Restoring Species-Rich Grasslands - An Interview with Toby Diggens

In this series, Toby talks us through the history and origins of the grasslands of Britain to reaping all the magnificent benefits of your own grasslands.

Enjoy!

Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.

Part 4.

Part 5.

Why we milk our own cow - an interview with Bella Lowes

Red Devons were known previously for being a dual-purpose breed however with the way that farming has gone there is no longer a need to produce both. It has become more about producing a big yield of either meat or milk. If people specifically wanted to raise cattle for milk then they’d typically choose a dairy cow such as a Jersey or Guernsey.

When one of our heifers- Izzy had a calf who died last September she could’ve dried up on her own, however there is a degree of discomfort from having a full udder and being her first calf ultimately we wanted her to be able to breed again without any stress or mental strain potentially causing problems in the future. There is also a huge benefit from the hormone Oxytocin being produced during lactation, this can help with so many aspects such as social interaction with other cows, herd relationships, anti-anxiety hormones, happiness and comfort. For all of those reasons we thought we’d at least give it a go so that we could breed from her again and knowing that the milk produced would be out of this world, and sure enough it was.

We’d milked before out of necessity when a cow has had mastitis or if we’d needed to stomach tube a sick or slow calf. However both scenarios were never in a productive or routine way, more in the here and now. This meant that the concept of milking wasn’t completely foreign. You’ll know pretty quickly when you’re doing it wrong, you’ll either get no milk or a kick in the head.

Izzy made it clear quite quickly that she appreciated us milking her and she soon adopted Bella as her calf, she would even groom her whilst also keeping the other cows away. This was due to all the maternal hormones being produced when the nursing began. As time went on Bella noticed Izzy becoming less protective and maternal, the same as she would with a real calf, the natural process of motherhood. However, she still appreciates being milked, she’d walk over to Bella and stand next to her, ready to offer what she had.

Milk is one of the most hydrating liquids you can consume, due to so little waste being produced. The cow is producing milk to grow a calf, hence why it has so many incredible nutrients in it. Red Devons are known for having a lot of fat in their milk which if you’re drinking it raw, unpasteurised, non-homogenised it is very beneficial to you and your digestive system. There’s also lots of friendly bacteria in there, helping your gut microbiome and auto-immune system. Bella had chronic eczema before drinking Izzy’s milk, it has since cleared up a lot and is now manageable. Bella believes drinking raw milk could cure a myriad of physical problems, it’s so nutritionally-dense.

A modern traditional dairy cow is bred for predominantly yield, and generally doesn’t raise it’s own calf and so the goodness of the milk is decreased. When you take away the calf or nursing of the cow, then quite a few of the nutritional benefits will be missing. Some would argue that you’d get better milk from a beef cow rather than the dairy cow, the beef cow usually has a calf to raise meaning nutritious milk will be produced.

Bella has described the process of milking Izzy as going beyond her expectations, the emotional bond she has formed with her and trusting between each other is so powerful. She now has a whole new appreciation for Izzy and her liquid gold. She explains becoming so aware of all of Izzy’s physical movements when under the bucket, her physical and mental health became so apparent to Bella she could read her like a book. She knew when Izzy had mastitis without checking her teats, she knew when Izzy was going to shift her weight through micro-movements and muscle memory so she wouldn’t ever tip the bucket. Izzy was not that tame before being milked. She now trusts most humans around her and accepts them. She keeps Bella present and grateful on a daily basis. In exchange Izzy is also feeling grateful for being milked as much as possible. A very powerful bond between human and heifer.

A Brief History of Red Devons

Red Devon Heifers, circa 1812

Mill Barton, the home of Digg & Co is also home to a herd of Red Devons who are a crucial part of the habitat restoration on the farm. We can now milk one of our cows, produce high-quality meat and keep a very happy herd. Devons are docile and have a calm temperament. They’re comfortable around other people and animals, they do not get aggravated easily or stressed, they’re hardy and can adapt to extreme temperatures.

Valued for their high quality beef and rich milk, known for being the quickest and most active oxen in the British Isles, it’s no wonder the Red Devon has been a national favourite for centuries. Supposedly bought over by the Phoenicians who came to the West Country for tin in the Bronze Age, moving swiftly over to Ireland and Wales from Cornwall by settlers. Research suggests that the only domestic cattle before the Anglo Saxon invasion were the Longifrons, a race of cattle introduced in the Neolithic Age, evidence also suggests the Red Devons are descendants of the Longifrons, going back thousands of years. The cattle travelled all over Britain before being transported over to New England, US with some even ending up down in Florida. Many Devons that were first transported over to the US were used to haul materials up and down the Oregon Trail.

Due to their versatility and dual-purpose throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the breed were valued as the ‘Plough-Ox’, known for their swiftness in harness and speeds of up to 6mph, being unrivalled by others.

