Wildlife-Friendly Farming: Small Changes for Big Gains

There is no hiding the fact that our wildlife is in need of some help. In the UK, 41% of species have experienced declines since 1970. Farmland birds have been some of the hardest hit, with an overall 56% decline in populations in the same 50 years. Corn bunting, grey partridge, turtle dove and tree sparrow have all declined by over 90%, with the turtle dove fast approaching extinction in the UK.

As farmers, gamekeepers, and land managers, many are well placed to contribute towards reversing this decline. Some are turning to large scale rewilding to achieve this, but this doesn’t sit well with me and the need to produce food for an ever-growing population. However, with a few small changes to the ways in which we manage those areas outside the productive field, we can contribute to altering the current trajectory of these species without reducing yields, breaking the bank, selling the fleet, or wrangling a herd of bison!

Managing hedges for wildlife without sacrificing productivity

Hedges are very much a man-made habitat, so despite what some may say, they require management. This is often best achieved by cutting, but to generate the best value for wildlife, the frequency and timing at which this occurs needs to be considered.

Avoid cutting hedges every year. Most blossom, and the subsequent fruit that follows, can only be produced on 2nd year growth. By cutting back to the previous cutting line every year, not only do you encourage scar knuckles to form, but you also remove the hedge’s ability to produce a flower and fruit.

Cut hedges later. So, the hedges have been left for a year and the fruit is just beginning to ripen, but the 1st of September comes around and everyone rushes out to cut their hedges, removing the fruit just as wildlife is about to need it most. Ideally, hold off cutting your hedges until the new year. By this time, most fruit has either been eaten or has dropped to the floor and started to rot. For those who can’t cut later in the year due to ground conditions or standing crops, limiting your cutting to a 3 yearly rotation will have the same affect.

Cut slightly higher and wider. Trimming to the same height every cut not only produces scar knuckles but can also encourage the base to go thin and gaps to appear. Cutting just 10cm wider and higher at each cut prevents this from happening, whilst also leaving a degree of new growth, fruit, and flowers. On a 2 yearly rotation, this management will still take the hedge 20 years to grow 1m.

It is worth noting that it is not just birds that benefit from cutting hedges less frequently. Many insects, including rare hairstreak butterflies, lay their eggs on the new growth of hedges in late summer to overwinter before hatching in the spring. By cutting every year, an entire generation of these species is destroyed.

Starting again. When managing hedges in this way, inevitably there will come a time where the hedge becomes too big. Either the inner wood begins to die, or it has encroached too far into the field. At this point, heavy cutting back to a manageable size, coppicing or laying can take place, depending on the composition of the hedge, beginning the cycle again and producing an even thicker, healthier hedge. Having this diversity of hedges across the farm at different stages within this cycle is key to providing for a range of farmland wildlife.

Trees, Shrubs and Hedging

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Wildlife-friendly ditch and margin management

Similarly to hedges, most ditches and margins are also man-made and, as such, will also need managing. If not managed, many will either begin to lose their diversity or develop into scrub. Whilst scrub is an important habitat for many species, along margins it can soon become unmanageable and prevent access to ditches and hedges, and along a ditch is can hinder efficient drainage. Here are some tips for how you can manage these for the benefit of wildlife whilst also maintaining a ‘tidy’ looking farm.

Keep short areas next to your crop. Long grass has many benefits which we will discover in a moment, but areas of regularly cut, shorter grass are also vital. Regular cutting prevents more dominant species from taking over and allows rarer, less competitive species to come through. Furthermore, many ground-nesting birds and their chicks require areas such as this to feed and dry out in the sun, albeit next to longer areas to dart into if a predator is spotted. A 1 or 2m mowed strip next to a crop not only has benefits for wildlife, but also looks smart and can help define the edge of the crop and the margin.

Allow areas to grow long, but not to go woody. Once most grasses have grown tall and headed, they die and fall over. This carpet of bent over grass stems produces a roof with which bank and field voles will create their runs and trails beneath. This is true for both margins and ditch sides and provides the perfect hunting strips for Barn Owls and Kestrels. Such tussocks and thatched clumps are home to a number of hibernating insects, many of which are predators of the very pests damaging the crops next door. Again, there will come a time at which it is required to cut these areas, but doing so in a rotation ensures that the area is not completely wiped of this habitat. For margins, this could mean cutting alternative strips, and along ditches cutting alternative banks.

Hold off cutting between mid-Feb and mid-July. This is the height of the bird nesting season so refraining from cutting in this time ensures that nests and young chicks are not killed. Once cutting can begin in July, the importance of the rotation is highlighted as it provides alternative areas for any young broods to move into for protection within close proximity.

Get paid to support wildlife: public money and SFI funding

All of the management techniques discussed here can be paid for under a Countryside Stewardship or SFI scheme, along with a number of other more ambitious but equally as important options, including winter bird food plots, wild flower margins and pollen and nectar flower mixes. There may also be opportunities for private natural capital funding - call us to discuss what may be relevant to your farming business.

Public schemes are currently undergoing a review. Here is the current picture, at the time of writing:

• Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is currently closed. DEFRA plans to publish details of a “reformed and more targeted” SFI offer this summer, informed by outcomes from the recent Spending Review

• Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier is undergoing an invitation-only rollout, initially prioritising those with no agreements in place. More guidance is expected later this summer

• Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Capital Grants (PA1–PA4 management plans) remain open, offering funding for woodland, historic environment, moorland and feasibility planning

• Landscape Recovery is currently closed, with focus on implementing projects approved in Rounds 1 and 2

• Other ELM capital grant schemes are also closed, with updates anticipated this summer

• The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) remains open until 10 July 2025, supporting items such as low-disturbance drills and hedge trimmers

Additional updates:

• Those who began an SFI application within two months of 11 March 2025 but did not submit it are being contacted directly and offered a 6-week window to complete it (subject to a cap of £9,300/year and other restrictions)

• SFI Pilot participants, assisted digital users, and applicants affected by system issues are also being contacted by Defra to support access to full SFI 2024 agreements despite the closure

The window will re-open for applications from certain eligible applicants from 12 noon on 7 July 2025 and close at 11:59pm on 18 August 2025. Read more here.

• A DEFRA call for evidence (12 June - 7 August 2025) is now open to explore how to scale private sector investment in ecosystem services, such as biodiversity credits and peatland/woodland carbon

  
  

👉 If you’re unsure which schemes or options might apply to your farm or project, our team is happy to help guide you through the current landscape, and prepare for what’s coming next! Call us on 01480 890686 or email info@oakbankgc.co.uk