Environment
Protecting the environment and sustainability are important to Barnsmuir and reflected in its farming practices.
- A wind turbine and biomass boilers take care of much of the farm’s energy needs, and most of the plastic used in packaging and tunnel construction is biodegradable or can be recycled.
- Once vegetable crops have been harvested, sheep will graze on the plant leftovers which in turn benefits the soil nutrients for subsequent crops.
- Wildlife is actively encouraged and protected throughout the farm. Farming ground is overwintered to allow nesting for a local corn buntings project, and hares and deer are protected wherever possible.
- Bees are provided for pollination in the fruit tunnels, and honey bees have also been introduced on the farm.
The Biodiversity Areas for Buntings and Bees Project is a partnership between Marks & Spencer, Kettle Produce, RSPB Scotland and four farmers in Fife (including Barnsmuir). It involves trialling a new cereal-based seed mix containing a variety of flowering plants which is designed to benefit pollinators and a range of farmland birds.
Objectives
- To highlight the plight of the corn bunting and demonstrate the best package of options to benefit the species during the summer and winter
- To demonstrate how targeted management options for corn buntings can be successfully integrated into commercial operations and delivered through agri-environment schemes
- To trial new seed mixes to expand the benefits of unharvested crops to pollinators as well as farmland birds
As a result of these measures, the farm is accredited by standards set by all the major supermarkets and authorities, including Red Tractor Assured Food Standard, LEAF and SMETA.
