Farm overview
CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network and well established within the industry, Martin Lines farms in Cambridgeshire, alongside his son who recently Graduated from Harper Adams. For the last 10 years, the farm has been in stewardship schemes with extensive conservation work improving natural habitats for wildlife on the farm. Through surveys undertaken by RSPB volunteers, Papley Grove have identified a wide range of species on farm, including those which are at risk such as turtle doves and corn buntings. With the 460ha in the project, the farm really is a haven, with grass strips, hedges and ditches running through each field connecting the dots for wildlife. The arable side of operations continues to run at the heart of the farm, ensuring productive and profitable farming can coexist alongside nature. Some of the nature friendly farming practices Martin and Matt carry out on the farm include: following an integrated pest management (IPM) approach, using chicken manure to help improve soil and replace artificial fertiliser, and cover cropping and direct drilling. The pair are particularly keen to remove all synthetic Nitrogen use on farm and have ongoing trials including using biostimulants such as Blue N to achieve this.
Project activities
- Demonstration event – ‘Hope Farm Agroforestry Tour’ (April 2024).
- Trials – Summer catch crops (Kings).
- Lead Commercial Farm visits – J. H. Simpson & Son.
- Demonstration Farm activities – Countryside COP ‘Decarbonising from the field up’ webinar (December 2023).
