Category: Farming

  • Yet another new species!

    By The Bevis Trust In , | June 14, 2016

    We accidentally ran over a weasel today with a quad bike on the track below Tula’s Wood. We have never seen a weasel on the farm before. Because we have reduced the grazing pressure on all the north banks, there is a lot more rough grass and this is thick underneath so that voles can…

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  • Another Species

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | June 6, 2016

    We have another species to add to our growing list. This morning Nick was delighted to come across a slow worm basking near the main drive. We have relocated him to a slightly less risky spot!

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  • The Year Moves On

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | May 29, 2016

    Lots of neighbours are on the silage now. The pattern of farming is changing each year. Two of our neighbours have died and their land is let to another neighbour who has committed big time to dairying and built new sheds. So contractors are whizzing round the lanes in massive tractors taking the cut grass…

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  • Progress

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 20, 2016

    The beaver hide is coming along nicely… A turf roof and waney-edged larch boards should go on in the next few days.

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  • New Woodlands

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 19, 2016

    We have some steep north facing slopes on the farm that are gradually being taken over by encroaching bracken. Azulox has been phased out for spraying bracken and the slopes are too steep for machinery. Even with heavy grazing or hoof pressure there is no realistic cost-efficient way of controlling the bracken and we are…

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  • Willow casts a critical eye over the new hide

    By The Bevis Trust In , | May 17, 2016

    Willow casts a critical eye over the new hide.

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  • Eggs!

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 16, 2016

    At this time of year all the birds are busy nesting. The males are singing their hearts out proclaiming their territories and everyone is busy building nests and incubating eggs. Yesterday some geese took off heading towards the lake, and one of them shed a tiny white fluffy feather. As the feather drifted down, a…

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  • Rewilding and More

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 10, 2016

    I attended a conference titled ‘Re-wilding Dorset’ last week. I stayed overnight with Bevis Trust Trustee Kate Hall, whose husband Tim is Farm Manager on the Cranbourne Estate. This estate formerly had a shoot based on farmed gamebirds but recently Lord Cranbourne has decided to switch solely to wild indigenous Grey Partridges. Whatever one’s views…

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  • Beavers

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 9, 2016

    I’m spending far too much time lurking in the bushes by the water with my field-glasses hoping to see a female exposing her nipples. Hang on! It’s not what you’re thinking (those days are well over). The thing is, beavers have their kits about now but for six weeks or so they keep them safely…

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  • Farm Payments and More

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 3, 2016

    We’ve just completed our Single Farm Payment application. Some people think farmers are rolling in it, and who knows, maybe the barley barons in the east are doing very well. Here in Wales, the story is very different. About 15 years or so ago, the farm payments switched from headage payments (paying per head of…

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