Managing grass margins for wildlife on a beef farm
Peter McCormack, Countryside Management Branch, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)
As a participant of the Countryside Management Scheme, Robert Bayne of Claggan, Cookstown has successfully established ungrazed grass margins on his beef farm.
By fencing off an area of improved grassland and excluding cultivation, fertilisers, reseeding, cutting silage and livestock, Mr Bayne has created a valuable habitat on his beef farm.
The ungrazed grass margin on Mr Bayne's farm runs adjacent to a local burn known as Lissan Water. By removing this margin from intensive agriculture he has increased its potential as a wildlife habitat. It could become, for example, a valuable area for insect life, nesting birds and a range of mammals. The grass margin also acts as a barrier preventing fertilisers, manures and pesticide sprays from entering watercourses.
Mr Bayne, who has farmed this land all his life, is in his second year of the Countryside Management Scheme and this is just one of the many habitats that he has created on his beef cattle farm.
This year the Countryside Management Scheme closed for applications on 11 March, but if you would like further information on DARD agri-environment schemes, contact Countryside Management Staff at your local DARD office.