The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has set out to demonstrate that environmental measures and profitable livestock farming can go hand-in-hand. Wendy Short reports.
A lower volume, higher value system for sheep and cattle production is the plan for the 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of land surrounding the Haweswater reservoir in the Cumbrian fells says Lee Schofield who works as the RSPBs site manager for the area.
The RSPB took over two farms on the Haweswater catchment on a United Utilities tenancy just over a decade ago and the charity currently runs 650 ewes and a small suckler herd, as well as providing temporary grazing for a small fell pony herd.
The upland holding, which is run as one unit, comprises the 750 enclosed hectares (1,853 acres) of Naddle and Swindale Farms, plus three separate common land arrangements.
Some years ago the RSPB published the Haweswater farm accounts, which demonstrated that the business would make significant losses if government support were withdrawn.
Sheep numbers topped 1,600 ewes at the start of the tenancy, but numbers have since been considerably reduced. This measure has helped to enhance financial performance, due to the lower labour requirement and reduced input costs. While it is still reliant on government support, the livestock enterprise viability has improved significantly, says Mr Schofield.
Changes in grazing patterns are the primary focus in delivering the environmental management aims, stresses Mr Schofield, who oversees the work at Haweswater. The management plan for the acreage, which falls within the Lake District National Park boundary, has been developed jointly with the landowner.
Diverse grazing patterns lead to a more diverse range of habitats, he says. Different levels of grazing are being strategically allocated to the three livestock species and some areas will be left un-grazed. One of the targets is to expand the area of juniper scrub, which has been awarded vulnerable and near-threatened status; it would have been a much more prominent landscape feature in past times. We have also started to block many miles of artificial drains in order to re-wet some of the bog land. Thousands of tonnes of carbon have been secured in the process.
Divided into an in-bye and a hill flock, the ewes lamb from mid-April, with concentrate feeding limited to the run-up to lambing to minimise input costs. Higher Level Stewardship scheme membership requires the off-wintering of the hill sheep; a policy which has seen the return of heather and bilberry, he comments. The vast majority of lambs that are not required for breeding are marketed as stores.
The hill flock is made up of 250 hefted Swaledale and North Country Cheviot ewes. They graze at up to 800 metres on Bampton Common in the summer and are away-wintered with the contractor who manages the flock all year round. Meanwhile, a flock of 400 North Country Cheviots grazes the in-bye using a traditional system at present, but there are plans to move the sheep to a regenerative grazing programme.
Mr Schofield explains: This will follow a similar pattern to the standard paddock grazing method used for dairy cows. The sheep will be intensively-grazed in a small area, which will then be given a long recuperation period. This approach is designed to encourage plant diversity, by allowing species to flower and seed without interruption.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that this policy has the potential to reduce the need for fertiliser inputs. It also promotes carbon retention and soil health, as well as providing a favourable habitat for insects and other wildlife.
The cattle are a relatively recent introduction, with the first calves from the 11 Belted Galloways and five Highlands born last spring. They calved inside in 2021 but are now a fully outdoor herd, with the cows coming to call and handled using a mobile crush.
Faecal egg counting is used extensively for the targeted administration of worming products, due to their negative impact on invertebrates.
The calves are expected to take three years to finish on the rough grazing and their diet will be only supplemented with hay in bad weather.
In 2021, just over 2,000 small bales of hay were produced on 30 hectares which also attracted an HLS payment, says Mr Schofield. This demonstrates that the land can be agriculturally and financially productive, while at the same time encouraging biodiversity. The small bales are preferable for several reasons; they eliminate the use of plastic, they showcase a traditional system and they are more suitable for storage in our small stone buildings.
The landlord has imposed restrictions on cattle grazing locations, depending on the age of the animal. This places a cap on cow numbers. The other option is to replace the suckler herd with bought-in youngstock; it is essential that our policies remain flexible if we are to survive the changes ahead.
The fell ponies, which are native to the region, are also used for targeted grazing. Owned by a local breeder, they will arrive each autumn to graze some of the SSSI land.
The main purpose of the ponies is to clean up molinia and rushes, which are two species that the sheep will not touch. Their designated 5ha (12 acres) grazing area had become rank and there were very few of the desired species like devils bit scabious and heath spotted-orchid, which have since returned in very substantial numbers.
The ponies have been very effective in producing the wildlife response that we were seeking and we are keen to expand their use. The owners expenses are covered and in return we provide grazing and look after them while they are on the farm.
The sheep and cattle will be contained in the grazing areas using a variety of methods, he adds. Hedges and walls will be reinstated and some electric fencing will be utilised. Another element of the programme is the Nofence virtual fencing system, which was trialled on a small number of cattle for the first time last year.
Mr Schofield says: The virtual fencing will confine the sheep and cattle to certain areas for the bracken control, for example. The technology will also be used to prevent access to boggy areas, or in some situations to keep the cattle away from public footpaths.
It is expected that a total acreage of 1,000-hectares will eventually be covered using the Nofence. There were some initial teething problems when the collars were used for a short period last season, but overall they were successful. A small number of sheep will be fitted with the collars over the spring and summer, as part of a grazing experiment.
One of the most challenging issues for the RSPB has been to gain consensus among more than a dozen commoners involved in the management of land which is currently not covered by Stewardship. Discussions have been ongoing for the past couple of years, says Mr Schofield.
The farms Higher Level Scheme has finished and a new arrangement could potentially replace the lost income. However, it is no simple matter to come to an agreement when several parties are involved and it is complicated by the fact that one particular common is owned by two separate landlords.
In the long-term, Mr Schofield hopes to minimise, or even eliminate the farms reliance on purchased feed and attain a premium for selling pasture-fed meat.
The virtual fencing collars are expected to generate a wealth of data on livestock grazing and its effects, while the profitability of the sheep and cattle enterprises will continue to be closely monitored.
A neighbouring producer sells Beltie meat into high-end outlets in London and we are hoping to market our beef in a similar way; possibly following on by selling lamb direct to the consumer, he says.
It is anticipated that the more strategic management of the grazing will result in improved grass production per hectare. If this can be achieved, we may be able to drive up farm income by finishing a percentage of the sheep and cattle. The environmental progress will be led by the livestock and stocking rates may change as we learn more about the practical effects of grazing manipulation.
We have just established a small commercial tree nursery and one idea is to offer a memorial tree service, where people can pay to have a tree planted in memory of a loved one, or to celebrate or mark an event. Eco-tourism may also play a role in our future.
The majority of our efforts outside the environmental enhancement are intended to plug the gap that will be left by the future decline in BPS and other government support. We are fairly optimistic about the future, says Mr Schofield.
Farm facts
Mr Schofield is assisted by livestock manager, David Garvey, with help from Richard Smith and other site team members.
The RSPB and United Utilities recently published a document which sets out goals for the next four decades. Securing Nature, serving people; The next 40 years at Haweswater, can be found at wildhaweswater.co.uk
The RSPB has been working with the landowner at Haweswater since golden eagles colonised the area in the 1960s. Over time, their common aims led to the RSPBs tenancy being established in 2012.
Haweswater reservoir supplies 25 per cent of the drinking water for north-west England