Francis Quartly, Cow Cherry 66 and calf, circa 1790

The Devon became very fashionable in the eighteen century, popular amongst progressive and gentrified farms in Britain. The famous herd at the time was that of the Quartly family of the Great Champson farm at Molland nestled below the southern slopes of Exmoor, this would’ve been a wild and rough place to raise a herd of cattle only proving the ability for the Red Devons to withstand tough climates. The herd was established in 1776 by James Quartly, the family having farmed there for over 100 years. On his death in 1793, James Quartly handed over the lease and herd to his son Francis (see above). In 1794, James and his brother started the systematic improvement to the breed, both known for being good stockmen and judges of animals. During the Napoleonic Wars, Civil Wars at the start of the 1800’s, many of the best animals (including Red Devons) were sold for beef to feed the hungry armies, resulting in lack of stock. Francis Quartly recognised the problem and starting buying in some of these animals, outbidding the butchers, and as one noted Devon breeder remarked- taking trump in every hand and retaining them for breeding. Many Quartly females were therefore bought in, however Quartly exclusively used his own bulls in the herd.

Devon Cow by A. Stevens circa 1819

Red Devons eventually became a breed of jet-setters with the breed being exported out to upwards of 30 countries around the world such as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Cuba, USA, Zimbabwe and predominantly Brazil. This was due to a huge rise in demand for high-quality beef worldwide. This eventually gave them a broad genetic diversity and a range of maturity patterns that enable them to perform in a wide variety of economic and environmental patterns. Demand from Australia continued for most of the half of the twentieth century, the USA was also popular patron of the Red Devons until the end of the 1970s. After artificial insemination started to be exported in the 1960s and the risk of moving live animals across international boundaries became prevalent, there was less need to export the breed across continents. In the 1980s the Red Devons were decided to be mixed with the French breed Salers who are also a docile and placid breed. This decision was made after population of the breed nearly crashed, there was also a consumer demand for leaner meat. By mixing the two breeds this eventually helped to ease market demands.

Thomas Coke of Holkham, Norfolk and a prize ox of the type exported to the USA in the early nineteenth century.

From yoke to the butchers slab it’s no wonder the Red Devons became such a prized beast over the centuries. With a rich, diverse history and many air miles they have expanded across continents, enriching the land and economy around them.

Raising and Selling Beef on the farm

After only a few days of starting here at Digg & Co, I’ve been given the opportunity to help Toby & Bella with the sales of their freshly-cut beef, raised and sold here on the farm.

Currently a herd of 25-30, known for their easy temperament and high-quality meat, they definitely fit into the common characteristics of the infamous Ruby Reds. Toby & Bella encourage an ‘Open-Gate’ policy here on the farm providing opportunity to see the time and care that’s put into the herds wellbeing. When I asked Bella what her favourite part of raising their herd was she answered with the simple fact that it keeps them present on a daily basis. Being present is something I believe we all need to harness more of particularly in the climate and world we live in today. Animals and nature have so much to offer when it comes to being in the moment and understanding that there’s a lot we can’t control even with the technology and power we have at our fingertips, most of the time nature has her own plans so we must sit back, take note and work with what we have, accompanied by a positive and sustainable attitude.

Below is an idea of what we sell in our delicious beef boxes (£15.00 per Kilo).

• Individual cuts - Skirt steak, Fillet steak, Rump Steak, Braising cuts, Silverside, Topside, Sirloin, Roasting Joints, Shin and Mince.

• We’re also offering Marrow Bones in kilo packs.

All boxes and cuts are available to pick up from the farm.

To enquire about a Beef Box, please click on the button below to fill out a form or contact Bella directly at ashbarndevon@gmail.com

Enquire about a Beef Box

Beef Box Form

New arrivals

As the last of the summer swallows leave Mill Barton Farm for their long journey south, new life has arrived on the farm in the form of beautiful calves. Bella and Toby’s days are filled with early starts and late evenings, checking on the herd. Old matriarchs and young heifers alike are eagerly watched for signs of who will give birth.

Then suddenly, within a hour or so, there is a young calf, standing there in the field on its own four legs. With each passing hour it grows stronger, nourished by its mother, who herself is nourished by the rich and diverse grassland underfoot. It is heartwarming to see this herd of cattle of all different ages welcome their new members. It is not just calves that grow stronger, but the herd as a whole.

This year, one of the cows unfortunately lost her calf, born backwards, it sadly passed. However, from this bitter situation, a sweet outcome has arisen. The milk that usually strengthen the calves now strengthens the community that has grown here, around the farm. These wonderful creatures are not just strengthening themselves, but also our community here in Mid-Devon.

This is the ever present ebb and flow of life on a farm, constant growth and decay that comes with the passing seasons. We look forward to watching these calves grow in the coming years.

Sophie at Digg and Co. - A year in the field.

I am delighted to be part of the Digg & Co team working on ecologically designed projects. Having joined one year ago as a landscape architecture student, I thought I’d share some of my favourite experiences.

Working part time at Digg & Co during my masters gave me a rich understanding of my dissertation subject on the landscape architect’s role in regenerative agriculture. This was due to the atypical days on the farm and in the studio and speaking with the wider multidisciplinary community of people visiting and supporting the projects. The self-employed aspect meant there was a lot of flexibility if the dissertation writing was flowing more or if the studio project work increased.

