Environmental opportunity
CONFRONTED WITH over 100 pages of “government-speak” in the ELS handbook, Paul Temple readily admits to feeling overwhelmed with yet more rules to understand.
However, the scheme is a good opportunity to recover some of the environmental care expenses previously borne solely by Wold Farm”s profitability and, for the first time, to receive modulation funding.
“This was the NFU”s objective and it gives us a chance to really demonstrate that we are looking after the environment,” says Mr Temple.
“That is a real plus when we are competing with imports, and in that respect I welcome it and encourage everyone to consider it.”
Like many other farmers, he remains frustrated that all the digital maps on which he is required to draw up the ELS”s Farm Environment Record are still not available. That means he is unsure precisely how many points he must accumulate to be accepted and qualify for the 30/ha (74/acre) payment.
“I”m very angry about it. DEFRA should have completed them. We are required to work to deadlines or we get penalised, but they can drag their heels without any penalty.”
That said, achieving the points needed on the roughly 300ha (740 acre) unit should be quite easy, thanks in part to his father”s earlier reluctance to grub hedges when the trend and government encouragement was to do just that.
“We haven”t removed as many as we might have done when I was fresh out of college.
“My initial calculation is that we should be able to gather nearly 7000 points through hedgerow management alone. Together with over-wintered stubbles and our various management plans, we should be able to get to what we need without putting in many margins.”
Wrongly sited margins can all too easily become regarded as wasteland and attract fly-tipping, he adds.
However, cutting hedges only every other year may leave an unsightly mess, he fears.
“On the better land they can grow 4-5ft a year, and with double stem thickness we could end up smashing rather than cutting them.
“I might contemplate some pollen and nectar flower mixtures on set-aside. But generally I feel it”s best to keep cropping land which is why it is all industrial oilseed rape at the moment.
“We certainly can”t afford to forego the 30/ha, and I”m pleased to see that the payments are cast in stone every six months which should ease our cashflows. At least we”ll know where we stand.”
The farm has no known archaeological features or stone walls, and no complicating Countryside Stewardship or other schemes running to incorporate under ELS, he says.
“I don”t think we have any Higher Level Scheme potential, either.”
The land is not particularly prone to erosion or run-off, key ELS considerations. “We are growing forage maize this year, but I intend to harvest in September and re-drill as soon as possible to avoid any problems,” says Mr Temple.
“We have one or two awkward field corners which we might bring into the scheme and we could put a few small fields back to grass.”
Skylark patches, another ELS option, are unappealling. “As seed growers we are wary of contaminants like cleavers, and my experience of unintended, undrilled patches is that we always get more weeds in them, probably through the lack of crop competition.”
Mr Temple is unconvinced that taking part in the Voluntary Initiative will make gaining ELS points easier.
“I have just completed our Crop Protection Management Plan, which should help demonstrate environmental commitment.”
Despite the hassle of applying for IACS payments online, he expects to use the electronic route for his ELS application. “It”s the way things are going and I certainly appreciate the electronic advances on my tractors.”
TEXT: PAUL TEMPLE has no qualms about the ELS being legally binding for five years. “But it”s worth noting that DEFRA retains the right to change the rules at any time,” he says. He is more troubled that details of individual ELS applications and agreements may be made public. “It is really private business information. Does it mean that all DEFRA employees will be obliged to tell us what they earn?”
TEXT: Gaining points for Entry Level Stewardship applications involves choosing from 60 options, each with its own management requirements detailed in the ELS handbook. These must be entered on an Options map and returned along with an Environmental Information map and a Farm Environment Record map. The EI map pinpoints features such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Scheduled Monuments, and the FER map identifies areas at risk of erosion and run-off. A guidance note – ELS: Making The Most Of Your Options – will be supplied with the application maps, according to the ELS handbook. A total of 30 points per ha are required to qualify for the flat rate 30/ha payment, with the agreement lasting for five years. Among the 11 sections, the main arable opportunities include:
Boundary features
- Combined hedge and ditch management 38-56 per 100m
- Enhanced hedgerow management 42 per 100m
- Hedgerow management (both sides) 22 per 100m
- Hedgerow management (one side) 11 per 100m
Trees and woodland
- Protection of in-field trees (Under 30cm diameter at chest height) 12 per tree
- Management of woodland edges 380 per ha
- Maintenance of woodland fences 4 per 100m
Historic and landscape features
- Take archaeological features currently on cultivated land out of cultivation 460 per ha
- Reduce cultivation depth on land where there are archaeological features 60 per ha
Buffer strips and field margins
- 4m or 6m buffer strips on cultivated land 400 per ha
- Buffering in-field ponds in arable land 400 per ha
- 2m buffer strips on cultivated land 300 per ha
Arable land
- Beetle banks 580 per ha
- Wild bird seed mixture 450 per ha
- Pollen and nectar flower mixture 450 per ha
- Field corner management 400 per ha
- 6m uncropped, cultivated margins on arable land 400 per ha
- Conservation headlands in cereal fields with no fertilisers or manures 330 per ha
- Over-wintered stubbles 120 per ha
- Conservation headlands in cereal fields 100 per ha
- Wild bird seed/pollen and nectar mixture on set-aside 85 per ha
- Skylark plots 5 per plot
To encourage a range of crop types
- Cereals for whole crop silage followed by over-wintered stubbles 230 per ha
- Undersown spring cereals 200 per ha
- Brassica fodder crops followed by over-wintered stubbles 90 per ha
To protect soils
- Management of high erosion risk cultivated land 18 per ha
- Management of maize crops to reduce soil erosion 18 per ha
Management plans
- Soil management plan 3 per ha
- Nutrient management plan 2 per ha
- Manure management plan 2 per ha
- Crop protection management plan 2 per ha