Here at Horlands farm take our responsibility to nature very seriously.
It is somewhat forgotten that most farmers not only work on their farms it is also where they live and where they bring up their families - it is their back garden. So it is in our own best interests to look after the environment and to be custodians of the land; not only for ourselves but also for the generations to come.
As part of this in 2006 Horlands Farm entered into an agreement with DEFRA known as the Entry Level Stewardship scheme that aims to deliver effective environmental management on farms
At Horlands Farm we use a mix of traditional and modern farming methods to produce good quality food. We stock our fields relatively lightly with livestock. We continue to make hay and our livestock are over-wintered in sheds with straw bedding that is then returned to the fields as manure.
We use integrated crop management (ICM) techniques and only use chemicals when necessary. We protect ponds with stock proof fencing so that our livestock do not disturb the natural balance of the pond and wildlife.
We hope to keep this little corner of Kent in a good environmental condition for the next generation.
Horlands Farm has over 3.3 miles (5.5km) of hedgerows. These contain many different species of shrub and trees including, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, poplar, holly, alder, oak etc....
These hedges are part of the rich tapestry of the local landscape but are also home to many species of birds, insects and mammals. The hedges are trimmed in rotation once every two years at at only certain times of the year so that the wildlife has food or nesting sites throughout the farm.
Horlands farm has well over 100 mature trees in its fields (not including fruit trees). Most of the trees are Oak, Maple, Poplar etc.
We have twelve ponds with very different characteristics, from shallow pools to large expanses of water which are home to a multitude of creatures.
We also have what we call the conservation area. The area has been fenced off and left wild to try and encourage other species to the farm. The area includes trees and ponds/reed beds. In this area we have (with the help of a team from the Environment Agency) put up bird boxes, bat boxes, dormouse boxes, lain hedgehog boxes, made steps and cleared a pathway to gain access. We have tried to create a different habitat for wildlife in this area, to go alongside the hedges and grazed meadows.
Entry Level Stewardship Scheme
The Entry Level Stewardship Scheme is a DEFRA run scheme devised to help farmers look after the environment
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The aim is to encourage a large number of farmers across a wide area of farmland to deliver simple yet effective environmental management.
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Requires a basic level of environmental management.
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There is a wide range of over 50 options to choose from (e.g. hedgerow management, stone wall maintenance, low input grassland, buffer strips, and arable options), to cover all farming types.
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Five year agreements.
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Improve water quality and reduce soil erosion - by encouraging management which can help to meet these aims;
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Improve conditions for farmland wildlife - including birds, mammals, butterflies and bees;
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Maintain and enhance landscape character - by helping to maintain important features such as traditional field boundaries;
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Protect the historic environment - including archaeological features and artefacts.