PFLA and Plantlife Webinar - The Economics of Species Rich Meadows

This a webinar looks at how species rich meadows can contribute economically to farmland. The session is chaired by Fidelity Weston, who is Chair of the PFLA, and farms cattle and sheep in Kent with an emphasis on the restoration of wildflower rich pastures. Presentations will take place in the first 40 – 50 minutes allowing a final 30 – 40 minutes for discussion and questions. Behind the scenes, Neil Heseltine, who farms in the Yorkshire Dales near Malham and is Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and Phoebe Miles, Project Manager for Plantlife`s Magnificent Wales project, will help to answer questions on the chat. Our speakers are: Mattie Poochee - who will talk about her research into “Hospital Fields”- small, uncultivated, herb rich meadows where, historically, farmers put sick animals to graze and recover without further interventions. Chris Clark - whose report, “Less is More” looks at farms in the uplands and argues how a successful business needs to treat nature as a shareholder. He is England Chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network. Rob Havard - farmer, ecologist and Natural England advisor, has introduced species into his farm on Worcestershire through bale grazing in the winter. He will talk about the economics for his farm and how savings on lower inputs and housing costs underpin his finances.