Each day we all make sure to take a break from the desk to see what new growth is happening outside, to explore the different habitats on the farm and to discover new routes across the fields. It is definitely a highlight when Louis comes to the farm as this is the best way to learn about all the interactions species have with each other and their environment. We believe there are no better design inspirations for the projects we are working on than from the real-life examples outside, and of course there is also cow spotting…

Toby and Bella helped me to move very comfortably from city life to rural life by providing accommodation as and when needed so that the transition to this new lifestyle happened smoothly. The day-to-day environment is inclusive to all and there are endless opportunities to soak in new understandings of regenerative farming and holistic principles through conversations around the kitchen table, through access of the large library of wildlife resources and through the on-the-ground experiences on the farm (or even from the new studio roof!).

Enjoyable Digg & Co moments include passing by stretching dogs, chasing puppies who are chasing Bella and Toby and cooking the incredible beef from the farm whilst camping on the farm.

One day we made made over 100 litres of apple juice whilst another evening we all went to the local restaurant for a 6 course beef tasting night. Toby and Bella jumped between the dinner tables explaining how the beef had come from their farm and the evening became a celebration of the work the cows are doing in restoring the land. With cows, comes great plant diversity and more opportunities to see beautiful flowers on the farm.

My intention whilst writing my dissertation was to show that Landscape Architects have a key role to play by better orientating horticulture practices and farming methods and contributing towards improved ecological design. I’ve learnt at Digg&Co that Landscape Architects do not simply have the skills to improve the landscapes that link humanity to nature, they also have a moral duty to enhance a far closer connection to the core ecological principles of ecosystem theory. This year I have realised that policy standards need increasing so as to cut back on globally damaging practices. I now am very grateful to be a part of a team achieving this through holistically designed projects leading by example.

P.S. I now work as a landscape architect for Digg & Co., where the journey continues. :)

Devon's First Habitat Bank - Puddington Moor

Since the new year we have been working with the Environment Bank to create the first strategic habitat bank in Devon. An restoration offset to land currently being destroyed by building houses.

In 2020 we purchased Puddington Moor, a 25 acre field at the top of a highly polluted catchment. A field so battered by the growing of intensive swedes that even 2 years later there is still bare soil, which is so compacted it burns off in only 4-5 days of sunny weather.

However, the power of natural restoration is strong and slowly but surely the land, with plenty of help from us, has begun to respond. This autumn we spread 30 round bales of species rich hay from a friend called Luke Hext, who has the most amazing culm meadows. Grassland full of Sneezewort, Devils Bit Scabious, Southern Marsh Orchid, whose seed is in the green hay, is now all over Puddington, waiting for the perfect moment this winter to germinate and begin restoring the soil.

Here is a video that we shot with the Environment Bank highlighting the work to do, the work we’ve done and the potential benefits of using biodiversity net-gain to provide an income as the land restores. In time we will be able to carry more cattle on the farm, whose beef, raised on wildflowers, trees and funghi will deliver significant benefits to all who eat it. A circle of life so finely tuned by nature but ignored by us for so long.

Enjoy the video and see you soon. Toby

WBEP - Update 2

Much has been done since we last put pen to paper about the Wendling Beck Environment Project. Including a new website: click here to take a look. In case you were wondering, Digg & Co., has been involved since the beginning and our work has spanned from initial masterplanning and ecological design into more detailed management plans and habitat mapping as the project moved from planning to the delivery stages.Along with this more technical work, an important part has been to visualise this new future.

Restoration work is often bound up in data and reams of text, but an artistic view of what we hope to create allows everyone, from all angles, to see into what will be created. We find that hand drawn images convey this far more emotively as one can never create something too perfect. In many ways this low on detail perspective allows us all to fill in our own blanks and become creative in light of stimulation. One of the drawings we made for the project is below. A bird’s eye view of the interlinked habitats as they may one day be.

A bird’s eye view of some of the project area

Over 220 acres of land has already been seeded with locally sourced native wildflowers which will begin the process of ecological restoration for a myriad of grassland types. These will gradually emerge as subtle variations in soil moisture, pH, nutrition and fungi all exert their influences on the landscape. The hope is that through these natural forces, a wide and highly biodiverse structure is established, which can then be gently steered through traditional hay making and contemporary stockmanship, to reach excellent levels of species richness.

As the summer approaches we will be taking regular visits to watch and learn from nature as she begins the process of repairing the soil. The project is blessed to be supported by universities and professionals alike, who during this rebirth of the land will be watching too, albeit with instruments and clipboards to closely monitor how the land responds and where to make changes for next time. We still have another 1700 acres to do!

For us, the next steps are to assist in the restorations of other areas and habitats, some of which are fairly complex, such as floodplain meadows and wood pasture. We are also looking forward, more than anything else, to seeing how the serendipitous nature of these landscapes ebb and flow in the early years and which plants, insects, fungi, birds, mammals, etc., decide to once again call this landscape home.

It is without doubt one of the wonders and luxuries of this work, that when most of the thinking is complete, we can step back and watch the natural world with awe as it reconnects the millions upon millions of threads of life which we all rely on every day.

Catch up soon.

Toby.

Life at Digg and Co.

