conservation
In the Beginning...
… there were three dairy farmers Will, James and Fi.
They had a dream.
To make their farm a place where people could come and learn about traditional farming and conservation, to enhance the environment, create biodiversity and make a better future landscape. The farmers wanted to share and build on their understanding of life cycles of plants and animals through the seasons, create new wetlands to help mitigate flood and climate change, provide breeding wader habitats, plant trees and hedges for nesting birds, develop ponds, manage environments for wild pollinators and stop the use of artificial fertilizers.
They wanted to bring nature loving people together and share with them their biodiversity creation journey; to forage and use natural waste material to build new habitats for many species of endangered plants, birds, insects and mammals. They wished to provide a place of education and enjoyment, where visitors could take pleasure in the wonderful countryside.
Will, James and Fi realised the move from intensive farming was the way forward, they embarked on a new wild farming adventure. Dumble Farm was born.
But why ‘Dumble Farm’?
When the land in Arram was owned by the Percy estate, historical records describe tenants collecting ‘dumbles’ in the Carrs. A fascinating article by local historian Eva Crackles entitled ‘ A Rush Called the Dumble’, deduces that dumble is a local name for Club Rush (Scirpus lacustris), still thriving here at the pond as seen below.
Conservation Project
The main aim of Dumble Farm is to support conservation and biodiversity so that future generations can enjoy the abundance of wildlife that we see here in East Yorkshire.
Money raised from Highland cow sponsorship goes towards the creation of new habitats which is at the heart of our extensive conservation project.
Highland Cows and Sustainability
All our cattle are pedigree and are registered with the Highland Cattle Society, by 2026 the fold will be at least 65 in number.
We refer to our Highland cows as conservation grazers. This is because they play a vital role in enhancing the soil where they roam. We carefully control their numbers so they create the correct conditions in preparation for wading birds, but do not disturb the birds once breeding
There is a huge misconception that cattle trample the ground, eat all the rare plants and frighten the wildlife. This is not the case.
The Cows Are Good For The Land
Livestock grazing is essential for the majority of the country’s most important wildlife habitats. Grazing animals often choose lusher plant species, which allows less competitive plants and wildflowers to thrive.
Wildflowers attract insects that can be eaten by birds and mammals, some insects are pollinators and are essential for the survival of our native plants.
When grazing, the cattle decide for themselves where to concentrate their efforts and this creates a mosaic of different heights of grass and micro-habitats, this is further enhanced by cattle lying and rolling.
This is very important for ground-nesting birds such as lapwing and snipe which need a variety of habitats to rear their young successfully. Trampling by cattle creates areas of bare ground, this produces nurseries for seedlings that might not otherwise survive. Cows generate dung and this creates an ecosystem in its own right.
A whole host of wildlife will colonise a cowpat – more than 250 species of insect can be found in or on cattle dung in the UK and these in turn provide food for birds, foxes and bats.
Highland cattle are the ideal choice for conservation grazing. They are hardy grazers – they will eat a wide range of vegetation unpalatable to most cattle, they live out in all seasons and weather and have a long breeding life. They are relatively light in weight and therefore reduce soil compaction and, in spring they eat the succulent shoots of weeds we would otherwise have to control.
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By sponsoring a conservation grazer you can actively help stop the decline of our important wetland species and create wetland carbon stores that help regulate the global climate.
Help for Declining Species
From their peak in the early part of the 20th century, breeding waders such as lapwing, curlew, redshank, snipe and oystercatcher have seen populations decline, driven by large-scale changes to farming.
Modern farming methods have altered traditional habits leaving less food available and making it hard to successfully rear chicks.
At Dumble Farm we are trying to reverse that by farming sustainably.
We aim to create new wetland habitats to provide nesting and feeding grounds for wading birds.
Each spring, we are holding areas of water in 75 acres of grassland, this will provide breeding and feeding grounds for declining wading bird species.
How We Are Helping Lapwings
Dumble Farm is a priority habitat for lapwings. To create the right conditions for lapwings to breed, we are managing the grassland by grazing with Highland cattle.
We aim to maintain a mosaic habitat with 50%-70% short grass with a height of less than 5cm, 20-30% of a medium height ranging from 5-15cm and 10-20% of a longer height ranging from 15-50cm consisting of scattered soft rush/grassy tussocks.
Lapwings require short grass in which to nest so that they can see predators and defend their nests. Young chicks need tussocks of grass in which to hide from predators. Lapwings feed on worms and insects in wet mud.
Ditches are being reprofiled to create shallow banks of water where the birds can feed. Cattle hoof prints will provide muddy, bare ground that is required by the chicks for feeding.
Habitat Creation to Support Other Bird Species
The addition of nesting boxes will provide breeding opportunities for Barn owl, Kestral, Tree Sparrow and bats to name a few.
