MOREhedges makes a difference for Wiltshire farmer

Good morning, I'm Ben Butler, and we are stood here at Manor Farm, Avebury Trusloe near Marlborough in Wiltshire.

This farm is a thousand acres, 750 acres arable, 250 acres grassland, and we farm as Butler Brothers Avebury Ltd and my great grandfathers were the Butler Brothers.

We have a mixed rotation here on the arable side of winter wheat, winter barley, winter oilseed rape, and then in the spring we plant spring barley, spring beans and linseed. We also graze about 100 beef cattle here on the land. We have some ancient water meadows with the River Kennet running through the farm and we run about 140 ewe lambs on some National Trust ground called Windmill Hill, which is about 65 acres of permanent pasture on the northern side of the farm.

Where we’re stood at the moment, the new hedge has been planted next to a six metre arable grass margin and then that leads into a commercial arable field of winter barley.

I think this demonstrates how you can farm hand-in-hand with conservation and commercial arable farming. The hedge fits very nicely adjacent to the ancient track. Then the other side is the six metre grass margin, and then the arable field. And I think you can combine conservation and productive commercial land together. I don't think you need to plant up to hedges. We've been doing this successfully for 22 years. These grass margins act as great corridors for hedgehogs, butterflies, bees love meandering through them.

I think the new planting with the hedge will provide more variety. I think it will act as a slight protection where it's become a very open landscape, and I think it'll be a great benefit to this farm.

So our initial contact and awareness of the scheme was made by our Lloyds Bank manager and she made us aware of the MOREwoods and MOREhedges scheme. My Lloyds Bank manager sent me the link through to the Woodland Trust website and the process I had to follow through. Initially, contact was through emails, which was always answered very efficiently. I submitted a map with lines of where I wanted to plant, and metreages. This was quickly approved by the Woodland Trust. Communication was very clear, and the timescales of when the planting season was, when delivery of the stock would be, was all laid out, easily understood and met my expectations.

The financial incentive covered up to 75% of the materials and stock, and we paid for the contractor to plant it separately. I think it was a very reasonable price for the quality of stock we got and the quality of materials that were delivered. And we've been very pleased with how the hedges and trees have already established themselves since early January.

I'd absolutely recommend MOREhedges and MOREwoods to other landowners. It was a very easy process to follow through the website and email communication. I can't fault the stock that was delivered, the condition it was delivered in, the timescales were adhered to, and my contractor was very pleased with the quality of stock that was delivered. Yes, a very easy process. Good link up between Lloyds Bank and the Woodland Trust and I wouldn't hesitate to use it again if the opportunity arose.