Voluntary approach to greener practices must be adopted, says pioneering farmer

Valerie Elliott: Case study

One of the pioneers of green farming is Ian Waller, a tenant farmer on 1,200 acres of land near Great Missenden in the Chilterns, Buckinghamshire. In four years he has created a haven for birds, butterflies and plants. Since he championed farming for wildlife, 7,500 people have visited his land, including many schoolchildren and agriculture students.
When he started greener practices there was not one lapwing on the land; now it is home to nine breeding pairs. The number of skylarks has doubled from 30 to 60 breeding pairs and barn owls have also returned for the first time in 15 years. Rare orchids are back after a 28-year absence.
The secret, he said, was to convince all farmers that they could still make a healthy profit as well as farm for the environment.
His main income is from growing milling wheat for a bread manufacturer, oilseed rape and spring beans. But he also keeps 31 rare breed Herdwick sheep to graze the chalk grassland.

Mr Waller, 51, said: “There are a lot of farmers out there who pat me on the back and say, ‘Get on with it’, but somehow feel it is irrelevant to them. Some growing high-value crops such as potatoes or sugar beet might also not bother — though I do understand they are operating under tight constraints from supermarkets.
“Some farmers just don’t like the mess of patches for wildlife in their fields. They don’t like to see grasses and flowers on the side of their big, square open fields. Then there are those who don’t like to be dictated to by anyone, especially the Government.
“But if we don’t deliver, ministers are going to say, ‘You’ve had your chance and you’ve blown it’. We have got to make this voluntary approach work.”