In Cornwall, 70% of land is farmed, so working together with farmers to protect and enhance wildlife in Cornwall is vital. Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been working with the farming community for the past 10 years as part of South West Water’s Upstream Thinking project. Upstream Thinking is an award-winning partnership which uses a collaborative approach to improving wildlife, water and soil quality in local water catchments across the South West.

One example of the Upstream Thinking team playing an advisory role comes from West Penwith. In 2023, two families farming on the Bolitho Estate have committed to growing a special mix of cereals and flowering plants across 58 hectares of arable land to help boost our wild bird populations through the winter months.

Farmland birds are used as an indicator of the general quality of the farmed environment because birds sit near the top of the food chain and trends have been well monitored. The Breeding Farmland Bird Index shows numbers have declined by more than 50% since 1970 BTO website.

The winter bird food crop includes cereals, such as triticale and wheat, along with quinoa, flax, kale and sunflowers.  In summer, it is a riot of colour and buzzing with pollinators.  Once the seeds are fully ripe, they are not harvested but instead left to provide fields full of high energy food for the birds through the cold winter months.

In my role as a Farm Adviser in West Penwith, I am always looking for the sweet-spot where farming and wildlife really work together in harmony.  This diverse mix of cereals and flowers is brilliant for wildlife all year round.  It provides a rich source of nectar, which boosts insect populations in the summer months, and then seeds later in the year.  Threatened species such as yellowhammer and linnet benefit from both of these food sources.

But while we are providing a field-scale bird-table it does concern me if we are not putting food on our own tables; growing food for people is what farming is all about surely?  The synergy between farming and wildlife here comes when farmers sow this mix as a one-year break crop in their arable rotation and when they include deep-rooted species, like plantain, and nitrogen-fixing species, such as vetches. Then we can improve soil structure, build soil health and boost soil biodiversity, which will benefit future crop yields at the same time as feeding the birds.

There is a huge amount of uncertainty in farming right now, due to changing markets and an overhaul of the government’s payment system for farmers. By working closely alongside farmers, the Upstream Thinking project can encourage wildlife friendly farming practices, while ensuring a profitable farming business.

“We decided to build a winter bird food mix into our rotation about four years ago.  We’d recently stopped growing potatoes and were looking for something that would fit into our cropping rotation of cereals, maize & grass to feed our cattle.  The flower mix looks amazing in the spring and summer.  In the winter, admittedly it doesn’t look as pretty, but it has noticeably reduced the amount of rain water running off those fields.  Some people have been slightly sceptical of us growing ‘weeds’, but we feel as long as it is part of a sustainable food production system, then doing our bit to help support the wildlife can only be a good thing!”

John Thomas, Trewidden Farm, West Penwith

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