Written by cpm from CPM Magazine
Download PDF Livestock underpin some of the most sustainable arable systems in the country. CPM travels to the furthest reaches of Scotland and Wales to find out how two very contrasting systems fit in. We aim for a circular system in which the arable complements the livestock and the animals complement the arable. By Tom Allen-Stevens and Rob Jones Farmed animals present something of a sustainability conundrum: on the one hand, slurry and manure applications can cause pollution while the methane is a damaging contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. But organic applications to the land reduce dependence on synthetic fertiliser use, and managed well, livestock can enrich soil biodiversity and lift an entire cropping rotation. On the banks of the River Spey in Moray, east of Inverness, Bill Smith seems to enjoy the scampering and scurrying of his young piglets. They’re clearly curious about the visitors to their barn and have left the bales they were playing on in favour of a version of grandmother’s footsteps. The piglets form a bed-and-breakfast enterprise on the 161ha Byres Farm Crown tenancy Bill runs as part of a 485ha family farming business. But it’s what they leave behind that interests him more. “Pig…
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Download PDF Livestock underpin some of the most sustainable arable systems in the country. CPM travels to the furthest reaches of Scotland and Wales to find out how two very contrasting systems fit in. We aim for a circular system in which the arable complements the livestock and the animals complement the arable. By Tom Allen-Stevens and Rob Jones Farmed animals present something of a sustainability conundrum: on the one hand, slurry and manure applications can cause pollution while the methane is a damaging contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. But organic applications to the land reduce dependence on synthetic fertiliser use, and managed well, livestock can enrich soil biodiversity and lift an entire cropping rotation. On the banks of the River Spey in Moray, east of Inverness, Bill Smith seems to enjoy the scampering and scurrying of his young piglets. They’re clearly curious about the visitors to their barn and have left the bales they were playing on in favour of a version of grandmother’s footsteps. The piglets form a bed-and-breakfast enterprise on the 161ha Byres Farm Crown tenancy Bill runs as part of a 485ha family farming business. But it’s what they leave behind that interests him more. “Pig…
The post Green Horizons – A circular approach tells its own story appeared first on cpm magazine.
Continue reading on CPM website...
If you are enjoying what you read then why not considering subscribing here: http://www.cpm-magazine.co.uk/subscribe/