Leyonne were the winners of our Cornwall Otter Award in 2023 – read on to find out why…
Leyonne is a family farming business, owned by Bridget and Martin Whell. The farm has 450 dairy cows on a grass-based system alongside 400 beef cattle, 9 weaners and 44 hens, all contributing to the small farm shop.
Connection with the wider community is important to the Whell family: the farm shop gives local people a direct link to the farm and Bridget is LEAF Farmer Time and NFU Farmers for Schools trained; she has also completed the CEVAS course. As suppliers of milk to Trewithen Dairy
they are one of two monitor farms being supported to trial
regenerative practices by the Cornish dairy. Over the last 4 years they have reduced their fertiliser use by 50%, using calcium AN and humates where appropriate and even using the pigs to produce compost!
The judges were impressed by:
- The min till and direct drilling mixed species that is practised alongside regular soil testing to collect data on carbon and minerals, which helps to inform their future decision making.
- Using FiPL funding to create wood pasture, new hedging and Silvopasture.
- As members of FWAG SW (Farmer Member Plus) they have demonstrated a good knowledge of Mid Tier CS and SFI schemes to ecologically benefit their farm.
- Their engagement within the community, speaking at schools and local groups about work on the farm.
Future plans:
“We have put a lot of effort into finding ways to continue commercial farming yet working also for the benefit of nature,” said Bridget. “Unfortunately my brain is two steps ahead so planning and cashflow bring me back to the reality of what can be achieved in the short term but every small step is worth taking.” Martin has been really pleased with the results so far, “The support from FWAG has helped us to find a positive way to manage the hills instead of just putting them into trees, so we maintain some production and encourage biodiversity. Our farming is changing with the diverse leys and direct drilling and it’s interesting to see the effect, especially to sequester carbon and increase soil fertility.”
They are looking into the possibility of collecting and using methane from the slurry pit and, although many of these projects are in the early stages of trialling and testing, they are making great efforts to create a sustainable and enticing business for their two daughters. To find out more about the family, visit: www.trewithendairy.co.uk/dairy-farmers/the-whell-family/