Autumn turns to winter at Digg and Co. HQ. The last leaves fall from the trees around the farm, wellies and waterproofs become a daily essential, and a roaring fire keeps us warm as we work in the studio. Being part of Digg and Co. is more of a lifestyle than just a desk job, but that’s what makes it so special.

The studio, nestled amongst the rolling hills of Devon, acts as the meeting point for a network of people collaborating on projects of many different scales, but all based around habitat restoration and nature recovery. Studio life isn’t defined by a typical ‘employer/employee’ hierarchy, but rather operates as a collection of individuals who each bring a different skill set to the table. We each have our strengths, and work is divided as such: amongst the team we are landscape architects, farmers, ecologists, architects, garden designers, environmentalists, interior designers. It is this diversity of minds, sitting around a table, discussing big ideas (over a cup of tea, of course) that makes the studio feel so exciting and dynamic. We are constantly learning from one another, challenging the idea that ‘design’ is a distinct discipline. In the early stages of my career, having graduated from university two years ago, it’s awesome to still be learning every single day, and to be constantly exposed to and challenged by ideas outside of my area of knowledge.

The pattern of work is variable depending on project timelines, weather/seasons, and the demands of a working farm. Some weeks will be all hands on deck in the studio - the final push on a big project ready to start on site. Other weeks will be all hands on deck on the farm - the last window of fine weather to bale the hay before the rain comes in. Most weeks are somewhere in between - a studio day punctuated by planting bulbs or checking up on the cattle. It’s awesome to have this direct connection between learning in the studio and learning in the field (literally). We can make observations on a micro scale and return to the studio to apply our understanding to projects immediately, of up to tens of thousands of acres.

Having lived my whole life in a city, moving to (very rural) Devon felt like an exciting new chapter for me. Of course, there were feelings of doubt: I was moving 350 miles South of where I grew up, leaving behind many friends and family, starting a new job and, of course, there’s the whole farming thing! Not coming from a farming background, I’ve had a lot of learning to do on that front. I’m still adjusting to being totally relaxed amongst a herd of excited cattle, and have had a lot of lingo to catch up on (Steers? Heifers?). Hand-milking a cow or driving a quad bike aren’t exactly skills you pick up when living on a terraced urban street. But with the support of the Mill Barton gang, and the desire to learn more, I’m starting to get the hang of things around here, growing my confidence each time we head out onto the farm. It’s completely eye-opening, gaining a deeper understanding of how these animals are key players in ecosystems, of how food is produced, and of the workings (or, not-workings) of the UK food system.

Although the population is sparse, the sense of community feels extremely strong in Devon, and this is reflected in the studio culture. Each day we share lunch, taking turns to collect veg from the garden, cooking or washing up. We help each other out, dog-sitting or picking up shopping. Work blurs into life and life blurs into work, with a post-work bbq on a summer evening or a pint in the pub on a lousy November night. I’m lucky enough to call my colleagues friends. It’s much more encompassing than a ‘typical’ job, but the energy generated by spending time with like-minded people with a common passion and goal, living alongside nature and the seasons, is infectious. Six months in, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else.

Learning from Nature

This year has seen some deeply humbling work come through the studio. None more profound than beginning a journey of restoration and recovery within the highlands of Scotland.

Together with Glen Falloch estate and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, we are pioneering novel ways of restoring biodiversity, repairing damaged and over-grazed land and linking remnant patches of ancient upland forest.

We can’t say much more for now, save sharing this video, which was shot whilst on location in one of the peatland re-wetting projects.

This was produced by the national park for COP26.

Developing natural solutions to climate change with Glen Falloch Estate and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

The Wendling Beck Exemplar Project

Digg & Co. Studio have been part of the story of the Wendling Beck Exemplar Project from its inception. It is a multi-landowner natural capital project focusing on biodiversity net-gain and regenerative agriculture.

The Wendling Beck Masterplan

Initially we were asked to formulate a landscape scale masterplan which encompassed the vision of 5 landowners who have come together to deliver a groundbreaking nature based solutions project over 2000 acres. This was conducted by taking an initially geological approach followed by soils, connectivity and climate based analyses to garner the best possible habitats from the current arable land. This was combined with cultural landscape studies and historic mapping data we gathered along the way.

The landscape was then ecologically baselined and we are now at the stage of designing the new habitats within the sphere of the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric. This wide open area of woodlands, savannah and grassland will act as an offset to development and infrastructure both locally and nationally, and create a core of amazing biodiversity right in the heart of Norfolk. From wetlands to heathlands, the beleaguered natural state of this little corner of England is about to get a great deal more exciting. :)

It is with great excitement that we announce that a recent funding bid has been won to progress this multi-faceted sustainable income based model of habitat recovery to the next step.

CLICK HERE to watch the video supporting the project.

CLICK HERE to read the Eastern Daily Press article about the project’s success.

The Landscape of Home

We started work on the Ash Barn landscape in October 2019 with a species rich sowing of native wildflowers around the boundary and out of the way of the main building works. This is really its first summer of being somewhat established.

