About the farm
In 2000, we purchased Hope Farm, an arable farm in Cambridgeshire. It is contract farmed by one of our neighbouring farmers.
About Hope Farm
In previous years, we predominantly grew autumn-sown crops because they were considered to be more profitable. Recently, we have introduced a greater area of spring-sown crops, to help deal with pernicious weed problems and maintain overall profitability.
During the first five years only two crops were grown - wheat and oilseed rape. These were grown in a three-year rotation (wheat - wheat - oilseed rape). The rotation has evolved to take account of market opportunities and help implement a robust integrated pest management programme, so for harvest 2016 we grew winter wheat, spring barley, winter beans, winter linseed and spring millet.
Along with the arable land, there is also permanent pasture, which is grazed by horses and sheep. The soil is predominantly heavy clay.
Key facts
- Total farm area: 181 hectares
- Area of cropping: 161 hectares - harvest 2010
- Area of pasture: 6 hectares
- Soil type: Hanslope calcareous clay loam and Evesham clay loam
- Smallest field: 0.93 hectares
- Largest field: 34 hectares
- Length of hedgerows: 10.3 kilometres
- Area of woodland: 0.5 hectares
Our farming blog
-
Autumn Influences at Hope Farm
Sophie Mott, Research intern at Hope Farm, provides an overview of the 2018 Autumn visits. January on the farm is a little quieter than the busy autumn preceding it. Which makes it a good time to reflect on autumnal visits to the farm, where organisa...
Posted 31/01/2019 by Kathryn Smith -
Catch us on Countryfile: hope for winter farmland birds
Post from Georgie Bray, Hope Farm manager Tune into Countryfile this Sunday to find out how Hope Farm uses simple solutions to tackle a landscape scale problem for winter farmland bird survival... you don't want to miss it! Combatting the cold At thi...
Posted 11/01/2019 by Kathryn Smith -
Big boots to fill at Hope Farm
A new era starts at Hope Farm, with a new Farm Manager in place to oversee our continuing commitment to testing, trialling and demonstrating wildlife-friendly farming practices. Georgie Bray looks back over the progress on the farm in recent years, a...
Posted 18/12/2018 by Kathryn Smith -
Gwent Levels Sustainable Land Management Project
The Gwent Levels in South East Wales is one of the largest areas of reclaimed grassland in the UK and the largest in Wales. The creation and management of this landscape over hundreds of years has resulted in a unique landscape where nature has thriv...
Posted 26/11/2018 by Kathryn Smith -
The twite are back in town!
Twite are unique in that they only eat seeds, and rear their young on seed alone (many birds feed insects to their chicks). A good supply of small seeds of meadow plants such as dandelion, hawkbit and sorrel is critical to their survival. RSPB has be...
Posted 23/11/2018 by Kathryn Smith -
Working for Waders across Scotland
If you live in Scotland it is more than likely you will come across at least one species of wader when you are travelling around the countryside. Scotland holds a significant proportion of the UK population of curlews, redshanks, lapwings, oystercatc...
Posted 21/11/2018 by Kathryn Smith
How you can help
At Hope Farm, we're developing farming techniques that will benefit wildlife.
