100+ acre fields stretch across the English countryside appearing symmetrical, orderly and often quite formidable in their vastness. The growing crops mirror each field’s regularity with long tracks appearing equally parallel to one another. The huge machinery used during the harvesting being able to carry out the job seemingly effortlessly. Woodland and hedging that once divided fields was lost during the post war years in a bid to meet the then Government’s policy objectives of more yield efficient arable land and grants were awarded to farmers to support the changes they needed to make. The vast arable fields will and must prevail if British farmers are to continue to succeed in a competitive market. Nevertheless, a few phone calls and emails over the last couple of weeks made me ponder on whether things might begin to alter albeit slightly.
A handful of large-scale farms all with numerous 100+ acre fields have been in contact to discuss short runs of hedging whilst also adding to existing hedges around their arable land. Whether this interest is the start of a new tree planting and hedge restoration policy for these farms remains to be seen, but if the new Agriculture Bill offers some significant financial incentives to re-establish some of the woodland and hedgerows lost in the post War years then we might see a resurgence in arable field hedging.