Into the varying soil profiles we have planted and further seeded European perennials to enhance the wild and exuberant nature of this tended habitat. The aim is symbiotically link the surrounding hinterland of native woodlands and scrub with a fireworks display of ecologically appropriate plants in a mildly domestic setting.

The blend of textures and forms as well as mutualistic support of European insects, funghi and other biota is the web that underpins how the garden will develop over the coming years and underpins our thinking of how to create rich plantings in various settings.

We look forward to showing you more as new areas recently recovered from rubble spring forth with this vision.

Speak soon | Toby.

The Difference of a Day - 3rd February 2021

Sometimes in a year there seem to be moments where the axis of the season shifts. A sudden burst of speed, like the Merlin and Skylark we watched this morning as they wove their dance of survival across the freshening sky.

Rain has pervaded the soul down here in Devon. The river runs past the farm like a commuter late for the last train. It carries with it all the idiosyncrasies of our combined impact on the landscape. Sediment from fields washed out and dirty farmyards full of hungry, housed and horny beasts.

But today, the other half of the skylark pair was on the wing over the Gratton. Watching closely no doubt as the Merlin nearly cut short the life of its kin. One can understand why Vaughan William’s ‘The Lark Ascending’ is the most played and most popular piece of classical music in Britain today. The inspiration he saw and heard is so profound that it could be one of the finest examples of natural abstraction creating popular culture. Certainly the soaring notes we heard this morning have heralded this feeling of advancement.

Notably too, the grass. Yesterday the thermometer breached 10 degrees and by this morning, patches of beaten down meadow had flushed green. Another little hint at oncoming warmth and the return of plentiful insects.

On Mill Barton we farm alongside nature. Since January 1st we have cut and laid 250m of hedge, returning the chippings to the hedgebank from where they were first converted from soil and sunlight into the trees now laid on their side. We have also planted another 100 native tree species. But not as a wood. Alongside native meadow restoration of varying soil type and plant community, we are encouraging copses and glades to spring up amongst the grasslands. This eventual mosaic of wood pasture, open meadow and scrubby boundaries are strategically designed to allow summer shade, but also to temper and cut down the fierce wind which blows across the land from all directions.

For now we have to wait and endure the next round of cold before these little shoots of change and dynamism burst forth into the spring sunshine. But today, despite the long range forecast, life has moved on in a great hare’s leap.

Camp Farm - Autumn Visit 2020.

The Autumn came in with a bang this weekend. Storm Alex brought wind and rain to the Devon studio. However, only a few weeks earlier we were bathing in the last vestiges of summer heat and it was during that time that I managed to head across to Norfolk to see one of my favourite recent projects. The wild meadow/prairie garden at Camp Farm near Sheringham. The video below is a little walk round after the first full season on growth.

Throat Farm July 2020

We re-visited Throat Farm on Exmoor last night. This little cottage has stood in the ‘throat’ of the Harthanger Wood valley near Luxborough for hundreds of years, changing hands between farmers abode to farm workers digs and today a wonderful pair, who saw the potential of the location, call it home.

As you wind down the long gravel drive the little pink cottage is surrounded by native woodland and species rich grassland harbouring orchids, rare perennials and Common Blue butterflies.

We set to work last April on the landscape, crafting seating areas, plumbing the downpipes into stone troughs and retaining the steeper slopes in the vernacular ditching stone of the moor.

The final touch was to mix plug plants with a bespoke seed mix, which suited to the soil, aspect and the desire for a wild garden similar to what was found when the property was acquired.

Yesterday evening, as the sun spread long shadows from the Harthanger wood above, this is what one year of growth had achieved.

Enjoy the weather.

Toby

1700 Trees and counting..

When Digg & Co. first began, we knew we wanted to be somewhere that fitted with our lifestyle and mission. We felt that nothing was more appropriate than to position ourselves slap bang in between two of our iconic National Parks - Exmoor and Dartmoor. With open space and moorland within easy reach for inspiration, and an obvious shift change in the public’s mentality towards landscape, as both function and aesthetic, we are excited to be part of, and witness, the restoration of nature through projects which mirror these places and this momentum.

It is exciting to hear how the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor has recently undertaken some work to re-profile a stream which runs through their land, and how this added complexity is already improving water quality and water storage. Coupled with that, on January 30th, two Eurasian Beavers were released into a wet woodland enclosure on the estate to continue the works of natural flood management.

In the press release from the National Trust the project manager, Ben Eardley, emphasised the role Beavers have to play in natural flood management:

‘“The dams the beavers create will slow the flow, holding water in dry periods which will reduce the impact of drought. They will help to lessen flash-flooding downstream, reducing erosion and improving water quality by holding silt and pollutants.'“

Dave & Paco replanting a historic hedge. In the background you can see the woodland copses planted to aid habitat, give shelter to animals and add root structure to the hillside.

Whilst this is one solution for mitigating additional rainfall and winter weather made increasingly intense due to extra warmth in the atmosphere, another method, which does not require running water at all, is to plant trees in strategically designed locations.

I say designed because one must look at landscapes from an ecosystem point of view; we should not unknowingly start planting trees on a piece of habitat which may have more value than the intended wood. For example, if you would like to plant a wood to slow run-off upstream, buffer an agricultural field, or increase a timber holding, then first identify the land type on which you intend to plant. An arable field will be low in organic carbon (most likely), devoid of native species, and the soil structure will be weak due to years of ploughing and heavy machinery. On the other hand, a species rich flower meadow, now as rare as hen’s teeth would result a significant loss of important habitat and associated wildlife.

On the farm above the studio we take this approach. By employing landscape architecture techniques and both GIS and other proprietary mapping software, we can determine the best places for woodland creation with specific goals. So far we have planted 1700 trees this planting season with another 400 still to go.

The landscape will become more resilient to water and run-off, we will capture carbon during the growing season and add diversity to the revenue streams without risking the loss of valuable habitat.

Biomimicry in the Highlands

The Digg & Co. Studio team took a little break up to Scotland to study wilder landscapes and what is being done in more remote parts of the country to restore and repair ecosystems which were once far more vibrant. From tree planting and deer exclusion measures on the shores of Loch Lomond, to the comeback of vibrant heather moorland after the removal of sheep farming, it was fascinating to witness the complex interrelationships of how plants and animals have evolved to coexist, and how the current reductionist style of agriculture is homogenising one of our last great open expanses of landscape.

The key take away was speed! Speed of grazing and re-grazing, and the effects that blanket set stocking has on complex ecological systems. Where patches have been left to recover over a year or more, the rapid speed of germination and increase in biomass and diversity was everywhere. In this wet and fairly temperate landscape, growth comes easily, especially to trees. But, where sheep and deer have been allowed to linger, untended and never moved, the steady but severe reduction in diversity was clearly evident. So much so, that in one glen, where sheep have been allowed to wander aimlessly with no control, the resulting short lawn had done little to stop a cloud burst, which threatened the livelihoods of all who work below when the river became a raging deluge this summer. It is interesting, because I visited another area close by just after the floods, a patch of commercial forestry, and these two landscape types (both human) were by far the worst affected (coincidence perhaps..).

Coming back to the grazing conundrum, and taking a leaf out of André Voisin’s and Allan Savory’s holistic grazing methods, the solution for adding huge amounts of abundance and natural wonder to these upland areas, and in this case a National Park, is to manage the grazing appropriately with planned methods which remove the mouths of sheep and deer from certain areas for elongated periods of time. In many cases this might be a number of years in order to allow saplings, heather etc. to grow above the height of hungry mouths. But soon after this, they should be allowed back in, to graze off new shoots quickly before being moved on to fresh growth. This way they would never overgraze any areas, the ‘mob’ effect would lead them to being less picky and the diversity of the understory and moorland would increase. I am of the opinion, that this increase would far outweigh the current method of total exclusion, where, once woodland has established, the resulting understory, denuded of its natural refreshers, the deer, grows rank and monotonous with large areas of bog myrtle, ancient heather and moor grass. In fact, this total exclusion probably reduces diversity further from a floral perspective, but seems to increase abundance and diversity in bird species.

So how does one do this? The farmer is a beleaguered individual, especially in the hills, he/she is overworked, underpaid and completely at the mercy of sometimes savage weather. But as with all humans, he/she is looking after a system which is so complex the world’s best scientists could still not tell you how it all fitted together and herein lies the problem, the oversimplification of a highly dynamic system, which never evolved to be farmed like we do today. When sheep starburst across a hill, is that natural? If a wolf prowled the shadows each night, would they graze alone? No. Similarly, when a hillside starts to lose its birdsong, grouse, deer even, should you leave your sheep to continue reducing the landscape to a poorly managed turf? No. All we have as precedents for biodiversity are wild ecosystems, so why aren’t we using them as our guides?

Once you become a farmer, like we are down in Devon, you take on a role that is extremely humbling. You begin a process of oneness with the landscape you farm. This journey from now on, must be ecological, and a farming education must include a strong understanding of ecology. This may sound radical, but we must stop looking after our animals and instead look after our landscapes, for the landscape is your animal. They have a far closer connection than you ever will, but they cannot make the decision when to move to new pasture if you have given them no choice. They also cannot know that the simple process of herding generated the biodiversity we have today, when to them, herding is annoying and something reserved for surviving attack. But in this case, the ecosystem has evolved that way. I would be grumpy if I was a sheep and had to rub shoulders with my smelly relatives all the time, but if it kept me safe I would do it. In the case of our ecosystems this top down pressure of herding through predation gave us orchids and wildflowers and bees and myriad birds. Without this ceaseless fear exacted on the grazer, they simply eat too much too often and with that an entire complex ecosystem slowly ceases to exist.

So if you are a farmer, or a deer manager, align yourself more to the role of the wolf. Maybe stop considering your stock as the only important thing that you have, and instead look to the historic landscapes that once clothed your home, and begin to build them back by using your stock as a tool for restoration. We have begun doing this at home and the health and happiness of not only our animals but actually ourselves has radically improved, and so, with each new spring, and each new herald of the morning sunlight caught in the spirit of ever increasing birdsong you will know you are growing your land’s richness and securing an exciting future where we can all profit, not just people.

Toby.

Further Reading:

Call of the Reed Warbler by Charles Massy

Holistic Management by Alan Savory with Jody Butterfield.

New Life for 2020

At the time of writing, the lingering mists of winter cling to the leafless woods. Rain, ever present in the South-west, rendered the heavy clay land useless for a trial of keeping our 16 strong herd of Devon Ruby Cattle out and about. The aim had been to open up the whole farm so they could forage the woodlands, meadows and wet fens. Not so. And with one particular field under a “Culm Grassland’ restoration scheme, it became clear that, despite best made plans, and more rain than Noah might have seen on the first few days of the flood, we would be forced to bring them in to see out the the soaking weather; their feet action, when too numerous, poaches the land which can then become compacted and refuses to accept rainfall like it should.

The Atlantic stream of wet did ease slightly just before Christmas, and, as we are currently working hard on our house (Nature Barn), we pressed on with lots of re-pointing and repair works in time to down tools before the festive season.

Nature Barn after some serious TLC and re-pointing. Now ready for the timber frame corner.

It is strange how sometimes just seeing a few days of sun during winter can remind you of what the spring will hold. Frost seemed to evade us when the sun did shine, which was perfect for our lime mortar, but there is a particular brilliance to a morning when those perfect little crystals cling to everything. It has an ephemeral charm that nothing can match. The earlier you see in the day, the more perfect it seems to be.

Christmas and New Year came and went in their traditionally manic fashion, and after 4 months of solid building, this one was really needed. Bella and I escaped to Norfolk to my old home and spent many hours walking and conversing with the family. The ever present deliberations of how to offer wildlife a long term future in our countryside and cities was one of the richest topics; the choice of books reflecting this. It seems important in these times to never stop learning. For transitioning to an ecologically based model requires careful thought and perpetual iterations. No one is perfect, but together we will do it.

Returning to Devon, and on a sunny morning the day after New Year, Jackie came down from the cow barn with big news.

“You better come quick.. We’ve got a new calf!”

Totally unexpected. A little Bull. It seems that it was wet for a reason.. as we would never have found him if they had still been foraging the landscape.

More to come.

Toby

A la Ronde, South Devon

A sixteen-sided house, sat overlooking the Exe estuary in south Devon, designed and built by two unmarried 18th century women sounds like the beginning of a possible historic, fictional novel by Zadie Smith. It is in fact the true story of Jane and Mary Parminter who in 1796 following a ten-year Grand Tour of Europe embarked upon the challenge of building their own exquisitely designed house with estuarine views in the south west of England.

The house elevated above wildflower meadow pasture and with estuary views holds a commanding position. Built during Napoleon’s advancement through Europe, completed the same year of his battle at Caldiero, the prospect of invasion was real. The Battle of Fishguard in 1797 was a French invasion landing in Wales. Due to this threat, the ladies planned in tunnels below the house in case there was an imminent need to escape. The estuary position today, a welcome retreat and beautiful, but on the date of its inception, a riskier location.

Jane and Mary Parminter were two unmarried, well-educated, wealthy, young ladies. They were cousins who, with the option of marriage to a likely chosen suitor chose a very different and unconventional path for women of their time.

Perhaps they would have been better suited to our current social times than the late 18th century. This all makes A la Ronde that bit more exciting and adventurous. Adventurous in spirit, the ladies tour of Europe led them to create a house imbued with a sense of novelty.

The novelty of what travelling brings and the learning and ingesting of new designs, aesthetics guided their ideas. Based supposedly on the octagonal chapel of San Vitale in Ravenna, the sixteen sides, octagonal hallway and diamond windows fitted onto every corner are totally unique, locally and nationally.

The length and the breadth of where they travelled to and what they saw is mirrored in the amalgamation of styles and designs within the house. Small cupboards slotted in between rooms housing crockery and more unsightly objects are attractive and ingenious uses of space. The diamond windows use the Georgian sash technology but are altered. The sixteen-sided house allowed the ladies the ability to follow the sun at all times of the day leading to their final and most famous element of the house, the Shell Gallery.

The shell gallery on the upper walkway is an 8-sided shell encrusted grotto, designed and crafted by the cousins using shells they collected on their travels and others combed from the beaches of the Exe estuary below the house.

There is an air of the Bloomsbury set’s Charleston farmhouse to A la Ronde. Years before the likes of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell were adorning the walls, doors, pottery and really anything they could cover with paintings and frescoes, Jane and Mary Parminter were encrusting A la Ronde’s walls and cornices with feathers, shells and different decorative painting techniques. Ingenious shutters for the diamond windows seem to be taken straight out of a Southern Italian villa with linen and netting to keep out the sun’s rays and keep a coolness to the rooms as the sun travelled around the property.

Beautifully crafted pietradura tables, clearly taken straight from their time in Florence on their Grand Tour sit alongside the feather fireplace surround. Shells sit within cabinets, perhaps too large or rejected from the grotto but stunning in their assembly. The entire house should be valued for showing how ingenuity, time and not taking design too seriously can create although small, unique masterpieces.

