 head of beefcattle to graze the washes duringthe summer months. The majorityof the cattle are commercialbreeds: Charolais, Limousin,Blonde d’Aquitaine and Simmentalbeing typical examples. Seventyper cent are suckler cows withcalves, the rest being 2nd yearstores, growing on. Whilst grazingon the Washes the cattle aremanaged by a dedicated stockteam, who carry out daily

36

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Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

shepherding duties, treatmentsand preventive wormingprogrammes.

Due to the unique grazing systemthat the Ouse Washes offers, abeef marketing business set up in 2009 currently delivers 30 bodies of beef a month tobutchers in the Eastern region. For more information, visitwww.riversidebeef.co.uk

TY-LLWYD FARM, VYRNWY, POWYSTy-llwyd farm is at the southernend of the Berwyn Mountains,and covers 4,654 ha. The farmextends from 250 m above sealevel, on lakeside pasture, up to666 m on heather moorland.Organic conversion with theOrganic Farmers and Growerswas completed in August 2001.The farm is predominately uplandheather, with grass fields on thelower slopes around the reservoir,and some arable cropping. Due to the shortage of lowlandgrassland, the livestock at Vyrnwyare managed in conjunction withother field groups at Shrewsburyand Newtown, and wintered atNewport, South Wales, forreplacement lambs. By using theoff-lying areas in conjunction witha new sheep shed, it has beenpossible to reduce theenvironmental damage caused bywinter grazing on heather, whileimproving the condition andproductivity of the stock. The

breeding flock comprises 3,150Welsh Mountain ewes, 1,050ewe lambs, 70 rams and 100wethers, and runs as six separatehefted flocks. Some 600 sheepare crossed with Charollais,Cheviot and Texel to produce fatlambs. There are 35 Welsh BlackCattle and 10 heifers are bulledevery year. The fat lambs andcalves and cattle are sold throughDolgellau Market. Lambs,wethers and cattle are also usedfor meat sales in the on-site shopand with home delivery tocustomers within 30 miles.

AORADH, ISLAYAoradh, on the Isle of Islay, Argyll,was the Society’s first ventureinto actively farming land. There,on 700 ha of grazing land and 20 ha of spring arable, we run anintensive, low ground, sucklerherd of 200 beef cows and a flockof 200 Cheviot ewes. Farming isin-hand due to the complexity ofthe site and the conservationmanagement required. The farmhas to be commercially viable,providing a demonstration siterelevant to other commercialfarmers on and off the island andfrom which we can take on anadvisory role. The herd is closed, as we breed our ownreplacement cows, with only bullsbought in. The breeds used areCharolais, Limousin and Angus –the cows produced by crossingback and forward between thelatter two. Calves from the herd

regularly sell in the top 10% ofprice per kilo and we have taken arange of prizes over the years,including a recent best in show atthe Scottish Winter Fair. Sheepare bred as pure Cheviot and,with a lambing percentage ofmore than 160, also perform atthe top end of type.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654.180-0448-09-1038

A large number of RSPB staff and volunteers, experts in wildlife and people from across the farming industry havemade significant contributions to the success of Hope Farm.

We wish to thank all who have contributed to this success. In particular, we would like to thank Mark Avery, formerConservation Director for the RSPB (1998–2011), for having the drive and enthusiasm to ensure that the concept ofHope Farm became a reality, and George Topham & Son for their expertise in cropping.

Particular tribute should be paid to past, and current, RSPB staff who have worked at Hope Farm:

HOPE FARM STAFF

Senior Research Assistants

Will Kirby 2000 – 2004Chris Bailey 2004 – 2006Ian Dillon 2006 – 2009Graham Uney 2009Derek Gruar 2009 – present

Research Assistants

Chris Bailey, Susanna Clerici, Allan Goddard, Michal Maniakowski, Peter West and David Wright

We have also greatly benefited from the advice of the Farm Advisory Group, whose expertise has helped to steer the work of Hope Farm.

Farm Advisory Group – external members (2000–2010)

Nigel Boatman, James Clarke, James Goodhart, Ian Newton, John Osmond, David Sheldon, George Topham, and Chris Whittles.

Farm Advisory Group – internal members (2000–2010)

Mark Avery, Sue Armstrong-Brown, Richard Bradbury, Tony Morris, Andy Evans and Richard Winspear.

Roger Buisson1999 – 2004

Darren Moorcroft2004 – 2006

Chris Bailey2006 – 2011

Ian Dillon2011 – present

Farm Managers

39

Research is one of the core activitiesat Hope Farm. This involves triallingnovel techniques for the benefit ofbirds and other wildlife. Often thesetrials are at a very early stage in thedevelopment process. Hope Farmregularly hosts trials before they arerolled out across a wider number offarms for more rigorous scientificassessment. For many of the trialsthe results are best taken asindicative, but our researchdepartment, Conservation Science,strives to publish as much of ourresearch as possible in peer-reviewedjournals. The list below featurespublished papers that were eitherwholly based on Hope Farm research,or that include data gathered at Hope Farm.

