Sheep, Soil and Sustainability - Conservation Grazing at Lark Rise Farm

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Lark Rise Farm for our recent open evening on the role of livestock in conservation.  

It was fantastic to welcome residents from Barton and beyond to learn about a new partnership between the CRT and The Wandering Herd. 

As part of this collaboration, a flock of Hebridean sheep has been introduced to the farm.  

These hardy grazers will help manage the grasslands, improving biodiversity and supporting long-term conservation efforts. We’re also on the lookout for local volunteers to assist with sheep welfare checks and other practical tasks on the land. 

Ed Wombell, from The Wandering Herd, spoke about “trophic cascade,” which happens when introducing livestock to the farm. It means there will be better soil, more plant diversity, and sustainable meat, high in nutrients.

Vince Lea, Conservation Officer at Lark Rise, also gave a talk, explaining that a “pulse” of grazing is the equivalent to taking a hay cut, as animals remove vegetation over a few weeks. Animals are then moved onto another area of grassland, allowing the vegetation to regrow and flower. 

“Additional biodiversity and soil carbon benefits come from deposits of dung in the land too,” he explained.  

Conservation grazing is also beneficial for wildlife, for wildflowers, diverse grasses and pollinators, as well as farmland birds, barn owls, bats, voles and hares. 

But for the project to thrive, we need the support of the community. 

Here's how you can help: 

• Keep dogs on leads when near livestock 

• Be aware of electric fencing used to manage grazing zones 

• Volunteer with us! We’re looking for people to help with: 

• Daily sheep welfare checks 

• Ragwort pulling 

• Scrub clearance and hedge laying 

• Wildlife monitoring 

If you’d like to get involved, please contact us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you! 

More ways to support us

If you want to help us protect local wildlife and habitats in other ways you can join as a CRT Friend, attend our in-person and online events and volunteer on one of our farms. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your inbox.