A la Ronde is injected with a sense of adventure and creativity. These were two women who eschewed convention and with it, embraced their freedom, chose instead to further their love of craft and design. In doing so they created a house that is almost unmatched in the country. Not set within a real sense of local vernacular, nor distinctly of the Georgian era, the house has a whole set of rules and aesthetic of its own.

Rivalled only in terms of curiosities and idiosyncrasies, is perhaps the Sir John Soanes Museum on Lincoln Inn Fields. The degree of eccentricity of rooms filled with shells, busts, antiquities, ‘nick-nacks’ is makes both properties wealthy treasure troves. What makes A la Ronde that little bit more unusual however is the basic matter of sex. One property is owned by a typical 18th century gentleman architect. The other owned by two unmarried wealthy ladies eschewing convention. Sir John was expected to travel to the continent and learn and bring back ideas and objets from his travels. Ladies were not.

Jane Parminter was the daughter of a wealthy Devon merchant who upon her father’s death, inherited a substantial fortune. Her wealth allowed the ladies to create the property at A la Ronde. Written into her will was the decree that the house should never be owned by a male heir and should always be passed down to unmarried female relatives. This held true for much of the life of A la Ronde. It has had one male owner who, although Jane may not have approved, made some needed restoration works and assisted in keeping the property together until the National Trust finally took control of the house in 1991. Having survived many years of possible redevelopment threats, with the roof being currently restored the house is set to live on for many years for women and men alike to enjoy the ideals and peculiarities of these two progressive and impressive women.

Nature Barn

Situated above a traditional Devon long house with far reaching views to Dartmoor and mid Devon’s rural landscape in the foreground, the Nature Barn commands a striking position.

The barn was built in the 19th century, with typical farm vernacular for a threshing barn including large full height doors on opposing sides and a run of calving pens to the south side. As is customary for buildings of this kind, the barn is made up of many styles and materials. With little investment valued for buildings such as this, the mismatched material palette is typical of the area. Patches of cob make way for large masonry portions, interspersed with arrow slit windows, leading to full height doors, interrupted by large concrete blocks. There is no uniform style. What materials were available were used and they filled in the gaps.

Chapters of changes of use, new owners, the loss of animals from the barns and it then lying dormant have passed and the next launches a much more holistic era to the edifice.

With a name still in the offing, the barn’s next life aims to bring it to the fore of modern and architectural design. Its greatest characteristic will be that it aims to be the first residential Living Buildings Challenge accredited house in the UK.

This is no mean feat. With stringent regulations and boxes that need checking, the barn, to be turned into a residential dwelling with as little impact on the planet as humanly possible. It has been meticulously planned and designed with its inhabitants in mind but its wider environmental impact even more at the fore.

Intended is to create a carbon neutral home, with as much recycled materials as possible while embedding the house into the landscape and seeing architecture and the land it sits upon as one entity. Buildings can sometimes be perched on landforms with no relationship to their surroundings, let alone feed its immediate perimeter. Integrated water systems have been designed on the Nature Barn meaning waste water will be filtered into a series of pools that sit below the house on a natural slope.

Structured like an integrated constructed wetland, the pools, filled with plants to filter the water will allow the water to be fed straight back into the River Dalch at the bottom of the valley, naturally cleaned and purified.

Other design details to ensure the house is as well integrated into its landscape as possible are a bridge linking the car parking area with the bank to the north. This will be a continuous green passage straight out of the bank, from the farm to the house. Material choices have been made to ensure that materials travel no further than 15 miles to the construction site. Much of what is being proposed has a fastidious and meticulous nature to it that would perhaps put off some newbie designers. But for the current owners, these challenges are what will define it. Design is nothing but encountering problems and then finding numerous solutions. The design for the nature Barn is trying to find the ultimate solution to the ultimate challenge. How do we, humans, continue to grow and create without impacting on our finitely resourced world? How can design and innovation and therefore creation, from resources, continue to grow the human realm but not wreak havoc upon the natural world in return?

Within this challenge, the potential solutions are many and exciting. The more obvious options such as recycling of materials, upcycling, solar and biomass fuel, excellent insulation are all planned.

Set within these material usages are the many crafts people who will be working on the project. To try to make the designs as organic as possible, much of what is being designed will be worked out on site, reading the building, listening to it rather than rigorously planning and forcing the building in contortions that may, once chunks of cob or render have first been pulled away will no longer fit the existing conditions.

To make the barn work, the design must morph to the will of the building.

At the beginning of this month, the existing concrete slab was unceremoniously dismembered but celebrated as the first large chunk of removal got underway.

What will follow will be a test for the many local masons, builders, carpenters and the designers to keep unravelling what is there and with that, what is to be done.

The view of Dartmoor to the south is to be framed by a large floor to ceiling height glazed corner window that come rain or shine will look out to the mysterious landscape. The clients vast book collection will line the walls of not only the sitting room with full height library shelves but also in the mezzanine studio.

A true living building, the cobbled atrium is to have a tree (as yet undefined species) that will sit beautifully in the double height space and have feelings of Japan and the great crafts of the far east. The tree will be visible from many of the rooms of the house, being the unifying element of the house

There are many months to come and with them, regular updates due with images, tales of the highs and the lows. A journey we hope many of you can join us on.