A thriving farm: Farming and conservation hand in hand

I’m passionate about farming and conservation - at Eyebrook, we believe the two go hand in hand. That's why we farm in a regenerative style, and we're always looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact and support the biodiversity on our farm. That means we farm to improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem services. We know we need bees for our crops, so we do everything we can to support them.

We encourage the increase in bird numbers and beneficial insects, creating margins and conserving hedgerows. Regenerative farming is good for the environment because it helps protect the soil, water, and air. It's also good for the farm because it helps us produce healthy crops without using as many chemicals. 

Why bird seed? 

When I came back from university, there wasn't enough work on the farm to sustain another person, so we started to investigate diversifying. Looking at our local market, our proximity to the reservoir, and the number of birds and ornithologists there, birdseed felt like a natural leap. 

Conservation comes naturally to us as we have been practising that on farm for many years. As an arable farm, we are busy in summer, but growing bird seed means we are busy all year round. Birds play an important role in the ecosystem, helping control pests, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. By providing high-quality bird seed, Eyebrook Wild Bird Feeds helps support a variety of bird species, including many which are in decline. 

Farming sustainably 

We do many things to reduce our environmental impact. For example, we conduct regular carbon audits to identify areas where we can improve. We have also reduced the amount of fieldwork and tractor use we do, which has helped reduce our carbon emissions. 

Rising costs made us look at ways to reduce our expenditure. We reduced our use of fertilisers where possible by extending the rotation and introducing livestock in the rotation, and using farmyard manure as a fertiliser. We also use many regenerative and organic practices, which protect the soil as much as possible.  

Educating and empowering our customers 

Our customers love buying our bird seen from a traditional, nature-friendly farm in our farm shop. They are served by family members and can take a walk through the farm to see our conservation work. They can see the fields where their products are grown and see the wealth of wildlife and birds. 

Customers can now bring their old containers and refill them with our bird seed. This is a great way to save money and packaging. A selection of products is also available to buy by weight, so customers can simply scoop the seed they require.