Livestock
Our cattle and sheep are vital to maintaining the health of our land. Grazing on lush grass leys and cover crops like kale and stubble turnips, they play a key role in our countryside stewardship. This sustainable approach enhances soil fertility, promotes biodiversity, and supports a balanced ecosystem across the farm.
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Cattle
Our cattle graze and maintain herbal leys and other countryside stewardship areas on the farm. The natural fertiliser from the cattle helps to improve the soil structure and fertility.
The cattle help maintain the sward height on the Baulks, which benefits the Roman snails by consistently providing a suitable habitat. This grazing also prevents scrubland from encroaching, as machinery cannot access the area due to tight access and steep inclines. The Baulks, an ancient landscape, is believed to have been an Iron Age settlement, then a Roman vineyard, and is now home to Roman snails.
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Sheep
Sheep at Rectory Farm are grazed outdoors on cover crops such as kale, stubble turnips, and forage rape.
In July, stubble turnips are spread using a bespoke boom spreader into a standing wheat crop. After the wheat is harvested, food waste digestate is used to fertilise the crop instead of artificial fertilisers. Sheep then graze on the stubble turnips, and their organic manure enhances the soil's fertility. We then spread digestate on the field pre drilling to boost the soil with organic matter - this allows us to plant sugar beet in the spring without using any artificial fertilisers.
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