Since arriving at Harvard Farm we have been focusing on improving the soil and the grass by mob-grazing the sheep. We use electric fencing to move sheep from one small patch of land to another, so that the sheep have access to fresh pasture, and, when they move off, the grass has time to recover. Sheep, it is usually held, like to graze the sweetest new shoots of fresh short grass. This year at least, we have been leaving the grass to grow longer. The sheep take what they like and trample the rest; what is left after we move them is a thick thatch of grass in which microbes and insects can multiply, taking nutrients back into the soil. Atlhough the long grass may not be as rich in nutrients, the sheep grazing it are not as exposed to parasitic worms, which usually stay further near the ground!  

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We have also been lucky enough to receive grants which have allowed us to enhance the environment: Wessex Water provided funding for 650m of cross-contour native hedgerow. Farming In Protected Landscapes provided generous funding which enabled us to plant 374 trees and shrubs in fields and in roundels, as well as 87m or hedgerow. We are particularly excited because the in-field trees and roundels will provide shade and shelter for the livestock in future as well as improving biodiversity. An English Woodland Creation Offer has also allowed us to create three new areas of woodland, comprising 3696 native trees and shrubs, all of which were planted this winter.