Cattle grazing: a win for nature and farming in Glen Prosen
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is boosting biodiversity while supporting rural livelihoods and sustainable farming in Glen Prosen.
Working with a local farmer and his herd of Luing cattle, FLS is harnessing the power of conservation grazing across the landscape of the glen.
The cattle will produce sustainable high-quality beef and provide a farm income while also doing their bit for the plants and wildlife of the glen.
FLS Angus Glens Programme Manager Christine Reid said:
“On the land we manage in Glen Prosen we are aiming to restore and create a mosaic of native woodlands and more open habitats to benefit a wide range of wildlife. Integrating livestock grazing into the wider land management plans supports the habitat restoration and provides opportunities for farming, including sustainable food production.
“Hardy cattle like the Luing can help us by breaking up the thick grassy sward creating the right conditions for birds and wildflowers. The cattle with their heavy feet and large mouths are the perfect tool for this job.
“We are also using a ‘virtual fence’ system to protect sensitive areas that don’t need grazing such as wet flushes or young trees”.
Grazing helps keep grasslands healthy by stopping them from becoming overgrown and dominated by coarse grasses. This creates better conditions for wildlife such as black grouse, curlew and other wading birds. It also boosts plant and insect diversity, allowing flowering herbs and fine grasses to flourish.
Going forward, cattle grazing will support an open structure in the new native woodland created by natural regeneration or tree planting.
Farmer Andrew Walker said:
“The Luing is a hardy breed - originally a cross between a Highland and a beef shorthorn. The cattle thrive in these conditions and the rough grazing in the glen provide them with the bulk of their diet.
“I’ve been shifting the cattle regularly around the different habitats of the glen. This year we are trialling timings and when to move them based on the state of the sward. I’ve also been getting myself and the cattle used to the virtual fence technology and we are nearly there now.
“They are out here in the natural environment, happy and content. It is pleasing to know the cattle are in great condition and will produce premium quality beef reared in such a sustainable, natural way whilst supporting the aims of FLS in Glen Prosen.”
FLS is looking to further develop the farming element in its integrated land management – including in Glen Prosen. Work is underway with neighbouring estates to explore opportunities for new entrants in the wider Angus Glens area.
Christine added:
“We want to use Glen Prosen to enable learning about how to best integrate farming and land management systems with nature recovery outcomes, in ways which create opportunities for the next generation of people in the glen.
“The estate’s land, buildings, and other resources will be utilised to encourage people to live and work in the glen at the same time as the nature restoration objectives take shape.”
To date, FLS has facilitated the establishment of a local distillery which intends to employ an increasing number of staff based in the glen and is working in partnership with several organisations to develop a field studies centre and a mountaineering bothy. FLS is also exploring the prospect for modern apprenticeships based at Glen Prosen to skill local people in this type of land management.
Background:
Virtual fence technology combines a digitally mapped fenceline with the GPS mapping of the cows’ movement around the site to signal the collars worn by the cows when the animals wander too close to the boundary. The collars emit an audible warning that gradually increases in pitch but which diminishes when the cows turn back and stops once they are safely back within the invisible boundary. If the cow does not turn around the collar gives the animal a mild electric pulse equal to that from a standard electric fence.
The cattle collars were partly funded through a grant from Cairngorms National Park Authority.
Notes to editors
- Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
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