Creating new hedgerows for livestock shelter in Cumbria
Cannerheugh Farm
Cannerheugh Farm
Organisation:
Woodland Trust
Date:
June 2017
Copyright:
Evidence:
Farmer experience
Watch the video
Resource explained:
This short Woodland Trust video features sheep farmer Paul Rennison, at Cannerheugh Farm in Renwick, Cumbria, describing the reasons he and his wife have been working with the Woodland Trust to plant shelterbelts on the farm and the potential benefits they expect to gain.
Findings & recommendations:
- Paul explains that one of the draw backs of living in this area is the strong Helm Wind. Through working with the Woodland Trust to plant trees to produce more shelterbelts, the main theory is there will be more lambs to sell at the end of the day - so the business will be more profitable. The aim is to have 100% outdoor lambing - shelterbelts should help increase the lambing percentage.
- The deep tree roots will also help with water infiltration in very wet periods during the winter, which should also bring benefits lower down the hill (reducing flooding).
- Once the lambs are on the ground they practice a rotational system - shelterbelts will also help with this as instead of having sheep set stocked they can rotate round each paddock and keep on top of the grass.