Rewilding at Knepp Castle- Daily Mail article

[Red Fred]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...breathtaking-results.html?ito=social-facebook

 

[Formatted]

To be insane and rich. One can dream.

 

[exmoor dave]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...breathtaking-results.html?ito=social-facebook

Read it yesterday..... 3500ac isn't it?

Spose that's 3500ac less produce competing with the rest of us..... but still....doesn't seem right

The longhorns must surely be wild as hell, I wonder how they gather them to draft off the bullocks for slaughter?

Looks like they've bought the old exmoor ponies myth hook line and sinker!
50000 billion zillion years old...... no...just no

 

[Goweresque]

I'd be more interested in the views of the neighbours who have had to deal with being next to it all before making a judgement - somehow I don't think that a load of caterpillars got rid of acres and acres of thistles overnight.....I bet there was(is?) a hefty dose of ragwort about too.

There's also the little matter of 'not making a profit' on 3500 acres whose BPS/SFP cheque must have been over 250k/yr...........

 

[Clive]

To be insane and rich. One can dream.

Article mentioned they had a "eye watering overdraft" as farmers so im assuming they may not have been exactly case rich even if they do maybe own a very valuable asset ?

Its an interesting experimnet that does prove that if we let beneficials thrive nature is better able to find balance, of course its extreme but there are bits in there than any farmer could learn lessons from I suspect

 

[Campani]

..... but still....doesn't seem right

My gut instinct was the same, why take good land out of production. But I think I've mellowed a bit, what use is pushing all land for food production if farms aren't making any money and half the food is going in the bin?

 

[Red Fred]

There's also the little matter of 'not making a profit' on 3500 acres whose BPS/SFP cheque must have been over 250k/yr...........

It's been going on since 2001 so I'm guessing that's two HLS schemes, and if the local rates are anything to go by, this would double your SFP money with the area payment side (foregone income) , plus the Capital payments, so it would bring in at least 500k/yr, not including the beef, etc.
I guess it's a no brainer really if it is your own estate but there is also a price to pay in terms of what it means for the human community, jobs, etc.
It's happening around us, the estates are getting rid of the small graziers and putting the whole lot into schemes while claiming the BPS.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Article mentioned they had a "eye watering overdraft" as farmers so im assuming they may not have been exactly case rich even if they do maybe own a very valuable asset ?

Its an interesting experimnet that does prove that if we let beneficials thrive nature is better able to find balance, of course its extreme but there are bits in there than any farmer could learn lessons from I suspect

Agree an interesting experiment.
A few thoughts - were the previous owners of the longhorns really surprised a few longhorns could live on 3500 acres year round without supplementation?
- "An eye watering overdraft" could easily have been cleared by selling stock and machinery from a 3500 acre dairy farm. Speculation of course, but could quite see they could be as well or better off now with environmental payments etc, premium meat sales, and little or no costs.
- if it's what the public want to pay for, and look at, why not. But there is a hypocrisy in wanting this then wanting cheap imported food produced at unknown environmental cost.
-Personally, I prefer the "patchwork quilt" look of much of the mixed farming areas of Britain that has evolved over many generations of farming in this country, but have no doubt we could continue to evolve that to improve our "environmental credentials".

 

[Red Fred]

The fact that ragworts are no longer toxic must be one of the great discoveries of the age. It is being used everywhere by councils, horse girls and our local fishing lakes as an excuse for inaction- it is easier to post a photo of a cinnebar moth on your Facebook feed with a feel good caption than it is to pull 5 acres of ragwort.

 

[Goatherderess]

I wonder if any footpaths and bridleways across the land are having to be cleared by the council? It is an interesting article but the place is now wild - so not suitable for the great British Public to wander around on as they fancy doing when reading about "rewilding". They want cycle paths, no thistles or nettles or even puddles! I'd make my farm wild in an instant for more payments and less visitors.....

 

[JP1]

Fascinating article

 

[Steevo]

They were featured on Countryfile six months or so back.

 

[ollie989898]

More acres being left alone to go back to nature. A boon for the rest of us.

 

[Kevtherev]

@JP1
Put a Linc up on FB yesterday
Surely there’s poorer land that could of been used?
Was it all prime arable land?

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

How do they manage to comply with calf tagging? Must be fun TB testing those longhorns.....

 

[Brisel]

Cross compliance?? Imagine checking all of those animals every day!

My boss is a friend of the Burrells & likes the idea, until I ask him for a set of accounts for Knepp Estate... Heavy Weald clay with no modernisation of land drains etc. The farming was unsustainable & they had little choice in how they managed it without significant investment.

Nice experiment, but not one I'd like to have on my doorstep, blowing thistle & ragwort seeds across my land.

 

[Hindsight]

It's been going on since 2001 so I'm guessing that's two HLS schemes, and if the local rates are anything to go by, this would double your SFP money with the area payment side (foregone income) , plus the Capital payments, so it would bring in at least 500k/yr, not including the beef, etc.
I guess it's a no brainer really if it is your own estate but there is also a price to pay in terms of what it means for the human community, jobs, etc.
It's happening around us, the estates are getting rid of the small graziers and putting the whole lot into schemes while claiming the BPS.

This is the post of the thread. Owner occupiers. From my observation of a couple od large scale HLS schemes agree possibly picking up £80 acre average HLS payment, plus some capital items as well, and the BPS at £90. So an income of £ £170 or so before any costs, and they have minimised these. Good business decision. Hey ho.

 

[Sheepfog]

It’s not a million miles from where I am and I’ve been there a few times.

Hats off to them for choosing their own path and making a success of it.

As far as I can see the Longhorns are run like a normal suckler herd, with some or all in wintered in cattle sheds. The cattle don’t seem wild. There’s also a herd of red deer which do very well. The only downside I can see is seed spread from thistles and ragwort to neighbours.

 

[CopperBeech]

I’ve spent a lot of time there and my mate lives on the estate. Funny old place seeing it from the inside out.

 

[Wendy10]

I don't object to what they are doing. Each to their own. What I do object to is her quietly knocking more traditional farmers. Referring to cows calling endlessly for their calves, which are being fed on "powdered" milk. Yes, so the general public can have ultra cheap milk!