The Graze the Moor Project - Molland Moor, Exmoor

Allan Butler, Richard Langdon (farmer), Dave Barrow (Moorkeeper)
and Janet Dwyer at Luckworthy Farm

I had an away-day to Exmoor, yesterday.  It is a bit of a challenge from Dumfries but with trains and the sleeper running sweetly, it is not a problem.

The Graze the Moor project is a partnership project with the main players being The Molland Estate, the Exmoor National Park Authority, and Natural England. As Project Manager I am responsible for the delivery of the project plan and the inevitable bureaucracy that surrounds such a project.  funding is being provided by Exmoor NPA, through their Partnership Fund with contributions from the other partners included The Heather Trust.  The project is running for five years and the second year was completed at the end of March.

A new recruit - 'Juggernaut'
a former native of Dumfries-shire

The purpose of yesterday's visit was to introduce Prof Janet Dwyer, from the University of Gloucestershire and Dr Allan Butler from the Royal Agricultural University to the project as I have invited them to provide some input to the economic comparison that is part of the project and to consider how to carry out the external evaluation of the project in its final year.  

The economic comparison seeks to identify the difference in income and expenditure between farms that graze the moor with hill livestock and those that have different breeds but keep them on in-bye land or in buildings. It is not a straightforward exercise and I am hoping that the challenge will be accepted.

Graze the Moor project - Molland Moor, Exmoor

Landowner, Christina Williams, in full flow

I had a good day yesterday on Exmoor, where I am project manager for the Graze the Moor project that amongst other work, is seeking to establish the impact of re-introducing winter grazing, principally by hill cattle, onto Molland Moor.

After a meeting in the estate office, it was a pleasure to get out onto the moor and see the benefits of the work that is being carried out by the project. Conditions were benign as the photo shows.

I am pleased that the University of Gloucester has shown a keen interest in this project and I am looking forward to introducing Prof Janet Dwyer and Dr Allan Butler from the Royal Agricultural University at Cirencester to the work of the project when they visit Molland next month.

Molinia starting to grow

One of the management challenges on Molland Moor is Purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea. In this photo you can see that the Molinia is already putting up green shoots after being burnt this spring.  Even in the Devon climate, heather cannot compete with this rate of recovery.  The project is considering how the dominance of Molinia on parts of the moor can be challenged.  We are thinking or raking out some of the mat of dead vegetation under the Molinia.  A dragged chain harrow has not been effective (and caused as much damage to the harrow as to the tussocks).  Has anyone had any success with this sort of approach?

To add an extra connection to the work, the cattle on the moor are mainly Galloway, and the farmer is seeking to upgrade them.  He bought the champion Galloway bull, and the runner up, at the bull sale in Castle Douglas, last year. These bulls came from Troloss Farm, which is owned by the landlord of the Heather Trust's office.  I drive through the farm every time I head north from the office.  

A Scottish Demonstration Farm for GWCT

Auchnerran Farm.  Photo: GWCT

In a recent article on their website, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust provided the background to this new development:

"Having a demonstration farm in Scotland has been a GWCT objective for ten years. Demonstration is at the heart of the GWCT’s Allerton Project at Loddington in Leicestershire. Over 20 years this has become a showpiece for our farmland research, demonstrating that good arable farming and game shooting management sustain wildlife and countryside income."

The inclusion of upland and lowland within the farm makes this development of particular interest to the Heather Trust.  I like to avoid placing boundaries around different land types and separating upland from lowland issues is often unhelpful; much farm stock is moved between the two areas and wildlife moves freely up and down the hill.  Therefore, being able to demonstrate how game management and farming work side by side in lowland and upland areas will be very valuable.

An early fund raising target is £5,000 to cover tick treatment for the sheep flock for 12 months.  A JustGiving webpage has been set up to receive donations, which can be made anonymously if desired. 

Livestock grazing ‘vital’ to preserve uplands

Hill Farm, Arkengarthdale - Yorkshire Post

For a more authoritative report on the 10-year study described in the previous post, see the article published by the James Hutton Institute.

The ecologists are reported to have conducted a "long-term, landscape-scale experiment looking at the consequences of livestock management on multiple plant and animal groups that consume each other within an upland ‘food-web’".  The aim "was not to determine a single approach to livestock grazing that would result in a ‘win-win’ situation for all species, but rather an approach that provided the best possible trade-off between ‘winners’ and losers’".

Livestock grazing ‘vital’ to preserve uplands

Hill Farm, Arkengarthdale - Yorkshire Post

This may be another case of science being used to re-state the blindingly obvious, but all the same it helps to have the concept of the dependence of the uplands on grazing management restated.  The Yorkshire Post article provides a description of the work carried out over 10 years by researchers from the Universities of Hull and Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute.

The article acknowledges that "these unique habitats have evolved as a result of traditional farming practices and abandoning such areas would have a huge impact on the internationally important plants and animals that live there."  It is comforting that this research applies common sense and avoids the trap of falling into the arms of the re-wilding lobby, which promotes the view that nature is best left to look after itself.  I think there is a need to be careful what you wish for; the natural balance without management is likely to look very different.

Management has shaped our hills, moorlands and uplands and therefore the owners and managers have an input into how these areas look and the services they provide.  I agree with the view that mixed livestock grazing at the right intensity is vital for the correct management and preservation of our uplands.

England: Hill farmers receive more than £2m in Uplands payments

In some good news for upland farmers in England, the Rural Payments Agency has said it paid out more than £2m to beef and sheep farmers eligible for Uplands Transitional Payments within three weeks of the payments starting.

The Uplands Transitional Payment (UTP) provides support to beef and sheep producers in England’s Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDA) who are managing land in an Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) and/or Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) agreement and previously claimed Hill Farm Allowance (HFA).

The Uplands Transitional Payment is made to Hill Farm Allowance claimants in 2010 who cannot yet enter the replacement scheme, Uplands Entry Level Stewardship because of an existing agreement under the Environmentally Sensitive Areas and/or Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

Up to Wednesday 27 March, the government agency said it had made payments to 925 farmers. This is equivalent to 73% of those eligible for money and more than 67% of the total value of the scheme being paid.  

This appears to be impressive, but should the RPA be satisfied with 73% in three weeks?  How long will it take to pay the remainder?

Assistance for Arran & Argyll - tracked vehicles

I relay a message from Teresa Dougall from Scottish Land & Estates, which needs no explanation:

Gregor Caldwell of the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) Ayr office telephoned this morning asking us for help with the emergency situation in Arran and Argyll. This request has come direct from Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and Drew Sloan, Chief Agricultural Officer. As you will by now have seen on the national and regional news, drifting snow on Arran and Argyll has cut off sheep and farmers are unable to access the hills.

Although some Local Authority roads are now open, there are real access problems to farms and hills. The local farmers have identified a need for ATV tracked vehicles and possibly snow bikes to take feeding out to stranded animals on hills but all of the available machines seem to be in service with the power companies.

A Scottish Government stakeholder group is to be convened from Edinburgh and Scottish Land & Estates will have an involvement in this – this will be to consider the details, logistics and costs of the operation. But, in the meantime, we need to identify members with available vehicles at short notice to help.

If you have an available vehicle, please email me on Teresa.dougall@scottishlandandestates.co.uk as soon as possible or telephone 01292 267074.

Your assistance would be appreciated.

Kind regards

Teresa