Farming Nick Green

A challenging year –capped by bird flu

IT’Sfair to say farming has had its fair share of challenges in 2022. Unprecedented weather brought its own challenge with a cold, wet spring followed by recordbreaking heat through the summer and more recently one of the wettest, warmest starts to November on record. The conflict in Ukraine has disrupted global grain markets and restricted the supply of fertiliser in Europe.

To cap it all, the poultry sector has the challenge of Avian Influenza aka bird flu which appears to be worsening. Bird flu affects both domestic and wild birds.

Ultimately, birds die of it but before death, symptoms include a swollen head, closed and runny eyes, eating and drinking less than normal and for laying hens a stop or significant drop in egg production.

Over the last 12 months there have been 200 cases with 80 of these being confirmed since the start of October. It is impossible to control the transmission of bird flu in the wild bird population but it can be controlled in domestic birds.

As well as strict biosecurity measures by all those involved with looking after poultry on farms, the government have made it law that all poultry kept on farm needs to be housed. This doesn’t affect those farmers who keep their birds inside all the time.

But those farmers who are doing what the market asks for by allowing their chickens, laying hens and turkeys to be free range have had to suddenly find houses to put their poultry in. This might not be a problem for With NICK someone with just a few hens but those GREEN turkey producers who have been building up their flock both in numbers and size ready for Christmas have had to magic up a lot of suitable buildings to house their turkeys 24/7 and install suitable feeding and watering systems. Farmers are a resilient bunch and no doubt they will cope in one way or another. It’s another one of those 2022 challenges that needs to be met headon. Let’s hope bird flu is controlled and those of us who want seasonal poultry are able to. Here’s to 2023!

Nick Green is Farms Director for Alvis Bros Ltd based at Lye Cross Farm. As well as the business, he is involved with a number of local and national farming charities.

Right tree, right place

A tree planting project, funded through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, making use of unprofitable field margins on a farm near Chew Valley Lake

TREEplanting has been a hot topic in newspapers over the past few years as a key tool in mitigating the impact of climate change. The Mendip Hills AONB Partnership has set a target to increase the tree cover from it’s current 12% to 13.5% to help with this global emergency.

However, tree planting should never come at the expense of other valuable habitats.

The Mendip Hills AONB is famous for its limestone grasslands, which host many rare and important wildflowers and fungi. Planting trees in these places could cause the destruction of a valuable habitat and might not have such a strong benefit for the climate.

The right place for tree planting will be different in different areas: on the plateau, new individual trees, small clusters or lines of beech, or thin shelter belts work well with the landscape character; on the south-facing slopes, new hedgerows incorporating standard trees are effective, and in the Valleys (Chew/Blagdon/Winscombe Vale) and north-facing slopes, both new hedgerows and new woodlands are suitable for the area, particularly where they link up with existing woodland features.

Planting the right combination of native tree species for a local area is important for ensuring local wildlife can thrive and the character of this beautiful landscape is preserved. Guidance on what species are likely to do well in your area can be found from a simple walk around your village, seeing what old trees are growing in hedgerows or churchyards, as they will probably do well on your land too.

More information about Right Tree, Right Place, including a helpful decision-making flowchart can be found in a booklet produced by the Mendip Hills AONB Service, find it on our website or request a copy from us.

The right tree, in the right place, can have enormous benefits for the landscape – the grand English Oak supports a mammoth 2300 different species and a single hectare of 20-year-old trees can also absorb around 40 tons of carbon each year.

If you are looking to understand more about how your farm emits and absorbs carbon, in terms of tree planting and beyond, the Mendip Hills AONB Service is offering funding for farmers within the AONB towards engaging a farm carbon advisor to assist with the Farm Carbon Auditing process. To find out more or receive an application pack, contact the Mendip Hills AONB Service using the details at the side.

Contact the Mendip Hills AONB Farming in Protected Landscapes Team for more information

Celebrating 50 years of farming on the Mendip Hills

The AONB Service has produced a variety of documents to help landowners with identifying the right tree and the right place. Download the Tree Planting Guide for the Mendip Hills AONB here: www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/ caring-about-theaonb/planning

Mendip Hills AONB Charterhouse Centre, BS40 7XR Office telephone: 01761 462338 Email: mendip@mendiphillsaonb.org.uk www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk