Lambing time is one of the most intense periods of the farming year. It comes with joy and many challenges. This post reflects on 24 hours in the thick of things, with John Heighway, who is a commoner on Clee Liberty Common, Shropshire Hills.
Read MoreBirch Tor, Dartmoor, deserted and quiet in the February wind. A short piece of reflection.
Read MoreGraham Goddard is a Dartmoor Commoner, and grazes Dartmoor Ponies on Walkhampton Common. In this piece he shares his thoughts on commons, ponies, government policies around upland farming, and what it’s like to be chair of the commoners association.
Read MorePeat across Dartmoor’s upland commons is a precious habitat and a vital carbon store, but most of it is in poor condition. We head out with David Leach from the South West Peat Partnership to see restoration work in progress on The Forest of Dartmoor.
Read MoreWhat evidence is there of a Roman road on Bampton Common - and why does learning more matter? We spent time with Archeologist Martin Railton to find out more about the 2022 dig on Cumbria’s mountain-top High Street.
Read MoreAcross the commons on the west coast of Cumbria, farmers are joining together to develop landscape-scale learning and collaboration in support of sustainable upland farming. Helen Race, who is one of four facilitators, talks about the journey so far.
Read MoreCommoner Richard Gray talks about his Galloway cows, which roam across vast expanses of the upland commons. He discusses their wellbeing, the benefits of extensive grazing for cows and for nature, and the high quality of the meat. One cow wears a collar which allows Richard to track the movements of the herd and monitor their wellbeing.
Read MoreIn this short film Richard Gray talks about farming and being a commoner in Dartmoor. He keeps cows and sheep, and wants to find the middle ground to keep the pressure off nature and maintain a viable farming business, a wish born from a strong sense of belonging and pride.
Read MoreLake District Commoner Craig Fearon joins two other commoners to gather their herdwick sheep down from the upland commons into Langstrath Valley. A short post with an opportunity to listen in to the calls of farmers echoing around the valley.
Read MoreIn a break from shearing his herdwick sheep on his farm in Grasmere, Will Benson shares his thoughts about farming in the Lake District and the heritage of the upland commons. A 6-minute watch.
Read MoreWhy do commons matter? What do commoners do? A long read touching on habitats, heritage, governance and future thinking, with views from commoner Ann Willcocks in Dartmoor.
Read MoreHow does gamekeeping fit into the bigger picture of caring for land and nurturing a range of wildlife in the upland commons? We met with George Hares on Grassington Common in the Yorkshire Dales to find out more.
Read MoreMatt Betton has been contracted by the Our Upland Commons project to do some active shepherding on Stiperstones, to encourage sheep to graze more widely and in doing so, help to conserve and enhance the very special habitat that supports an abundance of bird and butterfly species.
Read MoreIzzy is a young agricultural student who helps commoner John Heighway on his farm in Shropshire, learning about livestock, commoning and farm business. Here’s a short introduction to her, on a day when she’s tending ewes and young lambs in the fields below Clee Liberty Common.
Read MoreA shepherd’s eye view while gathering sheep in from Kinniside Common in Cumbria’s Lake District. Join Lizzie Weir as she looks for and coaxes sheep away from the common and back to the home farm for sorting.
Read MoreHow can farmers calculate carbon storage when their farming system includes the commons? Farmers in Cumbria are beginning work to develop a new toolkit - we join them on Kinniside Common with Becky Willson from Farm Carbon Toolkit.
Read MoreKinniside Commoners Kevin, Vicky and Pete talk about their life, their attachment to the farming life in Cumbria’s uplands, and the challenges - and hopes - going forwards.
Read MoreCurlews still live and breed on the edge of Long Mynd and around the Shropshire Hills but are threatened. Amanda Perkins from Curlew Country shares the story of years of conservation, and hope for the future.
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