The Norfolk FWAG annual Farm Conservation Competition ran in 2024 with four entrants. The award is presented to the farm who can demonstrate willingness to implement conservation measure on their farms, alongside their usual commercial business. The judges are also looking for farms who are inclined to look at diversification, sustainability, and willingness to seek advice when appropriate.
The 2024 award was won by Louise Bond, who manages Bruce Seaman Farms, at Bedingham near Bungay. She was presented with the Ian MacNicol trophy at Norfolk FWAG’s AGM on Thursday 14th November 2024. The judges were particularly impressed by the way in which conservation measures had been implemented on the arable based farm, by sensitively balancing crop production and areas for wildlife. The farm uses companion cropping and cover crops to help with pest and weed burdens, and takes the use of chemicals seriously, and monitors use carefully. Survey work on birds, water voles, great crested newts, meadows, and hedgerows, all combine to highlight the work that the farm is doing for the natural environment. In addition, the farm has enhanced a number of natural features, including three wildflower meadows, and restoration of 16 ponds. They have also a range of diversification measures, including a solar array, a caravan park, and commercial business units.
The runner up for the award was for Bruce Paterson at Worstead Estate. The estate is a large arable and livestock business. There is a wide range of measures being undertaken on the estate to enhance the natural environment, including historic parkland restoration, and expansion of grasslands and woodlands. The estate manages its chemical use carefully. There are also many diversification items, including holiday lets, a wedding venue, and a brewery using farm barn units. The judges were impressed by the governing vision that the estate has which guides the way it runs its affairs, and also the way the estate makes links with the local community, and is providing significant amounts of permissive access across the estate land. In addition, the estate contributes heavily to the Worstead Festival every year.
The final two farms were highly commended for their work for conservation too:
Silfield Ltd, based near Kimberley, are a well diversified arable and livestock farm. Owned by Rob Alston, they have a farm wide Countryside Stewardship scheme, 4 Scheduled Bronze Age Barrows, county wildlife sites, as well as an ongoing 10 year rotational woodland management programme for their on-farm woodlands. They have trailed direct drilling, utilised field yield mapping, and reduce artificial chemical use. Future plans for a country park, and parkland restoration were key to the judges recognising the important work they are doing.
Fen Farm, near Attleborough, are also an arable enterprise with livestock. They have a Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship scheme across the whole farm, which helps them to manage a range of natural habitats. Through this scheme they have planted 5000m of hedgerows, installed pollen and nectar plots for insects, bird seed plots for winter bird food, and legume mixes to promote soil health. To diversify their business they have invested in wind turbines for renewable energy, and installed rainwater harvesting systems. The judges were impressed by the steps taken to their appropriate use of artificial chemicals across the farm.