Despite reports of a mast year, with bumper crops of berries and nuts early on in the season, The Wildlife Trusts say that following this summer’s prolonged drought, these efforts are likely to be more critical than ever as natural food supplies such as grasses and seeds run low during the winter.   

Farmers that grow oats for Jordans Cereals, in partnership with The Wildlife Trusts and LEAF, are among those helping to address this ‘hungry gap’ – a period which spans the colder winter months when berries, insects, and other natural food sources are scarce.  

Collectively, the Jordans Farm Partnership provides almost 30% of their farmed area for wildlife - an area equivalent to over 6000 football pitches. 

This autumn one such farmer, Roger Forster in Northamptonshire, is hard at work scattering seeds across his 30 hectares of wild bird food plots. This will supplement the seed plants like kale, linseed and millet that already grow there, whilst wildflower strips elsewhere on the farm go to seed, giving hungry birds even more to feast on. 

Jordans oat farmer Roger Forster in Northamptonshire says:  

“This summer has been tough, with the heat and drought impacting harvests and the amount of food available for wildlife too. Every year, we undertake supplementary feeding to help benefit farmland birds during the tough winter months. The seed we provide this year might be more important than ever as natural supplies of berries and seeds run low - we hope to help tide the birds over until spring.” 

Jordans oat farmer Guy Tucker, at Greenhall Farm in Hertfordshire, says:  

“Watching the large flocks of migratory birds like buntings and bramblings over the fields at this time of year is a great reward for my work for nature on the farm. Leaving the stubble on the fields for longer, alongside the wild bird mixes, benefits all kinds of wildlife – for example, brown hares are on the up across the farm.” 

The Jordans Farm Partnership brings oat farmers together with local Wildlife Trust advisors in order to restore habitats across farmland and help tackle wildlife decline. In the ten years since the partnership began, farmers have restored ponds, managed 620km of hedgerows to benefit wildlife (that’s longer than the distance from London to Edinburgh) and created corridors for nature to thrive. 

Vicki Hird, strategic lead for agriculture at The Wildlife Trusts, says:  

“Despite challenging harvest conditions this year, many nature-friendly farmers are continuing to help wildlife by providing special seed mixes, maintaining berry-laden hedgerows and planting early flowering plants for the year ahead.  

“With over 70% of the UK farmed, many wild animals depend on farmland not only for food but also for safe places to breed come the spring. Farmers up and down the country, including Jordans oat farmers, should be applauded for their commitment to helping wildlife like birds, butterflies and hares throughout the seasons alongside growing the food we eat.” 

Laura Melling, sustainability manager at Jordans, says:  

“Many of us hang bird feeders in our gardens over the winter months to help keep local birds fed and Jordans oat farmers are pretty much doing the same on their farms – just on a much larger scale. The winter bird food plots that they cultivate make sure that farmland birds have a regular supply of food throughout the winter. 

“The Jordans Farm Partnership is now ten years old, and we’re grateful to our fantastic farmers - supported by The Wildlife Trusts, LEAF, and everyone who buys Jordans Cereals - for leading the way when it comes to long-term sustainable food production which supports a healthy ecosystem all year round.”