Support for farming on the Levels
How can Living Levels support farmers?
Transitioning to different ways of working can be daunting. Living Levels will support local farmers by:
Employing a dedicated Farm Engagement Officer to provide support, advice and training.
Providing support and assistance to farmers wanting to access government support through the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
Facilitating the formation of a ‘Moors Association’ to help farmers work together across the Levels.
Advocating with Welsh Government for better protection and support for farmers on the Gwent Levels.
Direct financial support for landscape restoration projects (see below).
Restoring the Levels
Working together to create a sustainable future for the Gwent Levels
The Living Levels Partnership is looking for opportunities to build on the work of the Gwent Levels Sustainable Management Scheme by supporting landscape restoration projects.
Grassland restoration and herbal leys
Restoring species-rich grasslands and creating new herbal leys not only provides valuable wildlife habitat and food for pollinators, it can also help to: cut feed bills by reducing the need for supplementary feeding; reduce fertiliser costs; reduce the need for costly medicines; improve soil structure; improve drought tolerance; benefit carbon sequestration; and reduce nitrate leaching.
Get in touch if you have improved land that might be suitable for restoration or reseeding.
Orchards
Orchards are a traditional feature of the Gwent Levels that provide a potentially valuable cash-crop, as well as being a habitat for wildlife. We want to work with orchard owners to extend and restore traditional orchards on the Levels, bringing derelict sites back into good management, replanting with local varieties, and identifying markets for fruit and produce.
Get in touch if you are interested in orchards.
Willow Pollarding
Pollarding willows protects trees from natural damage, including splitting, falling and blocking field ditches. The remaining standing trunk and branches rejuvenate quickly and are an ideal habitat for many species of insects, birds, small mammals and reptiles.
Get in touch if you have old willows in need of pollarding.
Field Ditch Restoration
The network of field ditches and reens is one of the defining characteristics of the Levels. We want to help landowners restore their ditches by desilting, and removing brash and leaf litter, which will improve the carrying capacity of the reens, reduce flooding, and improve wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
Get in touch if you have reens and ditches in need of clearing.