We have already put up two owl boxes, two kestrel boxes and a tree sparrow terrace. We are just starting work on bat boxes and aim to add many more nesting boxes using money from sponsorships.
Creation of willow scrub will enhance the woodland edge, protect soils and watercourses and provide habitats for species such as Willow Tit.
Well-managed scrub supports a range of wildlife. Scrub provides nectar, seeds, fruits, shelter and nest sites for invertebrates, birds and mammals. It also offers suitable habitat for many flowering plants. Tall herbs and grasses growing along the edge of scrub offer shelter for small mammals, nest sites for birds and hunting areas for barn owls and kestrels. Birds nest in a range of scrub types. Yellowhammers, linnets, grasshopper warblers and whitethroats favour young, scattered scrub. Dunnocks and willow warblers use low-growing, closed-canopy scrub. Turtle doves, song thrushes and bullfinches use older, mature stands of scrub. The aim is to achieve between 10% and 50% cover of scrub willow/hawthorn, and alder within four years. There will be grasses and wildflowers including buttercups, daisies, dandelions, broad-leaved weeds and tussocky grasses between 5 cm and 15 cm tall on 20% to 60% of the area. From 1st May until 30th July, these plants should be flowering and setting seed. Fallen deadwood will be left in place to recycle nutrients back into the soil, host fungi and provide food for insects and birds.
Legume and herb-rich vegetation will provide habitats and food for invertebrates including crop pollinators, improve soil structure, mitigate climate change by reducing nitrogen fertiliser and provide productive high-quality forage for livestock.
The diverse sward established in spring 2023 contains 5 species of grass, 3 species of legume and 5 species of Herbs/Wildflowers. It looked fabulous when in full flower and was covered in insects and butterflies. It is also fantastic for grazing and has medicinal benefits for livestock. The fields are not cut or grazed for at least 5 weeks between May and July so that the red clover is fully open for pollinators and no fertilisers are used.
Management of hedgerows increases blossom availability for invertebrates, provides a vital source of food for over-wintering birds by allowing fruit and berries to ripen, and improves the structure and longevity of hedgerows.
Most of our hedges are no longer cut, this allows blossom and fruit to cover the hedgerows each year. Deadwood is left for insects and lower limbs are not removed.
Winter Bird Seed Feed Area
Thanks to your sponsorship money, we have created a winter bird food area that will provide food through the autumn and winter. This will contain grain and seeds such as dwarf sunflower​, fodder radish, gold of pleasure, linseed, mustard, quinoa, red millet, spring barley, spring oats, spring triticale, spring wheat and white millet. The area is adjacent to the footpath, so we have added a bench and bird hide screen so that everyone can enjoy seeing the birds feeding. We will also add some plants such as buddleia to attract butterflies for visitors to enjoy in the summer months.
Using Ponds To Attract More Wildlife
Restoration work on an existing pond, plus the creation of three more ponds, will support a wide array of species and create a visual focus in the landscape.
The best ponds for wildlife have shallow edges and lots of plants around. They make great homes for animals like frogs and bugs that go through different stages of life. Ponds are even better than rivers for invertebrates. Terns feed on the fish in the ponds, whilst swallows can grab insects off the water's surface. Our existing pond has tall grasses called Dumbles and pretty primroses growing around it in the spring. We have further enhanced the pond by removing some trees on one side to let in more sunlight from the southwest. Don't worry, we're planting the same number of trees somewhere else on the farm. We also cut some willow trees to the east – we call that coppicing. The cut branches from the willow trees will be used to build cosy homes for animals like mammals and insects. We'll make walls and screens, like special hiding spots for birds. We even put out tin sheets in the sun to warm up and give grass snakes a safe place. We didn't waste anything! We used old concrete blocks, pipes, and wood to build a special place called a hibernaculum for frogs and other animals. We left piles of wood and made more walls with the cut branches to make homes for insects. So, our pond is like a buzzing and hopping neighbourhood for all sorts of creatures!
The Role of Trees
Restorative coppicing of overgrown trees will benefit bankside habitat.
Willow trees have been coppiced alongside the pond. This has caused vigorous regrowth, increasing the longevity of the trees and providing more varied habitats for wildlife. Trees alongside the banks in the wetland area have also been coppiced, these will be allowed to grow to no more than 2 metres, which minimises perching points for predators that may take wader bird chicks.
Tackling Climate Change with Carbon Storage
We are also playing our part to combat climate change. One of the ways we do this is by creating areas of wetland soil that absorb and store large amounts of carbon, rather than releasing it back into the atmosphere.
How carbon storage works
Around half of Dumble Farm is taken up with our conservation project as part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Thanks to your sponsorship we can continue this important work to create new habitats and help endangered species to thrive.
Thank you for your support.
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