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Farming and forestry: Woodlands can benefit your farm
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Tilhill Forestry offers farmers a professional one-stop service for selling woodland generated carbon units, woodland creation, management, and timber harvesting. We help farmers get even better value from otherwise less productive land.
Jack Lydiate © Tilhill
Jack Lydiate is a fifth-generation Welsh farmer whose family owns Tynyberth Farm, a 500-acre organic hill sheep farm. Jack had the forward vision to consider trees and researched the pros and cons.
As a consequence, he decided to plant 120 acres of woodland through the Glastir Woodland Creation scheme on land that was not otherwise seeing a good return. Tilhill guided Jack through the entire process.
Why plant trees?
Income: Jack was worried about the farm’s future income following Brexit and the varying prices in sheep farming. The tree planting income gained from grants and future thinnings ensures a guaranteed income.
Affordability: Tree planting is much more affordable compared to alternative farming investments such as infrastructure such as a pig or chicken shed.
Support: There was minimal work involved as Jack could rely on the professional chartered foresters from Tilhill with, their knowledge and project management skills.
How did Tilhill help?
A professional forest manager walked the site, created the woodland plan, carried out all the necessary assessments, surveys and completed the application to gain the grant.
Tilhill carried out the appropriate ground preparation before planting fast growing conifer species and native broadleaves for biodiversity benefits, all supplied by Maelor Forest Nurseries to ensure a locally grown tree supply. Fencing works to protect the newly planted saplings completed the project.
Tilhill removed many of the risks from Jack as the landowner in terms of establishment and regulation swhich provided peace of mind.
Jack could rely on Tilhill’s connections with CarbonStore to register the woodland carbon generated from the project and connect to a buyer interested in purchasing woodland carbon units.
The benefits of tree planting
Turning less productive bare soil, into woodland has encouraged wildlife, provided shelter to livestock and opened up opportunity for the farm to provide valuable home-grown timber.
Find out more about Jack’s journey to enhance his farm’s income, grow trees, sequester carbon and create a local home-grown timber supply in this video interview.
Jack also discusses the species choice and the added benefits of tree planting, plus why farmers should talk to foresters about the potential of bringing trees back to farms.
Also find out Jack’s thoughts on food vs farming, and how we need to marry sustainable farming with forestry to find the ideal balance: