A Week on the Estate: Tree Week, Soil Day & Rural Vision

Every tree makes a difference. In the Walled Garden, Daria did her bit for National Tree Week by planting a new cherry tree (Prunus avium sunburst). This tree will adorn the Hall’s grounds with cheery blossom and fruit within a few short years. Paul also shared a charming photo of Hugh next to a copper beech sapling (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea) that he helped plant last year at Calceby. Replacing a tree that had reached the end of its life and begun to decay, this tyro will be protected by a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) and will add gorgeous form and texture to our horizon when it matures.

When we’re not looking up at our tall trees, we’re looking down at a vast, complex and easily overlooked biosphere: the soil biome. Tuesday 5^th December is World Soil Day and a reminder that our ability to feed ourselves depends on the health of the matter beneath our wellies.

A vibrant soil biome, teeming with an astonishing multitude of viral, bacterial and insect species, is simply indispensable if the soil is to support plant and animal life season after season while absorbing carbon, soaking up heavy rain and resisting wind erosion during droughts. Unfortunately, intensive agriculture employing a full battery of fertilisers and pesticides can render soil toxic to its own microorganisms, less able to resist adverse weather and more likely to release rather than store carbon.

We’re proud to have achieved organic status for animal and arable produce. Inter alia, this recognises the fact that our farming improves and maintains a healthy soil biome and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We fertilise our land with organic manure from our Lincoln Red cattle and natural nitrate fixers such as legumes and clover. We don’t use synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

We’re also accredited by the Pasture for Life Association and we apply the principles of regenerative agriculture. Our rare, native-breed Lincoln Red cattle eat only grass, preserved grass and forage crops grown on our land and, from last winter onwards, live outdoors, all-year-round. We employ a rotational grazing system akin to natural mob-grazing, which ensures a high standard of organic nutrition for the cattle and a comprehensive boost for flora, fauna and fungi at every scale.

National Tree Week and World Soil Day are handy reminders of what it takes to feed the nation while caring for our wondrous countryside sustainably and responsibly. We doff our caps to hard-working farmers and stewards of the land everywhere because we know the effort and dedication required to do those things well.

To give our readers a sense of the what’s involved in biodiverse, sustainable farming at scale, we’re going to devote several blogs over the next few months to the nuts and bolts of conscientious, wildlife-friendly land management. Whether it’s coordinating with various agencies, experts and volunteers, future-proofing irrigation and drainage, systematically rotating grazing paddocks, over-wintering cattle outdoors, restoring hedgerows, fostering a healthy soil biome or anticipating wonky weather, there’s an awful lot going on when you peek under the bonnet.

We look forward to bringing you more insider information as winter rolls across our landscape and the days start to brighten again.

If you’d like to join the conversation, we’d love to hear from you. Just head to our Facebook page HERE and comment beneath the latest blog post. As ever, thanks for your support.

* Mycelium image by Bob Blaylock via Wiki CC