Giving nature a voice at Game Fair

Friday 19th July 2013

Championing the role of farming in creating A Living Landscape

Food, farming and nature are all on the menu at Game Fair, with the chance to win a hamper jam-packed with local produce from The Wildlife Trusts’ farming and conservation schemes.

A healthy natural environment is essential to the future of farming and food production, and therefore essential to everyone in the UK

The 55th Country Land and Business Association’s Game Fair takes place at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire between Friday 19 - Sunday 21 July.

At this prestigious event, The Wildlife Trusts will be promoting the vital role farming must play in helping to achieve nature’s recovery and, in particular, the role of conservation grazing in managing many precious wildlife-rich places.

The Wildlife Trusts’ expert staff - from Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trusts - will be on hand (at stand H0713) to answer questions about farming for A Living Landscape. The fundamental connections between farming, food and nature will be highlighted through examples of great work being undertaken on Wildlife Trust farms and nature reserves around the UK.

Visitors will have the opportunity to enter a ‘guess-the-breed’ competition to win a hamper full of local produce from Wildlife Trust farming and conservation schemes and find out what can be achieved through working in partnership.

Paul Wilkinson said:

“A healthy natural environment is essential to the future of farming and food production, and therefore essential to everyone in the UK.  The value of nature to farming, such as its role in pollination, soils and water management, is starting to be recognised.  The more we understand the value of nature, the better our decisions on future land management will be.

“An example of the links between farming and nature is our conservation grazing work, using low intensity farming techniques to benefit wildlife, sustain landscape character and provide a source of local food that can generate an income to support the rural economy.  Everybody wins.”

The Wildlife Trusts currently manage around 20 working farms and collectively own a herd of more than 7,500 grazing animals, including traditional and rare breed cattle and sheep, native ponies and even water buffalo.  The Wildlife Trusts support around 5,000 farmers in taking action for wildlife every year, through advice provision.

For more information on conservation grazing and examples of The Wildlife Trusts’ work to support Farming for A Living Landscape, visit http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/conservationgrazing

Tagged with: Events & Shows, Conservation grazing, Game Fair, Living Landscapes