I don't know why we go on the Hardwick walk any more - every time we do the farmer is out wreaking mass destruction on wildlife habitats. Today he was scraping all of the plant growth up from the side of the ditch leaving it barren. All those butterfly eggs gone and nowhere for the small birds, rabbits or badgers to call home. And he's sown the crops much closer to the edge of the field so the path is narrow and currently very muddy indeed. This is a bit he hasn't got to yet - I think Monty must be down in the ditch at the top of the photo judging by the way Nigel is standing.
Still - it's at times like this you need 3GT:
1. We were wearing wellies.
2. Multiple sessions of Bananagrams with the offspring.
3. A trip to Prague with my sister booked for Spring.
@fueast We both glowered at him though he probably didn't realise. Needless to say it's the government's fault - no more set aside money but money for 'hedge management' and 'ditch management' (presumably the latter as he only seems to do things for gov money. Hedge management involved digging it up.
An intriguing image to go with your well chosen words, Judith . . . but that's what human beings have evolved to do, isn't it - to show nature who's boss, sad to say?
I can't see the point of clearing the sides of a ditch other than to stop the spread of weeds but it sounds as if this farmer has got too much time on his hands. A letter to the paper?
Not sure about the hedge & ditch management as we are out of touch with new grant system but to get the singke farm payment you had to leave a margin of two metres from the hedge......you always get so e greedy devil who flouts the rules of nature giving all a bad name. We have one like that on our old land here. It makes Harry furious!
He must be arable, dairy farmers wouldn't have time to grub about in ditches like that!
@happypat yes arable - he's got peas or beans in one field and winter wheat in another. He's ruined his windbreak. You'd think he'd want to support insect habitats wouldn't you? I think arable farmers are a bit blasé with hedges and things - then they wonder why their topsoil blows away. No doubt some are doing a good job and we have some lovely mixed farms.
@judithg you talk like a farmer Judith......you are completely right of course...arable farmers do not generally look after their boundaries. We have some great hedges & fences in Lancashire as of course you would know!
The one thing that shocked me when I went down to Worcestershire to the Royal Show all those years ago was how rough & non existent were their hedges.
He must be arable, dairy farmers wouldn't have time to grub about in ditches like that!
The one thing that shocked me when I went down to Worcestershire to the Royal Show all those years ago was how rough & non existent were their hedges.