Focusing on core priorities of enhancing biodiversity and improving water quality at an individual farm scale as well as catchment wide biodiversity projects include:
Water Testing
The River Wensum is one of the best examples of ‘an enriched calcareous lowland river’ in the UK and Europe but is currently failing to meet the favourable condition targets for phosphorus.
Harvesting Cover Crops
There has been a very successful uptake of cover cropping in recent years to improve soil structure, raise organic matter and reducing nitrate leaching; all of which have overall impacts on the catchment’s water quality.
Supporting Turtle Doves
By supplementary feeding at specific turtle dove sites, enhancing hedges, carrying out predator control and restoring ponds encourages the successful breeding rates.
Habitat Enhancement
Learning, trialling and doing more is one of the main reason the Wensum Farmers gain from being part of the group. From our ancient woods to our arable margins to our water meadows, we are always looking for ways to enhancement our natural habitats.
Pond Restoration
The Wensum Farmers have completed more than 120 pond restorations and fun fact - did you know Norfolk has more ponds than any other county in the UK?
Farmland Bird Surveys
We have partnered together with The Wensum Valley Bird Watching Group to carry out a minimum of two farmland bird surveys per year to assess the condition of our local and migration populations.
DEFRA ELM Test & Trial
Defra started tests and trials in 2018. Almost 3,000 farmers and land managers are involved across different sectors, regions and land types. We have been involved in two so far.
