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Farmer Stories

David Butler - East Wick Farm, Wiltshire

England
Q&A
Mixed

David is a fourth generation farmer based in the Pewsey Vale, farming in partnership with his wife and parents. As well as combinable cropping on around 900 ha there is a 260 cow dairy and a beef enterprise utilising the farm's chalk downland habitat.

What does your farm do and what does it provide in the UK?

We have arable with wheat, winter barley and spring barley, winter oats, spring beans, and oilseed rape. We also have 280 dairy cows to provide milk for a supermarket, and 80 beef cattle which provide grazing for the grassland. Environment schemes are an important part of farm income with 8% of the arable land area used for wildlife habitats.

Tell us why you are a nature-friendly farmer?

We are a nature-friendly family. A lot of what we see here was started by my father’s interest in conservation. When we began Countryside Stewardship, I became passionate about insect and butterfly conservation. All farmers should know and understand the ecology of their farm. There is a place to find a sweet spot between production and wildlife.

What nature-friendly farming practices have you introduced on your farm?

It’s important to understand how to farm positively for nature. You need to understand the importance of rotational cropping and use inputs like manure with best practice. We’ve adopted minimum tillage. Our ruminants utilise grazing pastures, which means more diverse landscapes and less imported feed. We’ve done lots of tree planting, hedge planting, and field margins. We manage the scrub on chalk escarpment to suit rare insect species.

How do nature-friendly farming methods make you more resilient to climate change?

We’re trying to reduce fuel use, and minimum tillage is a step forward. Satellite navigation and tailored inputs make us more efficient. We’ve got a solar array so some electricity is renewably sourced, and we use heat recovery systems. I’m thinking about how I could introduce silvopasture and agroforestry practices which could promote biodiversity and mitigate climate change.

What benefits in nature have you seen on your farm?

Our bird and butterfly surveys show positive trends. Our hedges look fantastic and we’re trying to improve our field margin diversity. Everyone comments on seeing the barn owls, and the wild bird covers are successful as habitats for yellowhammers and other birds. I prioritise butterfly conservation on the farm and we have hares everywhere.

How has the Coronavirus pandemic impacted your business and distribution?

We’ve been very lucky for our business. We’ve had to pull back on our dairy production because of supply chain issues but this has been manageable. Like many people, we’ve been affected on a personal level which wasn’t nice. We’re having to social distance the farming team, but it seems to be working as everyone sticks to a dedicated farm vehicle.

Are you involved in any initiatives that support the local community or people?

I’ve offered up ground for additional allotments and opened up the farm for the public to walk around. I get involved in the community too, I’m on the Parish Council and work with the Pewsey Downs Farmers cluster group with 30 farmers working together.

What would you like to say to people at this time about the role of UK farms to protect nature?

Farming manages over 70% UK land and regrettably there are some trends in nature we are not proud of. It’s very important that we can find that sweet spot: a balance of climate mitigation, nature recovery, and feeding people. That’s what I’m always focusing on.

What would you like to say to people at this time about the role of UK farms to provide food for people in the UK?

It’s important for us to move towards a more sustainable food system. Buying local can save fossil fuels but we have to ensure that practices are to a high standard. There’s no doubt this crisis has made people think about their food supply and not take it for granted. If people invest in a local, high quality, nature- friendly food system, they can see the benefits in their own environment.

David Butler

Should we use this opportunity to buy British to support British farmers?

Helping British farms stay profitable will mean that we can see benefits in our own landscapes and communities. We can’t deliver those benefits if we’re being undercut by cheap imports. I can’t undertake the many nature projects I have planned if the farming business is unprofitable.

How can the public benefit from what you’re doing on the farm?

I do a lot on social media for the public and work with local schools. Also, it’s about letting people walk around and enjoy it: planting hedges and wildflowers accessible to people.

What do you need from consumers?

Buy British and invest in your local environment and local economy. If you can afford it, don’t take the lowest cost option; you get what you pay for. Buy sensitively and think about environmental footprints.

What do you need from the government?

There is a danger that empty shelves during Covid-19 will lead to an expansion of poorly regulated food imports. I am worried we will be undercut. The government must do trade deals that respect domestic production and ensure we can maintain profitable farms. We need a mosaic of farming systems rather than monotony and only larger-scale farms.

What needs to change in farming policy to support the future of farming?

The public has the right to say what public support is being used for, but food security is still important. We need legislative carrots and sticks which encourage more sustainable systems like agroforestry. Policy must be wise to trade-offs and unintended consequences, with a compromise between banning things and encouraging things.

Why is the NFFN important?

NFFN is a friendly group with a community feel. It’s important to get out the message to the public that farming can be nature friendly, rather than false dichotomies between nature and food. NFFN is helping put that right and I am very pleased to be involved.