There’s an old wives tale which says that an abundance of berries in the hedgerows is a sign of a cold winter to come. Well if that’s case, we’re heading for a very cold one…

Our hawthorn hedges are absolutely laden with berries this year and whilst that might not be good news amongst those who prefer a milder climate, if the tale is to be believed, it’s certainly great news for wildlife.

Berries provide a great source of food for our feathered and furry friends during the harsh winter months so for many years now, we’ve delayed cutting hedges around the farm to preserve this source of food.

We’ve wondered if this could be one of the reasons that our farm has so many species of birds, including many declining species of farmland birds.

These species have been spotted by volunteers from the RSPB who visit the farm regularly to record the birds that live there. We have been delighted with the results and are always fascinated to learn more and to do what we can to enable the wildlife around us to flourish.

Delaying our hedge cutting is just one of the ways we can help and we couldn’t be happier to do so.