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Defra Blame EU for August Hedgecutting Ban

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
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just cut this hedge and still has fruit. Cut every year for past 3 years, but had 4 years growth on before, that's why it's sparse
 

llamedos

New Member
Thinking more about it, I assume it is very much dependant on what grows in the hedge, and not just the fruit which feeds, they contain so much else that is edible for the birds, different species of plant must respond best to alternative cutting regimes, so some plants will still continue to fruit on new wood, it just seems such a shame to see bald hedges such as Hawthorne dog rose blackberry and elderberry all that fruit lost.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Thinking more about it, I assume it is very much dependant on what grows in the hedge, and not just the fruit which feeds, they contain so much else that is edible for the birds, different species of plant must respond best to alternative cutting regimes, so some plants will still continue to fruit on new wood, it just seems such a shame to see bald hedges such as Hawthorne dog rose blackberry and elderberry all that fruit lost.

Yes, it's a real waste. Destroying all that free food for the birds, and for bramble pickers, rosehip pickers etc. Crab apples and hazelnuts as well round here.
 

spikeislander

Member
Location
bedfordshire
I think they are forcing us to margins around all the fields. This and the greening / third crop is just a bit more pressure to do it. I hate not cropping land but beginning to think a 4m margin everywhere will do for efa, buffer for spraying if you have it as Forage area could it not be third crop? All hedge cutting in winter then. And then all the public can walk where they like so there won't be any birds left in the hedges or fields as the dogs will disturb them. Then they will be happy. How we have done things for hundreds of years has worked or else we would have no birds. Biggest problem is the badger and that's protected by a law made up by someone in an office. Aaaaaargh rant over
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
I think they are forcing us to margins around all the fields. This and the greening / third crop is just a bit more pressure to do it. I hate not cropping land but beginning to think a 4m margin everywhere will do for efa, buffer for spraying if you have it as Forage area could it not be third crop? All hedge cutting in winter then. And then all the public can walk where they like so there won't be any birds left in the hedges or fields as the dogs will disturb them. Then they will be happy. How we have done things for hundreds of years has worked or else we would have no birds. Biggest problem is the badger and that's protected by a law made up by someone in an office. Aaaaaargh rant over
Quite tricky to make silage or hay on a 4m margin, not enough room for turning or bale cart, tried it on a 6 m margin, lots of teleporter wheelmarks in the crop.
 

How is your SFI 24 application progressing?

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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