This year, part of a meadow on one of the farms participating in the Protecting Farmland Pollinators EIP project has become a hay meadow donor site for wildflower seed collection.
This hay meadow has been managed for diversity for over 25 years. It is a unique field within the farm and within the project. Over 19 species of pollinators have been observed in this field and it is home to over twenty flowering plant species. The plants found in this field are genetically different to ones that you can buy commercially. They are as unique as the field itself. It contains grass species that have not been bred. Many species of beetles, birds, butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, mammals, microflora, moths, shieldbugs, snails, spiders, wasps and worms can be seen here.
It is thanks to the farmer and his wife that this field is so rich in biodiversity. By adding no fertiliser and cutting or grazing the field once a year, after the seed has had a chance to fall, this 4.6-hectare site provides food, safety, and shelter to at least 50 different species.
Further Information here.
