Stewardship 6m Margins..

[flyingfisherman]

Just wondering if you can plant game crop on the 6m margins without affecting the stewardship status? Not for commercial shooting purposes?

[badshot]

Just wondering if you can plant game crop on the 6m margins without affecting the stewardship status? Not for commercial shooting purposes?

 

 

I assume you are meaning the entry level or higher level scheme, if so then they have to be established in year one and then managed appropriately for the rest of the agreement term. I have the 2m margins and they should not be cut more than once every five years. So the thing I am saying is it has to be permanent and they normally have a specific aim and so type of vegetation.

 

I doubt if game cover is the type of vegetation that is required. That said there may be a specific option which would "overlap" with your idea. I don't have the books here and there are new ones coming out as the agreements are due for renewal now anyway.

 

Doubt if that has helped at all so i apologise in advance.

 

Badshot

 

P.s Just read the title PROPERLY, there may be a requirement for specific grass types but yes grass mixes are ok, mix in a few wild flowers and you are heading for the ideal. Thought you might have been aiming for a maize and other coarse seed mix.

Edited January 25, 2010 by badshot

[flyingfisherman]

I assume you are meaning the entry level or higher level scheme, if so then they have to be established in year one and then managed appropriately for the rest of the agreement term. I have the 2m margins and they should not be cut more than once every five years. So the thing I am saying is it has to be permanent and they normally have a specific aim and so type of vegetation.

 

I doubt if game cover is the type of vegetation that is required. That said there may be a specific option which would "overlap" with your idea. I don't have the books here and there are new ones coming out as the agreements are due for renewal now anyway.

 

Doubt if that has helped at all so i apologise in advance.

 

Badshot

 

P.s Just read the title PROPERLY, there may be a requirement for specific grass types but yes grass mixes are ok, mix in a few wild flowers and you are heading for the ideal. Thought you might have been aiming for a maize and other coarse seed mix.

 

Cheers Badshot, I was sorta aiming at some sort of Kale/Maize mix.. Ive got the farmer on the case.. I dont know when his agreement is up, i may be able to persuade him to give up a bit to game covers instead of opting back into the scheme.. Do you know how much you get per acre or 'strip'? Just wondering what it would be worth to the farmer..

[badshot]

Cheers Badshot, I was sorta aiming at some sort of Kale/Maize mix.. Ive got the farmer on the case.. I dont know when his agreement is up, i may be able to persuade him to give up a bit to game covers instead of opting back into the scheme.. Do you know how much you get per acre or 'strip'? Just wondering what it would be worth to the farmer..

 

 

It's complicated, the entry level scheme is worked out on a points basis, each "option" attracts so many points. It is all to do with how things are managed, like cutting hedges every other year instead of annually, leaving skylark plots in arable fields, the list is endless almost. Overall I have found that the margins are really only any benefit if it takes some of the poorer land around woodland etc, ( the areas that never really grow anything due to rabbits and shading) out of production and gains a few points towards the farm total. I have a few awkward corners and nasty headlands in these margins only because it has lost me nothing on the farm. The actual amount of points they contribute is not enough compared to the reward gained in my opinion if the land is a good productive type.

 

To say how much per acre it attracts is difficult as overall i think the scheme pays £30/ha across the farm, IF you have done enough things to benefit the environment. If you do not reach the total points across the farm then you do not qualify for anything at all.

 

I doubt if Kale/maize is allowed under the scheme though, my margins are a nectar rich mix to encourage bumble bees, they would certainly provide some cover but not much food for pheasants.

 

If you fancy going to sleep really quickly then download the entry level guidance book from http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/f...ls/default.aspx

 

It may give you an insight into what you can and cannot do.

[scolopax]

One of the options is 'wild bird cover', we have three strips of this which has in the past given good shooting. A bit hit and miss though, some years the cover has been good, other years good, I think because fertilser and herbicides are not allowed. We have Kale, Triticale and qunioa mixes. They do attract alot of finches etc aswell as gamebirds. You cannot feed them and I also think certain crops, including maize, are not allowed as they do not attract the small birds.

[anser2]

If your farmer has an existing EL or HLS agreement he cant alter it unless he has changes the agreement with Natural England. Without written consent from Natural England he will have to repay his back grants for the area conserned. However if the game strips are going to be benifical to the wild birds ( this excludes pheasants but may include wild gery partridge ) on the farm there is a very good chance Natural England will agree to the changes. Though they might stipulate what sort of cover crop is to be planted. I would contact Natural England and see what they say, but their answer will depend on the overal aim for conservation on the farm.

Edited January 27, 2010 by anser2