Creating a brighter future with trees on farms

A Norfolk farmer is helping to fight the nature and climate crises with hundreds of native trees.

Watching his young woodland grow is bringing joy to sixth-generation farmer George Atkin and his family. The new native trees, including oak, wild cherry and Scots pine, were planted to capture carbon and create wildlife habitats. Planted in winter 2016 with help from the Woodland Trust, the 283-hectare mixed farm in west Norfolk is already reaping the benefits.

Investing in tomorrow

George planted half a hectare of trees, filling gaps in the canopy of an existing wood and creating a new block of woodland close to the farmhouse. The Trust’s MOREwoods scheme was the perfect fit for the project, providing expert planting advice and subsidised trees from assured tree nurseries.

“These woods marked the start of an environmental journey for me, the foundation of ensuring the farm is passed on in a better condition for the next generation,” George explains.

Planting and management

Once the saplings were dug in, wood chip was laid to retain moisture in the light, sandy soils. A 400m hedge was also planted to link up the two woods, acting as an important corridor to help wildlife move between them.

“I had a great deal of help from friends,” George continues. “It was very hard work over the course of two weeks, but well worth it in the end!”

The new trees are now partly managed as coppice to provide wood fuel for the farmhouse, and partly for nature, where the understory will be improved with shade-loving woodland species. Now hooked on planting, George has already created a traditional orchard full of local varieties too.

Exploring more opportunities

With an appetite for more trees, an agroforestry system could be on the horizon for George. This would involve planting native trees in alleys between arable crops which could then be harvested for fuel or timber.

“I am very thankful to the Woodland Trust,” concludes George, “not only for the trees but more importantly UK sourced woodland regeneration and new plantings. I hope they continue to help communities, schools, farms, landowners and individuals to do their bit for improving and increasing our country’s native woodland.”

Start planting with subsidised schemes

From creating a shelterbelt to harvesting your own wood fuel, the Trust will provide tailored advice on the best species and methods to achieve your goals. Experts will visit your site, guide your application from start to finish, and arrange tree delivery and protection.

His future plantings will be made even more eco-friendly by using fencing or denser planting to offset losses in place of plastic guards for protection.

Finally, George plans to collect seed from some of the farm’s oldest trees so he can propagate his own trees.

Reap the benefits on your farm

Trees should be in every farmer’s toolbox. They help boost productivity, resilience and the health of the environment – with no need for trade off with food production. At George’s farm, the trees are bringing added benefits as windbreaks for crops, shelter for livestock and enhancing the landscape character.

The Woodland Trust, with generous funding from Lloyds Bank, offers expert advice and funding to make your planting project a success. For anyone planting over half a hectare, the MOREwoods scheme is ideal – it’s already created more than 3,500ha of woodland in the UK.

Consider legalities to prevent problems further down the line

Diversi cation can open up lots of new opportunities for farmers and landowners, but several legal issues need to be considered to prevent problems further down the line, says Warners Solicitors:

• Business structures – If your new diversi cation business is not agricultural, you might want to set it up as a new business. There are various bene ts to doing this; it protects your existing business if the new diversi cation project is not successful and it can help preserve valuable Inheritance Tax (IHT) reliefs

• Supplier contracts – It is important to make sure that any contracts you have with suppliers and customers are clear and legally binding; this will protect you in case anything goes wrong

• Employment contracts – If you need to take on new sta for your diversi ed business, you need to make sure you are aware of your obligations as an employer. As a bare minimum, all employees must be provided with a written statement of their terms of employment. You must also adhere to minimum wage and workplace pension requirements

• Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief

(BPR) – Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) can help reduce or even eliminate IHT on agricultural and other qualifying assets. However, converting buildings and land from agricultural purposes may mean that the right to APR and BPR is lost.

As a rural law practice, Warners Solicitors says it has an established relationship with farmers. The company has a dedicated team of agricultural and landed estate solicitors who all have a detailed understanding of the issues of relevance to rural landowners. Find out more at warners-solicitors. co.uk FG