Recently FEP Directors Wendy Jackson, Cllr Johnathan Lane, Regeneration Assistant Lydia Smith and Comms officer Tom Abraham met with Emily Crawley of Grazing Management Ltd, a small family run business bringing their herd of cattle to unused scrub land to restore the natural ecosystem.
Grazing Management Ltd is a conservation grazing business that launched in 2021, they use traditional breed cattle to sustainably manage key sites in the Forest of Dean to improve biodiversity and restore the ecosystem, in areas where it may have been lost or damaged. Where land has fallen by the wayside, often because traditional farming would be impossible due to access, these sites have degraded over time and become bracken filled scrub land. Contrary to popular belief the land would struggle to restore by itself, so this is where the cows come in. Grazing Management use their cattle to improve the biodiversity of the site and restore balance to the land through their “unique grazing patterns, trampling and dunging [to] create a host of environments for invertebrates, small mammals, birds and wildflowers”. The benefits include improved soil quality, fewer weeds and 'undesirable' plants (the cows are currently grazing on areas with Himalayan Balsam), and better nutrient recycling - helping to restore balance where it has been lost.
They use Geofence collars which enables them to keep the cattle in a set area without fencing, which can be expensive and complicated, i.e. having to apply to the Secretary of State. The collars let off a beeping noise when the animal gets too close to the perimeter encouraging them to turn around and stay within the set zone. Geofencing technology also allows the cattle to be monitored by app, which can pick up escapees, sickness, or any other issues well in advance.
The team are keen to engage with the community and recognise the importance of having support from local walkers and horse riders who use the land. They run ‘Meet the Cattle’ public consultations to explain more about their project and the animals, and hopefully remove the intimidation factor. With the animals often grazing on public land and footpaths, it’s important the cattle are reliable around people and dogs. They specifically choose slow and steady breeds known for a docile temperament, and do not use any bulls, young animals, or cows with calves. The public can track the cattle on the app to see where they are and plan their walks around them, offering additional peace of mind.
Grazing Management initially received funding from Severn Trent to start up, and then went on to receive a grant from the Forest of Dean District Council’s Business Start Up Grant, which funded the purchase of two cows. Their herd has now quadrupled in size to 16 cattle and with plans to expand into grazing sheep and goats! Nowadays, most funding comes from Severn Trent, but some landowners pay for the grazing as costs are much smaller compared to that of clearing the land themselves. A huge plus is that there’s no actual landownership involved, so costs are kept minimal and the business can be as flexible as necessary.
Neither Emily or Alex have a farming background, but Alex started the business after a career change and attending Royal Agricultural University. After gaining experience working on various farms and using their experience in separate careers to recognise a gap in the market, they started Grazing Management Ltd. They have also recently won the British Farming Gold Award for New Entrants!
They are now looking to the future of what Grazing Management holds, bigger contracts, more sites, and business expansion
For more information their website is here- feel free to get in touch if you know of any sites they could use!
Main image - Cllr Lane and Emily Crawley with Ringo the cow
Below image - Alex and Emily (centre) at the British Farming Awards after winning Gold in October 2023
