Chess valley farmer wins conservation award

Date: 18th November 2024

Jonathan Chapman, of Bailey Hill Farm, recently won Best Beef Enterprise and Best Farm Conservation at the Royal South Bucks Agricultural Society awards.

The farm, near Amersham, is run on an entirely pasture-fed system. This benefits the health of the cows and soil, the farm’s carbon footprint, and local wildlife recovery.

Since moving to Bailey Hill Farm in September 2013, Jonathan has planted over 4km of mixed-species hedges to extend habitat corridors between blocks of ancient woodland adjacent to the farm. He has also planted 15 acres of heritage orchard, focussing on local varieties, and ensures the tree’s flowering periods are staggered to maximise pollen availability.

By dividing the pasture into smaller fields and moving his livestock between paddocks frequently, Jonathan is able to give the pasture a long rest period – allows the plants to reach their flowering stage.

This benefits pollinators, increases root depth and reduces the chances of parasites becoming a burden on the herd. Allowing the pasture to grow long also creates better habitat for small mammals. The Bucks Owl and Raptor Group visited Bailey Hill Farm in October and were so impressed with the suitability of the grassland for vole populations and barn owl territories that they are building four nesting boxes to put up there this winter. Jonathan has also committed to spread bird food at two places on his farm this winter to help seed-eaters such as yellowhammers, linnets, chaffinches and goldfinches.

Under Jonathan’s leadership, over 30 farmers in the Chess Valley Farmer Cluster are looking to the future by gathering baseline data like farm carbon audits, soil sampling, and plant and bird surveys. The cluster are keen to find ways to improve soil health, create wildlife habitat on their farms, and improve water quality.

Through the River Chess Smarter Water Catchment and Farming in Protected Landscapes schemes, funding has been provided for hedge planting and renovation, fencing to allow carefully managed grazing regimes and pond restoration. The schemes have also investment in machinery that allows precision-farming, such as GPS-guided tractors, variable-rate fertiliser and cover-crop spreaders, and a direct drill for planting without ploughing.

Bailey Hill Farm’s apple juice and pasture fed beef and lamb is available directly from the farm or by mail order (see more at www.native-beef.co.uk).

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