Dillon, IA, Morris, AJ, Bailey, CM.(2009) Comparing the benefits towintering birds of oil-seed rapeestablishment by broadcast and non-inversion tillage at Grange Farm,Cambridgeshire, England.Conservation Evidence 6, 18–25.

Dillon, IA, Morris, AJ, Bailey, CM,Uney, G. (2009) Assessing thevegetation response to differingestablishment methods of SkylarkPlots in winter wheat at Hope Farm,Cambridgeshire, England.Conservation Evidence 6, 89–97.

Donald, PF, Morris, AJ. (2005) Savingthe Skylark: new solutions for adeclining farmland bird. British Birds98, 570–578.

Gillings, S, Henderson, IG, Morris, AJ,Vickery, JA. (2010) Assessing theimplications of the loss of set-asidefor farmland birds. Ibis 152, 713–723.

Gruar, DJ, Morris, AJ, Bailey, CM,Dillon, IA. (2010) Development of anagri-environment option throughresearch trials: Skylark Plots at HopeFarm. Aspects of Applied Biology100, Agri-environment schemes -what have they achieved and wheredo we go from here?, 341–346.

Henderson, IG, Morris, AJ, Westbury,DB, Woodcock, BA, Potts, SG,Ramsey, A, Coombes, R. (2007)Effects of field margin managementon bird distributions around cerealfields. Aspects of Applied Biology 81,53–60.

Morris, AJ. (2009) Manipulating cropand field margin vegetation structurefor birds and food resources. PhDthesis. University of Reading.

Morris, AJ, Holland, JM, Smith, B,Jones, NE. (2004) Sustainable ArableFarming For an ImprovedEnvironment (SAFFIE): managingwinter wheat sward structure forSkylarks Alauda arvensis. Ibis 146,155–162.

Morris, AJ, Gilroy, J. (2008) Close tothe edge: predation risks for twodeclining farmland passerines. Ibis150, 168–177.

Morris, AJ, Bailey, CM, Dillon, IA,Gruar, DJ, Westbury, DB. (2010)Improving Floristically Enhanced FieldMargins for Wildlife. Aspects ofApplied Biology 100, Agri-environment schemes – what havethey achieved and where do we gofrom here?, 353–357.

Morris, AJ, Bailey, CM, Winspear, R,Gruar, DJ, Dillon, IA. (2010) Drivers ofpopulation increase on an arable farmdelivering a comprehensive suite ofmeasures for farmland birds. Aspects of Applied Biology 100, Agri-environment schemes – whathave they achieved and where do wego from here? 201–209.

Smith, B, Holland, J, Jones, N,Moreby, S, Morris, AJ, Southway, S.(2009) Enhancing invertebrate foodresources for skylarks in cerealecosystems: how useful are in-cropagri-environment schememanagement options? Journal ofApplied Ecology 46, 692–702.

Smith, BM, Jones, NE. (2007) Effectsof manipulating crop architecture onweed and arthropod diversity inwinter wheat. Aspects of AppliedBiology 81, 31–38.

Stoate, C , Bradbury, RB, Morris, AJ.(in press) Reconciling food productionand bird conservation: two casestudies to inform future policy.Proceedings of the SAC and SEPABiennial Conference.

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

Peter Cornelius

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PART OF HOPE FARM?

Help us continue our vital work on the farm by becoming a Hope Farm Supporter. By giving a regular gift you will help us continue testing the introduction of new wildlife-friendly farming techniques.

As a Hope Farm supporter, you’ll be invited to visit the farm to see for yourself how your support ishelping our work and benefitting wildlife. You’ll also receive our Impact newsletter, to keep youupdated about RSPB conservation projects, including Hope Farm.

If you would like to support our work in this way, please contact the Membership Services team at The Lodge on 01767 693680.

If you would like to visit Hope Farm to see our work in action, or have any questions regarding thefarm, please contact the Farm Manager at Grange Farm, Knapwell, Cambridgeshire, CB23 4NR or telephone 01954 267438.

For more information, visit www.rspb.org.uk/farming

The production of this book was generously supported by the Clark Bradbury Charitable Trust.

Cover image: Hope Farm by Katie Fuller

The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment.Nature is amazing – help us keep it that way.

The RSPB is part of BirdLife International, the global partnership of bird conservation organisations.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

Published 2012 180-1811-11-12