Natural England

An amazing array of wildlife has flourished on an organic Suffolk farm thanks to one family’s commitment to their environmental agreement.

In the last three years Miranda and William Kendall, of Maple Farm, Kelsale, Saxmundham, have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into their Countryside Stewardship Scheme to establish and enhance habitats for wildlife. They have restored hedgerow boundaries for turtle doves, ponds for great crested newts, provided winter food for birds and specially selected flower mixtures which provide pollen and nectar for insects. They have also created more than a kilometre of new public bridleways providing great benefits for the landscape, environment and local community.

Their hugely successful grassland management has seen an important wildflower meadow which was under threat from invading trees and scrub burst into bloom after the Kendall’s undertook scrub management and lightly grazed the meadow with sheep.

Monica O’Donnell, of Natural England which administers Environmental Stewardship Schemes, said: “This has reaped enormous benefits and now the meadow has bloomed in a spectacular display of marsh orchids, early purple orchids and common spotted orchids. Bee orchids have grown on nearby field boundaries. Barn owls have regularly been seen hunting over the meadow, no doubt appreciating the uneven grass habitat which has been created, providing the ideal habitat for their prey of mice and voles. Everyone at Maple Farm has done a fantastic job at getting this meadow into such great condition.”

Since 2004 Maple Farm has been worked organically which brings additional benefits to biodiversity on the farm. Organic grassland can benefit from a more diverse range of flowers as herbicides are not used, and weeds are controlled by hand-pulling or topping, encouraging a greater range of both locally common plants, such as common knapweed and native red clover, and scarce species including marsh orchid.

Miranda Kendall said: “It is very exciting that my farm is returning to the wild life haven I remember from my childhood. If we can show that a farm can be economically viable without any loss to its capacity to support wildlife, then our work here will have been worthwhile.”

In 2006 Maple Farm joined the Rural Enterprise Scheme as they diversified into producing rye, wheat and spelt flour from their own organic grain for sale to bakeries and the public through farm shops, and extended their free range organic vegetable production enterprise to start a box scheme.

The chickens are organic, the salad crops are protected from pests and disease by the insects from the traditional hedgerows and pigs clear up the scraps from the farm’s organic box scheme. Organic straw from the farm is supplied to an organic mushroom company and in return they get organic mushroom compost to use as an organic soil improver for their crops. Higher levels of weeds in organic crops provide pollen and nectar and attract many insects, which in turn provide important food for young farmland birds.

Notes to Editors:

Photos of the farm are available from Helen Payn on 01733 455131 or helen.payn@naturalengland.org.uk.

To contact Maple Farm: By The Crossways, Kelsale, Saxmundham, Suffolk IP172PL
Tel: 01728 652000; Fax: 01728 652001
info@maplefarmkelsale.co.uk
www.maplefarmkelsale.co.uk

1. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.

2. The Countryside Stewardship Scheme makes payments to farmers and other land managers to enhance and conserve English landscapes, their history and wildlife and to help people to enjoy them. The scheme is closed to new applications but has been replaced by Environmental Stewardship. To find out more about Environmental Stewardship Schemes look at the Defra web page http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es or contact Natural England on 0845 6024094.

3. The Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES) is part of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). It provides assistance for projects that help to develop more sustainable, diversified and enterprising rural economies and communities. The scheme is now closed to new applicants. For information regarding funding under the new Rural Development Programme England, please contact the East of England Development Agency.