Profitable management can be kind to the environment

摘要

The Nitram Award sets out to identify farms that combine profitable and efficient agriculture with long term care for the environment. Run by ICI Fertilisers, with support from FWAG and the NFU, this year's award will be aimed specifically at livestock farmers. Here we look at one of the winning farms from the West Midland Farmers heat, and describe the waste management and fertiliser policies that caught the judges' eye in 1995/6. Manor Farm, Tythering-ton has been tenanted by the Osborne family since 1955 and in 1989 they bought the farm outright. Roger and Nancy Osborne, along with sons Brian and Richard, run a herd of pedigree Shorthorns comprising 127 cows and 100 followers, plus they manage a 225-strong beef cattle enterprise There are also 77ha of arable land as well as a further 182ha managed on contract. The soil is mostly clay capped chalk with some sandy loam in the river valley.