Biodiversity

I thought I'd share with you images of our two hay meadows which look an absolute picture at this time of year. We're organic and part of Wales' Tir Gorfal agri-environmental scheme, so we're pretty restricted as to what we can and can't do to these fields.

Grazing is tightly controlled, we're not allowed to cut until the middle of July and we can't apply artificial fertilizers. Any farm yard manure we apply has to be between certain dates. Actually the fields have not had any manure on them for a while now. They produce far more haylage than we can ever use, so there is no point adding extra fertility.

The rules are to protect the species-rich meadows. We have a lot of yellow rattle, a parasitic wild-flower which restricts grass growth. This makes room for a whole abundance of other flowers including red clover and lady's smock and other ancient (and quite probably endangered) species, oh, and buttercups, of course, by the million.


The second field includes an ancient dew pond. Previous farmers had the bright idea of filling in the dew pond, but nature will out and it is gradually reasserting itself. In the winter it's a gloriously reflective mirrored pool.

These two fields are the only ones on the farm that are actually flattish. The dog loves them (see photograph below) and the sheep are quite fond of them too, but the ponies don't really like being on these fields. Possibly they are too exposed, but in any case they are far too fatteningly grassy for native Welsh ponies.

The bridle path goes along the far edge of these two fields and leads, through a gate at the top left hand corner, to our green lane. Here be Hobbits...

... Well I think so any way! According to Mido (who was just sticking his head down a rabbit hole as I took the photograph) there are rabbits and badgers and possibly the occasional dormouse.