Ten year celebration: the farm giving hope for future of farming

DECADE OF SUCCESS: There are now several pairs of breeding skylarks at Hope Farm

July 2010: A ten-year conservation programme in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside is a far better success than expected, says the RSPB, the charity behind the project.

The aim of the project at the aptly named Hope Farm was to show that a modern commercially-run farm could make a profit while still providing habitats for wildlife. It began in 2000 and since then the number of farmland birds at Hope Farm has increased by 177 per cent, with particular successes in the populations of skylarks, linnets and yellowhammers. The overall diversity of farmland birds and other wildlife has also received a boost.

The 181-hectare farm celebrates its tenth birthday at the beginning of the month by hosting a reception for politicians, farmers, agricultural industry figures and conservationists.

‘We have learnt so much from our ten years of farming in the Cambridgeshire countryside,' said RSPB conservation director Dr Mark Avery. ‘We really didn't know whether this project would be a success when it started all those years ago, but the results have been better than we ever imagined.

We could reverse the 50 per cent decline in farmland birds using just four per cent of arable land
‘Farmland birds have declined by 50 per cent since 1970 - a truly shocking statistic. At Hope Farm, and in other small corners of the country, real efforts are being made to do something about this before it is too late.

BENEFICIARY: The linnet. Picture: Andy Hay / rspb-images.com

‘We have achieved a 177 per cent increase in farmland birds by putting roughly 7.5 per cent of the land into environmental management. On this basis nationwide, we can expect to reverse the 50 per cent decline in farmland birds with about 4 per cent of arable land managed specifically for wildlife. The current level is probably around two per cent.

‘But as well as increasing the area covered by wildlife friendly measures, we need to ensure we put the right options in the right places. We have shown that with careful consideration we can make efficient use of our farmed countryside to provide both a home for wildlife and food for our tables.'

Over the past ten years the RSPB has used Hope Farm to spread its message about farmland birds as well as developing and trialling important measures such as skylark plots which are now included as an official option in the Entry Level Stewardship scheme which is open to all farmers in England.

GOOD HOME: Yelllowhammers are flourishing at Hope Farm. Picture: Tom Marshall / rspb-imag

The site has been visited by many influential figures in Government and the farming industry and has helped the charity raise the profile of its campaigning work on farmland wildlife. One farmer who attended the Hope Farm celebrations this week is Robert Law who recently hosted Cereals 2010, the largest arable farming event of the year, at his farm near Royston in Hertfordshire.

We can make a real difference
‘The RSPB now has ten years of evidence from working on the ground at Hope Farm to show what we can do to make a real difference for wildlife,' he said.

‘But it's not just large conservation charities that can achieve these results - I have achieved real results on my land with many of the measures used at Hope Farm through my agri environment schemes. A recent survey of wild birds on my land found 38 species of birds including seven pairs of corn buntings, 13 skylark pairs and two grey partridge pairs.

‘If the agricultural industry's Campaign for the Farmed Environment is to work then we need to learn lessons from projects like this and prove that as farmers we truly are custodians of the countryside.'

As well as skylark plots, other environmental measures in place at Hope Farm include field margins, beetle banks, pollen and nectar mixes, wild bird seed mixtures and well managed hedgerows. These help to provide the three most important things for farmland birds - a safe place to nest, food for growing chicks in spring and summer and food and shelter over the winter months.

Dr Avery added: ‘The challenge for the RSPB at Hope Farm in the future will be how we continue to build on the farmland bird successes of the past decade whilst also tackling the issues of carbon and diffuse pollution.'