Environmental approach

Many of us are only waking up now to the need to take action to help tackle climate change. But Jane Gardner-Turrell and David Turrell made care for nature and the environment a priority when they began keeping alpacas at LacockAlpaca seven years ago.

David Turrell said: "Care for the environment is something that we are very committed to – it’s in our core values and everything we are doing in terms of our approach to working with the land."

This includes:

• developing a viable alpaca business which supports a sustainable environment shared by others

• developing the ecology of the farm and to share that understanding with others

• targeting nature lovers and those with an environmentalist mindset, as well as continuing learners and those who value the aesthetic in nature and arts.

“Our reason to believe in this approach is rooted in a desire to share the natural world as a source of wellbeing for all. This involves creating the right environment.”

Jane and David are retired teachers and both have more than 40 years’ experience in education. David was an executive headteacher and Jane an assistant headteacher. When they started keeping alpacas at their Wiltshire farm

Jane explains that the couple saw themselves not as landowners but as “custodians of the countryside” with care for the environment at the heart of their decision making.

David adds that after their time in education they also wanted to “give something back” to the community and this has meant working locally to improve the environment and help to combat climate change.

“We are passionate about keeping alpacas and our aim is to explore how we blend keeping alpacas with how we respond to the climate emergency,” David explains.

Carbon footprint

Since the couple bought their alpacas in 2015 the climate crisis has moved higher up the political agenda. The National Farmers Union (NFU) has responded by setting a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across UK agriculture by 2040. But to reach this goal farmers must first understand and calculate their carbon or GHG footprint.

As part of their environmental commitment Jane and David are having their carbon footprint assessed at LacockAlpaca. This means working out, with the help of a carbon adviser, how much environmentally damaging GHG is generated by each part of the business. “For us this is about acquiring knowledge about the impact of our activities,” David says.

Each strand of the business, including glamping and farm stays, will be measured giving Jane and David a better understanding of their contribution to the total carbon footprint. "We are working towards 2030 for carbon neutral, we are looking to install electric vehicle (EV) points in 2022 for a sustainable electric tractor and other farm vehicles.

“Our farm house uses ground sourced heating and we have installed air soured heating systems in our two farmstays. We have a biodigester and also provide chemical and paraben free products for our guests. We only use sustainable timber.”

Jane and David are also working with Lackham, Wiltshire Agricultural College and Bournemouth University undergraduates on a variety of sustainability projects; they have just recently completed a comprehensive soil analysis.

Like all ruminants, including cattle and sheep, the alpacas produce some environmentally damaging methane. As part of their overall environmental management plan David and Jane aim to have feed assessed and to look at ways of reducing methane output.

Grassland management can also contribute to the climate crisis. Ploughing pasture releases carbon stored in soil and spreading nitrogen fertiliser, made by burning natural gas, releases nitrous dioxide (N2O), a highly damaging GHG from soil.

Jane and David however aim to ensure their grassland management helps to improve, and not damage, the soil or contribute to GHG emissions. “How we manage our pasture to protect the land and at the same time make sure we are producing good quality grass is part of our environmental management plan,” David says.

“This means looking at how we manage pasture to get the grass we need and at the same time protect and enhance the soil.”

Jane adds: “The fact that alpacas do not damage grassland because they have soft pads and the fact that they produce fibre, which is a sustainable product and they are pleasing to work with all contributed to our decision to keep alpacas.

“We now make sure we do not routinely drench for worms but have regular faecal tests and although it might sound funny even the alpaca poo is clean which means it can be taken away by people who visit the farm to use as a fertiliser.”

Trees and hedges for carbon capture and biodiversity

One of the best weapons in the fight against climate change are trees and hedges that capture and store CO2 as they grow. Their contribution to nature and biodiversity is also recognised by government in new environmental land management payments for sustainable farming set to replace the EU area payment scheme.

At LacockAlpaca Jane and David have joined forces with their neighbours in an initiative that will see 84 acres of land planted with more than 35,000 native trees and 22,000 hedge trees.

Forest, an area near the farm, used to be, as its name suggests, an ancient forest. It was once King John’s hunting grounds and Jane and David want to see if they can replicate at least some of it on their tree planting site.

“There are some small pockets of ancient wood left and there are farms nearby where landowners have identified trees that are more than 1000 years old.

“We are interested in collecting seed from some of these and regenerating them and we are in the planning stage of the project with help from the Woodland Trust,” David says.

Although the farm is not open to the public for alpaca walks, holiday guests are welcome to meet the alpacas and in future plant a tree if they would like to. Many have already expressed interest, and are delighted to hear about the tree project.

“We are not a petting farm, we breed alpacas and we offer people who stay with us the opportunity to come and spend time with them when we are feeding the animals and see how we work very gently with the animals. We believe in fostering a respect for animals and nature.

“We use Camelidynamics and we explain what we do and we also talk about what we can do to combat the worst aspects of climate change,” David says.

Although no longer a full-time teacher Jane still works as a tutor and adopts a similar approach with young people visiting the farm. Some may be troubled, or going through a difficult time and Jane has found that time spent with an alpaca can make “a massive difference for troubled youngsters because they can form a bond with an alpaca”.

“I know the youngsters that we see bond with the animal and respond positively to being with the animals and to being in nature.”

Jane and David’s experience and nature friendly approach to alpaca keeping suggests that there are ways to respond positively to the climate emergency and that UK alpaca owners are part of a nationwide effort to make a difference.