Julie Palmer
Bradworthy, Devon
A working farm where the flora and fauna are nurtured
Field Irish Farm is a 120 acre farm that was passed to me after my uncle’s death in 2019, with the promise that the farm would carry on and the flora and fauna would continue to be nurtured.
The meadows we have are original pre war meadows, full of wildflowers. Hedges are allowed to grow with large overhanging trees used as shelter for the cattle and wild deer. In the summer the noise from insects and birds is amazing
We have a herd of pedigree belted galloway and riggit cattle which we use for conservation grazing. No fertilisers, or chemicals are used and fields are not cut until seed heads have dried. Old machinery has been brought back into use and the size means that we can keep soil compaction to a minimum. We intend to show that old ways of farming can still work and produce outstanding quality meat without harming the natural environment.
Other "Me and my Meadow" stories
Bas and Rosemary Payne
Clifford Bridge
Bas and Rosemary Payne let the grass grow up in a wild area of their garden and were bountifully rewarded - with many wildflowers, butterflies, slow worms and more.
Charlotte Parton and David Jenkinson
Broadhempston
The creation of a garden wildlife haven - a new wildflower meadow and nature pond, starting from scratch.
Andrew and Kate Brown
Near Cotehele, Cornwall
A wildlife haven in the Tamar Valley with traditional hay meadows, orchards and woodland
Steve Pollard
Beetor Farm, North Bovey
The restoration of a species-rich down, which was cut for silage for many years on a working farm. In the last seven years it has been managed as a hay meadow with an ever-increasing abundance of naturally occurring flora, including three types of orchid.