Waddesdon Farms wins Berks Bucks and Oxon Conservation Award

The Berks, Bucks & Oxon (BBO) FWAG Conservation Award, kindly sponsored by Molyslip Atlantic and John D Wood, is recognised by the farming community within Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire as being a significant competition that promotes environmental best practice within today's commercial farming sector.

It is presented to the farm that is judged to have done the most to encourage conservation (taken to include fauna, flora, landscape and historical interests) and to demonstrate a track record of environmental best practice integrated seamlessly into a commercially successful farming business.

Waddesdon Farms

Waddesdon Farms, part of Waddesdon Estate, was selected as the winner of the award as the judges felt that through a responsible and sympathetic farm operation combined with the strong environmental views of the owners and staff, the farm has managed to run a profitable business whilst retaining and enhancing the historically bio-diverse landscape.

The farm has put in measures such as uncultivated grass margins around all arable fields to provide habitat for rare farmland birds, and managing their woodlands to improve their longevity and provide habitat for species such as moths and butterflies. The estate is also looking at producing renewable energy by installing an anaerobic digester.

Chairman of BBO FWAG, Niel Nicholson - one of the judges said:

"Waddesdon is a vast estate and have managed to identify and enhance a huge variety of conservation and environmental benefits. This has all been done within the remit of running a commercial farming enterprise and having large public pressures (footpaths and house open to the public). They have written a very comprehensive Hedgerow Management Plan which is excellent and have a strong commitment to their CO₂ footprint - the tractors and other vehicles are the lowest emission ones available, and they are looking at renewable energy.  A very impressive winner."

Four farms from across the three counties were originally selected and judged by a panel of judges (all of whom are representatives from the wider farming community) over a period of an hour and a half.  During this time the farms had to show the judges the areas they felt best demonstrated what they had done to enhance the farm for conservation within the farming enterprise. All four farms were of an extremely high standard, with a range of conservation measures having been implemented.

Presentation of the BBO Conservation Award and Cup will be made to Waddesdon Estate at the Bucks County Show on Thursday 27^th August 2009.

Waddesdon Estate will now be entered into FWAG's national annual Silver Lapwing Award.