This site features material inspired by PhD research into sustainable management of floodplain meadows to balance production of a hay crop with biodiversity conservation.
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Forever Meadow: a Poem
It’s National Meadows Day and this poem celebrates the wonder of traditional floodplain hay meadows. These threatened habitats can boast 40 plant species per square metre, which in turn support a vast diversity of animal life. To maintain this important pool of biodiversity these meadows depend on the annual cycle of hay cutting and aftermathContinue reading “Forever Meadow: a Poem”
The Hay Days of Captain Quad Rat
This poster was produced for the Open University 2021 Poster Competition and delightfully won both the People’s Choice Poster and the Judge’s Choice Best Use of Imagery categories. Captain Quad Rat and I are very pleased! You can download this from Open Research Data Online.
Fifties Family Farming
Haymaking has changed dramatically over the last century and is set to change again under new agricultural legislation. Where once the aim was simply to preserve a good yield of summer sunshine to last the winter, the focus up now is increasingly on achieving an optimum balance between producing healthful fodder whilst also promoting biodiversityContinue reading “Fifties Family Farming”
