Is this Spring?
At last! Spring finally feels to be arriving at Humberstone Bank. Lambing of the horned sheep is well underway now and after a tough few weeks juggling space to keep the new lambs inside where it’s dry and warm, this better spell is meaning they can be turned out. The cold wet weather has held back signs of any new Spring grass, which means bought in feed has had to be relied on – so Spring can’t now come quickly enough. This is only the second Winter that Yorkshire Water’s tenant Jonathan Grayshon has been at Humberstone and he’s very much hoping that this Winter’s weather isn’t something that’s going to be repeated in the near future!
Whilst busy with lambing, last week presented an important deadline for future plans at the farm. 13th April was the last date for applications to be submitted to Natural England for the ‘Higher Tier’ Countryside Stewardship scheme. This is the environmental support scheme, which will provide payments for work that benefits the environment. If the application is successful, participation in the scheme will play a key role in implementing the ‘Beyond Nature’ vision for the farm in the future.
634 hectares of the 910 hectares that make up Humberstone Bank are moorland and classed as “Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)”. This is a “formal conservation designation for an area which is of particular interest because of its fauna, flora or geological or physiological features”. In layman’s terms this means that the moorland is a very special place for wildlife habitats and species!
One of the main aims for the farm is to improve the status of this land for wildlife. With this in mind, the application to the new Higher Tier Scheme (with the help of Nidderdale AONB’s Land Management Adviser – thank you Marian!) focuses on Management of the Moorland, Management of Rough Grazing for Birds and Rush Control (which is also important for providing bird habitat).
Opportunities to improve the condition of the moorland focus on work to block drainage grips, and restore the bare peat. As well as having important benefits for wildlife the peat moorland is hugely important for carbon storage. A feasibility study had to be completed to provide information to support the application, which meant surveys of the land being carried out on some very bleak days on the Moor!
In the weeks ahead work is continuing apace on conversion of the barn on the access lane at the farm into a ‘hub’ for educational use and as a meeting space. The weather hasn’t been kind to the builders on the project but it’s hoped to have the basic facilities ready by the end of May.
Other wildlife related projects also need progressing –including the establishment of a wildlife and sediment pond funded through Yorkshire Water’s Wildlife and Biodiversity grant scheme.
Also on the list is the important issue of commencing Moss the sheepdog’s official training regime! Signs so far are that he’s going to be very capable – watch this space for an update on how he’s getting on.
Humberstone Bank Farm joined Yorkshire Water’s ‘Beyond Nature’ vision in September 2016, with Jonathan Grayshon taking on the tenancy of the 910 hectare upland farm above Thruscross reservoir in Nidderdale AONB. The Vision for the farm is to demonstrate Humberstone Bank as an exemplar in upland management for water, biodiversity, carbon and farming and sporting enterprises.
BeyondNature 