A HOLISTIC grazing strategy at the Croome estate near Worcester has transformed once-impoverished soil into a healthy and natural environment teeming with wildlife.

When the estate's farming tenancy came up for renewal two years ago, the National Trust, which owns the site, seized the opportunity to look for a new way of managing the land as well as providing the right look for the 18th century Capability Brown park.

Farmer Rob Havard, who took the tenancy, is a huge believer in holistic grazing's power to improve the soil and increase organic matter.

For the past two years, he has now been grazing his 40-strong herd of cattle, including Aberdeen Angus and traditional short-horns, on 140 acres of the estate.

Katherine Alker, the estate's outdoors manager, said: "“Our farmer has been grazing here for almost two years using the ‘holistic grazing’ method and we’re very happy with the results we’re seeing.

“The added bonus is significant improvements in the diversity of wildlife that we’ve now got across the park, with mammals such as field voles and harvest mice seen frequently, and kestrels drawn in by increased opportunity for food.”

Holistic grazing involves an individual section of a patchwork of land being fenced off to be grazed.

Mr Havard monitors the grazing and regularly moves the cattle to a new section, preventing overgrazing.

By doing this, grasses and herbs in the meadow have a long time to rest and re-grow which in turn this creates wider bio-diversity providing continuous habitat throughout the year for wildlife.

He said: "It's really satisfying to see the cattle thriving while also enhancing the wildlife and environment the cattle are in.

“When I started farming there was always this tension between the ecology and productivity of the farm business, but with holistic planned grazing everything moves in the right direction giving me the opportunity to expand my small farming business while also enhancing the natural habitats on the land.”

Croome’s parkland has now been transformed from an arable monoculture with impoverished soils as it was when the National Trust purchased it in 1996, to a vibrant carpet of diverse plants.