GRASS IS NOT JUST GRASS.

A short walk this morning up towards the cattle grid leading onto the mountain commons.

Either side of the road is a mixture of the more modern fencing and lovely old stone walls.

I love this spot, where the two meet by an old tree and one can see right across the valley.

In the far distance, a recently harvested hayfield and closer to, the lush green pasture being grazed by cattle and out of sight here ... sheep, this farm runs both. They graze grassland differently, sheep eating where cattle will not and yet both re-fertilising the soil with their dung, They are also complimentary by reducing the burdens of the gastrointestinal worms that can effect both species, which can help reduce the cost of drenching the animals against worm infestation.

Sheep are very selective about the plants they eat, cattle are less so and also by tramping the ground they create bare patches of earth which encourages new seeds to germinate. Sadly after the devastation years ago of B.S.E and the continuing concerns about T.B fewer local farmers are stocking both on their farms, but it is a lovely sight to see. And for those who think that grass is just grass ... 

well there is a lot more to it than that. The fields are multi-purpose and a rich variety of grasses and flowering plants are needed to ensure herd and flock are well fed, not only during summer grazing but also these same fields can also be harvested for winter feed in the form of hay, haylage and silage.

Each has a different moisture content, with hay being the driest, silage the wettest.

<<< This field (as you can clearly see) was recently half harvested, unfortunately just after being mown, the rain came (again) and so with the grass just cut and still green, it was baled as haylage. This is when you see the big 4ft bales in plastic wrap which adds about £2 per bale to the cost for the farmer, over many acres that all adds up to the cost of providing winter feed for the sheep and cattle . The harvested acres quickly become green again as the grass (well watered at the moment) starts growing again.

And what happens to all the left overs from cattle kept in barns over the winter?  It's this >>>

A huge mound of winter bedding and dung piled into one giant manure heap quietly rotting down and maturing outdoors which next year will be put in a muck spreader and scattered all over the fields to enrich the pastures for lush summer growth. Good stuff!

This farm also divides the fields with double fenced boundaries, inside which there are hawthorn hedges which have been pleached to form thick new growth and also provides safe haven for many other plants to flower,  areas that are attractive to bees, buterflies and moths. These not only form barriers between fields, they also provide areas for nesting birds and small mammals. The grasses in them, allowed to mature fully are attractive to all these small creatures who rely on areas such as this to survive. I've loved watching the swallows and swifts swooping low over these fields building up their reserves for the long flight to warmer climes, which will be all too soon.

Meanwhile as the season changes into autumnal hues, the vast variety of grasses provide for all sorts of animal, bird and insect life!