Linking Environment And Farming at

Tiptoe FarmCornhill-on-TweedNorthumberland

Anthony and Lucy Carroll

This brochure has been kindly sponsored by Natural England, Kings and Syngenta

Paper sourced from sustainable forests

What is LEAF?Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) is a national organisation working to develop and promote Integrated Farm Management (IFM) - common sense farming practices that are both fi nancially viable and environmentally responsible.

LEAF:

• Brings people food produced by farmers who are committed to improving the environment for the benefi t of wildlife and the countryside

• Helps farmers adopt IFM by providing practical guidelines and a comprehensive self-assessment audit

• Promotes IFM to a broad range of interest groups through the LEAF Marque and its national network of LEAF Demonstration Farms. Visitors include farmers, the media, politicians, concern groups, teachers and opinion formers

• Organises Open Farm Sunday – the farming industry’s annual open day when farms all over the country open up to show people what they do and why farms matter

• Produces a whole range of resources, including farm notice boards, practical handbooks, training events and the Speak Out CD-Rom, to help farmers explain what they do and why they do it.

Membership:As a charity, LEAF relies on its members to support its work. Membership provides regular newsletters, the LEAF Audit, practical guides to IFM, visits to LEAF Demonstration Farms, technical information on IFM throughout Europe, training, talks and members events across the country.

How do I arrange a visit?To arrange a visit to Tiptoe Farm or any of the other LEAF Demonstration Farms, simply contact the LEAF Offi ce.

LEAF’S MISSION: Inspiring and enabling prosperous farming that enriches the environment and engages local communities.

LEAF, The National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2LZTel: 024 7641 3911 Fax: 024 7641 3636

E-mail: enquiries@leafuk.org Web: www.leafuk.org

What are LEAF Demonstration Farms?Anthony and Lucy Carroll are part of a nationwide network of LEAF Demonstration Farms across the UK. They all host farm visits, talks and open days to illustrate Integrated Farm Management to schools, adult groups, restaurateurs, chefs, wholesalers, farmers … everyone!

Visit Tiptoe FarmCome and take a tour around Tiptoe Farm where you will hear all about the wild bird seed mixtures, the woodland and hedgerow projects, see the modern farm machinery and the steps taken to grow the farm’s very own Heritage Potatoes with utmost care for the environment to LEAF Marque standards. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions.

Tiptoe Farm at a glanceTiptoe Farm is a 250 hectare arable farm that aims to grow top quality crops with care for the environment and wildlife. Crops grown include: • Wheat for biscuits and animal feed• Barley for animal feed or malting for whiskey• Oil Seed Rape for bio fuel • Pollen and nectar crops are grown to provide an insect-rich

habitat for the birds in the spring • Seed bearing crops are grown to help feed the birds through

the winter … and of course potatoes for the farm’s very own Heritage

Potatoes!

Sponsored by

• w w w. l e a f u k .o r g • w w w. l e a f u k .o r g • w w w. l e a f u k .o r g • w w w. l e a f u k .o r g •

“We joined LEAF to provide us with an environmental farm health check to help identify where we are getting it right (and wrong!) and to set realistic targets for action and future priorities.”

CropHusbandry

&Protection

Organisation& Planning

WasteManagement

& PollutionPrevention

WildlifeHabitat and Landscape

FeaturesAnimal

Husbandry

Energy& WaterEfficiency

SoilManagement

& CropNutrition

CommunityInvolvement

IntegratedFarm

Management

1. Organisation and PlanningPlanning and attention to detail are key to IFM. Each year we do the LEAF Audit, which covers everything from soil management to energy effi ciency and conservation, to set objectives, measure progress and identify issues we haven’t previously considered.

Integrated Farming at Tiptoe Farm

5. Energy and Water Effi ciencyIFM is all about trying to reduce our impact on the environment by continually assessing and monitoring our performance and looking at ways to save valuable resources. As well as carrying out regular water and energy audits.• To reduce our energy use, our machinery is well maintained

and we aim to carry out multiple operations where possible• We use low energy light bulbs• We use moisture probes in the soil for our potatoes to ensure

they have just the right amount of moisture and to save water through unnecessary irrigation.

4. Crop Husbandry and ProtectionCareful planning, accurate applications and appropriate selection of products and application equipment are all part of a fully integrated approach to farming. • The key is a combination of a balanced crop rotation alongside crop

varieties with good resistance to diseases • We regularly check crops for pests and diseases. Weeds are

monitored by a fully qualifi ed agronomist (crop doctor)• Our fi eld edges have tussocky grasses which are a fantastic

habitat for beetles that will eat pests like aphids, providing a natural pest control.

6. Wildlife, Habitat and Landscape FeaturesThe starting point is a conservation plan identifying all key wildlife habitats, biodiversity and other valuable environmental and archaeological features at Tiptoe.• We are involved in the Countryside

Stewardship Scheme and the Entry Level Scheme• We have a huge variety of wildlife at Tiptoe Farm including

yellowhammers, lapwings, wagtails, barn owls, otters and red squirrels

• We have created tussocky grass margins around our fi elds which are great habitats for ground nesting birds such as grey partridges

• We grow 5 hectares of pollen and nectar crops to provide an insect-rich habitat for birds in the spring

• We help provide winter feed for birds by growing 5 hectares of seed bearing crops and leave stubbles around all potato fi elds

• All our birds are monitored by the RSPB• Over the years, we have planted hedges to create both

wildlife corridors and nesting habitats. We keep hedges cut every two to three years to encourage blossom and berries and provide a food source for wildlife over the winter

• We are planting native trees alongside semi-ancient natural woodland to create a multi superstructure for a wide range of wildlife

• The River Till, previously a Site of Special Scientifi c Interest, is now also designated a Special Area of Conservation.

7. Community Involvement A key component of IFM is communication – with our customers, the local community and everyone we do business with, right through to the people who live and work on the farm. We have a real enthusiasm for increasing people’s understanding about the story behind their food.• Public access is encouraged through a network of paths across the farm together

with information boards explaining our farming practices and environmental measures

• Farm visits, talks and open days are available to schools, adult groups, restaurateurs, chefs, wholesalers, farmers … everyone!

“LEAF provides us with support to increase people’s understanding of the story behind their food - that commercial farming can go alongside care for and enhancement of the environment.”

LEAF wishes to acknowledge the fi nancial support of Natural England, Kings and Syngenta for their help with this brochure.

2. Soil Management and Crop NutritionSuccessful IFM begins with the soil – it is the building block of our whole farming system.• We make sure soil conditions are right prior to any operations• We carry out regular rotational soil testing• We draw up a nutrient management and soil management plan on a fi eld by fi eld basis to ensure that nutrients are optimised for crop performance

• We carry out minimum tillage (where the top few inches of soil are lightly cultivated) wherever possible to conserve soil organic matter.

3. Waste Management and Pollution PreventionAs part of our IFM framework, we aim for a reduce, reuse, recycle approach. This means that our crops and stores are kept clean and hygienic and we maintain a tidy working environment. We reduce the risk of any incidents and work as effi ciently as possible with all our resources. We also draw up a plan to identify any potential risks.

Picture courtesy of the RSPB