‘2023 Grassland Manager of the Year’ award winning farmer – Ian Boyd – mob grazes his cattle on 100 ha of Species-Rich Calcareous Grassland in which the herd is kept in large groups and moved to new pastures daily. Pasture is rested for 3 months between grazing, which allows the root system and soil plenty of time to rest, recover and build.

The farm, managed as part of a Higher Level Stewardship Scheme totals 290ha,(110 owned & 180 farmed in partnership with the Whittington estate) and is made up of:

Organic Spring Barley 55ha
Herbal Leys 75ha
Permanent Pasture 30ha
Wildflower Meadows 65ha
Woodland & scrub 33ha
Orchard 4ha
Wild bird seed crops 14ha
Floristically enhanced margins 10ha
Buildings, Tracks, ponds 4ha

As a passionate wildlife photographer and farmer, Ian has always been motivated to encourage farmland wildlife and established a wild flower meadow in 2005. With the herd being kept outdoors all year round, invertebrates such as dung beetles as well as birds and mammals are better supported to access a food source over winter.

Ian remarks that he has observed how important the cow dung is for birds. He witnessed a Woodcock access insects in the otherwise frozen soil – by poking its beak through cow manure into the defrosted soil beneath.

The farm has won multiple awards for the management of the land from RSPB, FWAG, GWCT and the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. There are many species of wildlife on the farm including:

Diverse insect life
Lapwings
Goldfinches
Skylarks
Hares and many more.

The farm prides itself on offering the highest animal welfare, with a herd of Pedigree Hereford Cattle sourced from a high health status herd.

The cows, calves, yearlings and two-year-olds are kept as a big family groups, with cows and calves remaining together all their lives.  Calves are allowed to wean naturally after approximately 9 months. The herd exhibits natural breeding behaviours and breeding takes place using the  farms on-site Pedigree Hereford Bull – no AI is used.

The herd eat a diverse diet made up of permanent pasture, herbal lays and late cut hay from the wildflower meadows – all grown on the farms thin Cotswold Brash soils.

No aspect of ensuring maximal animal welfare is neglected and each animal is personally transported to the local organic abattoir, which is only a 40-minute drive away.

Family farm – Run by Ian and Cathy Boyd, along with the next generation – Steph and her husband Fred

The farms focus has dramatically changed over the years from concentrating on production for maximum yield to working in harmony with wildlife and the environment.

The whole family believe that farming should be a two-way conversation with nature.

‘Our aim is to leave the land in a better state than we found it to ensure many generations after us are able to enjoy the land and wildlife’.