FARMING
Dunsbury Farm
You often hear the phrase ‘A model example’, well Dunsbury Farm is
a farm that can easily be described as a ‘Model Farm’. It ticks all the
right boxes in how a modern, well run and diversifying farm can work
whilst improving the surrounding environment.
Patrick and Susannah Seely bought Dunsbury Farm eight years ago,
Patrick’s family once owning it around 40 years previously. They set
about preserving the traditional farm buildings and improving the modern
barns. At the same time they wanted to enrich the countryside around
them. Recent previous tenants of the farm having had scant regard for trees,
copses and hedgerows.
Susannah entered the farm into a ‘Countryside Stewardship Scheme’ which
has resulted in over 2000m of hedgerows being planted and laid (some
by Patrick himself ). Beetle banks have been created and wild-bird mixes
planted. This year one of the farm ponds had a ‘make-over’, opening up the
encroaching shrubby edge to allow light to hit the surface and cleaning out
ditches that feed water to the pond.
One of the small copses on the farm has been entered into a ‘Woodland
Grant Scheme’ with all the family playing a part in coppicing coupes in the
wood and replanting native trees and shrubs, such as English oak, field
maple, hazel and guelder rose.
The farm business has developed also. They now sell their own lamb,
which is expertly reared and professionally butchered on the farm. This is
not only marketed at local shows and farm shops but they acknowledge that
they must look for a wider market and frozen or chilled boxes are delivered
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to Island homes and sent by overnight courier all over England.
Within the last twelve months they have converted one of the traditional
farm buildings to self catering accommodation. To add to the attraction
they can offer stabling facilities for guests to bring their own horses. This
is ideal, as Dunsbury Farm has numerous bridleways and footpaths starting
from the front door and leading to a myriad of further tracks that lead for
miles from Freshwater to Newport and beyond.
In recognition of their contribution to managing the countryside
Patrick and Susannah were awarded the ‘Wight Wildlife Award’ at this
year’s Hedgelaying Competition.
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