Conservation across the farm

Practical conservation has always been an integral part of day-to-day activities – taking pride in caring for the environment as well as growing crops and photographic fields.

Here are some of the things we do:

• Wide grass margins are maintained around fields to provide habitats for wildlife and increase biodiversity.

• Native flowers are nurtured to provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and insects.

• Over 30km of hedges, tree-lines and woodland shaws are managed to enhance the landscape and provide corridors for wildlife across the farm.

• Tree and hedge planting projects are undertaken annually.

• Hedges are cut to an A-shape to provide dense cover for nesting birds.

• Over the winter, bare fields are sown with green ‘cover crops’ to improve the soil by preventing erosion, retaining nutrients and sequestering carbon.

• Cattle manure and lavender compost are spread on the land to increase organic matter and fertility, thereby reducing the use of artificial chemicals and fertilisers.

• Specialist Owl Boxes have been installed across the farm to encourage owl nesting. 

• Bee hives are situated in our fields and we partake in regular insect surveys to encourage healthy insect population across the farm. 

• The farm devotes over 10% of its cropping area to be managed with wildlife and the environment having priority over food production.

• We are facilitating a river enhancement program; nurturing river biodiversity, supporting healthy fish life and encouraging the presence of water birds. 

Here is a video about the wider conservation plans on Castle Farm, produced in association with Visit Kent and their Impact Heroes scheme;