Shropshire farmers help steer new nature recovery plan
Farmers across Shropshire are at the heart of a new strategy to restore wildlife and habitats across the county.
With around 84% of Shropshire’s land being farmed, the role of agriculture is central to whether the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) succeeds.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has been closely involved in shaping the plan to make sure it works on real farms, not just on paper.
NFU Shropshire chair and local farmer Kate Mayne said that “local idiosyncrasies... are really important to us as farmers”, stressing that each farm and landscape is different and needs a tailored approach.
Through workshops, conversations and formal consultations, Shropshire’s farmers have helped refine the proposals.
Mayne said that by speaking directly with farmers, they have “had the opportunity to identify what’s right with it - but also what’s wrong with it and to be able to kind of steer it”.
That input has helped highlight where the strategy supports productive farming, and where changes were needed to make it more practical on the ground.
Creating Wildlife Habitat on Working Farms
One of the key ways farmers can support the LNRS is by using the less productive edges of their land to boost biodiversity. As Mayne explained, “we can do lots around the boundaries of our fields to create more habitat through our amazing network of hedgerows”.
Well-managed hedgerows and field margins can provide vital shelter, food and corridors for birds, insects and small mammals, while still allowing the bulk of the field to be used for crops or grazing.
Balancing Food and Nature
For farmers, food production will always be a core priority – but that doesn’t have to be in conflict with nature, Mayne argued. People in her industry, she said, “are managing a very large proportion of the land” so it is “critical that we get the balance right between food production alongside nature”.
The LNRS aims to support that balance: helping farmers maintain profitable businesses while also restoring hedgerows, improving soils, protecting rivers and creating more space for wildlife.