Info, news & debate

Meadows, grass & pasture




A herd of sheep grazing overlooking the sea

Grazing: why simulating wild herds maximises benefits for farmers, livestock and ecology

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“Many sheep farmers waste more than a third of the grass on their farm because they do not plan grazing wisely.” This is according to Susan Buckingham, extension officer at the Institute of Biological, Environment and Rural Sciences’ Grassland Development Centre

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Cows in a meadow

Groundswell: an agricultural show for no-till, organic farming with cover crops and grass-fed animals

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A groundswell of farmers around the world are working out how to farm in a more ecologically-friendly way. One of the farmers leading the farming revolution in the UK is John Cherry, who has set up a 2-day conference on his farm in Hertfordshire, 28th and 29th of June.

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If ‘agroecology’ is such a good idea, how can we get the planning system to promote it?

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The planning system doesn’t currently differentiate between different types of agriculture, and maybe it should. The type of agriculture we prefer could be labelled ‘agroecology’ – but the problem is how to define it and how to get the planning system to recognise it, let alone promote it.

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desertification

Can constantly-moving livestock help prevent desertification?

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Desertification is the process whereby grasslands slowly turn into deserts, and suggesting that we can help reverse this process with livestock sounds counter-intuitive, especially as livestock is usually named as one of the major contributors to desertification. In the video below, Allan Savory, who has spent a lifetime studying and working towards poverty eradication and wildlife conservation,

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