Shropshire Farming Talk: TB talk and hedgerow planting
Another TB test approaches, which doesn’t seem as logistically challenging when cattle are housed.
However, it still spices up the growing ‘to do list’ and offers the usual apprehension.
Youngstock have done well on the cover crops, which they have devoured, so they are now in, just ahead of this next spell of wet, cold, February conditions.
I’m sure we’re not alone in looking forward to March and lighter – hopefully drier – days (but not too dry!).
Whilst the days have been short, a Jane Craigie Marketing colleague based in Ercall Heath has been one of a 150-person strong team of hedge planting volunteers establishing native mixed-species wildlife corridors and habitats as part of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) Shropshire’s, Hedgerow Heroes project.
The project’s co-ordinator, Sarah Jameson, said: “This season’s planting adds to the 10km created by our fantastic volunteers in previous years.
"As well as hedge creation, we have been running training in traditional hedgelaying, coppice management and hedgerow surveying and management.”
More than 25 sites in Shropshire are seeing hedgerow planted through the project which runs until May, when the planned 7km of planting will be completed.
If you haven’t planted a tree or hedge plant before, you can learn how whilst spending a few hours outdoors in the natural environment with likeminded people.
Supervised children are also welcome to join in and learn about the benefits of hedge planting.
To find out more, visit https://www.cpreshropshire.org.uk/
by Helen Cork, Shropshire farming writer
