We're approaching the five year anniversary of that strange time when we all stopped going out and didn't see each other again for several months, and in some cases, years. Streets fell silent, except for birdsong which could be heard even in the centre of cities. It so happened that this time coincided with when for long periods I moved out of the city, having inherited this beautiful farm in Buckinghamshire and its 150 acres of rolling pastureland. The lockdowns provided ample opportunity for quiet contemplation of how I would steward this inheritance, and in 2021 I applied to the pilot scheme of the new Sustainable Farming Incentive, which has provided a framework for me to document my journey of learning from the land. The pilot has now come to an end and I am publishing links below to my journal from 2024, the third and final year:
Even if you don't find the time or inclination to read all the words, I highly recommend you browse through some of the photos to see the changes since 2022 and 2023.
Back near the start of this journey I designed a picture of how I imagined the future landscape of the farm, and a few weeks ago I framed it and hung it on the wall in the farmhouse.
One of the things you might notice straightaway is the extensive area of trees in this design. While woodland creation is still firmly part of the picture, I have scaled back the level of ambition since learning more about the landscape and the philosophy of 'right tree, right place'. Some of the other ideas have already become reality - the ponds / wetland area, the camping, the first cabin, and the walking routes. Some of the others, such as the organic vines, remain as ideas, but a couple of weeks ago I visited an organic vineyard, so you never know. The agroforestry is a work in progress and towards the end of last year I did a design for the farm as part of a Defra Test & Trial project.
All of this learning is inspired and informed by the people that I meet on farm visits and other events that I have documented in the journal. There is always much to learn about how to restore and rewild the landscape. The partnership with Freshwater Habitats Trust has done exactly that. I am now wondering if and how beavers could be introduced to the farm to continue this work of restoring streams and creating new ponds.
There will be plenty of opportunities to come to the farm and learn more about these projects. We are making excellent progress with the building works in the courtyard, which has been its own learning journey. I will leave you with this photo taken a couple of weeks ago from inside the Pitchcott Kitchen. We are still on schedule to open in the (late) spring. The next few months will be busy - but I'll keep you posted.
Tony
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