Open Air Business November/December 2016

INDUSTRY TALK
green burials is increasing as
space at traditional cemeteries
becomes ever more limited. There
are currently over 270 green burial
sites in the UK, both in established
and newly created woodland. The
Arbory Trust site at Barton near
Cambridge (www.arborytrust.
org.uk) shows what is possible in
newly created woodland.
For more traditional farming
businesses based on crops and/or
livestock, integration of trees and
woods into their farming systems
can offer a range of benefits. Trees
and woods can offer shade in the
summer for livestock and shelter
in the winter; summer heat stress
can be a real problem for outdoor
pigs and dairy cows.
The issue with dairy cows was
highlighted in SE Farmer magazine
in July 2015 in the ‘Vet’s Diary’
section: “10th July; We have
seen a number of dairy cows
experiencing heat stress, having a
large impact on their productivity
and increasing their risk for other
diseases.”
Winter cold and exposure can
be a real hazard for field born
lambs, especially in the first 48
hours, but the experience of the
Pontbren farmers in mid Wales
has demonstrated how carefully
constructed shelter in the form
of woods, copses and hedges can
reduce the scale of the problem.
Studies have shown that in cold,
wet and windy weather lamb
losses can be reduced by up to
30% if good shelter is provided.
A somewhat more novel use
of trees for dairy cows is being
trialled by one of the Woodland
Trust’s farming ambassadors;
Tim Downes farms in Shropshire,
milking 250 cows and supplying
the Organic Milk Suppliers
Co-operative. Working with the
Woodland Trust and Harper
Adams University, Tim has set up
browsing trials to assess which
tree species might help his cattle
nutritionally as an alternative
source of protein as well as
medicinally, with species such
as willow being rich in salicylic
acid, which has anti-inflammatory
properties.
Tree shelter can also, perhaps
more surprisingly, benefit arable
crops. Trees can reduce wind
speeds across fields, thereby
cutting down evapo-transpiration
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Tucker is a
chartered forester
with 30 years
experience in multipurpose
woodland
management. He
has worked for the
Woodland Trust for 20
years and is currently
director of Woodland
Creation, with a
particular focus on
working with private
landowners across
the UK. See www.
woodlandtrust.org.uk
rates meaning that crops can
use water more efficiently.
Research in Canada has shown
that shelterbelts can increase tree
yields by 3.5% and that this figure
can be even higher in drier years.
The shelter offered by trees and
woods can also benefit pollinating
insects, with species such as Goat
Willow flowering in January and
offering a source of pollen and
nectar when there is little else
available.
A farmer’s most precious
resource is of course his soil and
yet 2.9m tonnes are lost in the UK
annually. This erosion can have
a major negative impact on the
water quality of our rivers and
water courses. Carefully sited trees
can militate against this erosion
as well as soaking up pollutants,
notably nitrates and phosphates.
Tree roots improve filtration
meaning water penetrates into the
soil rather than simply running
off. Research at Pontbren in
Wales showed infiltration rates in
recently created woodland were
60 times higher than those in
pasture only 10m away.
BUILDING A BRAND
Finally to branding; if you visit
a Sainsbury’s supermarket you
will see boxes of eggs featuring
a picture of several chickens and
some trees. This is the Sainsbury’s
Woodland Egg range on which the
Woodland Trust has partnered
with the supermarket chain for
more than 10 years.
Sainsbury’s currently sells
around 450m woodland eggs
annually, a market that has grown
by 108% over the past 10 years.
The brand is obviously successful
but what lies behind it is also
very interesting. Chickens are
woodland birds and free range
hens are far more likely to range if
they are in a treed rather than an
open environment.
Studies have shown that a more
treed environment reduces the
occurrence of ‘injurious feather
pecking’ among the birds and
research by the Lakes Free Range
Egg Company has shown that
chickens with tree cover produce
eggs with better shell quality,
which results in less ‘seconds’
during collection and packing.
Thus we have a win, win situation
– birds with higher welfare
producing a higher value product.
Trees and woods may well offer
more potential to support a new
business venture than you first
thought. As with any business
development, good planning is
essential. The Woodland Trust can
advise on new tree and woodland
planting and organisations such
as the Institute of Chartered
Foresters, the Royal Forestry
Society and the Arboricultural
Association may also be useful.
USEFUL LINKS
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
www.charteredforesters.org.uk
www.royalforestrysociety.org.uk
www.trees.org.uk
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