High Braythorne Farm

HIGH Braythorne is a family-owned 55 hectare farm set in the Washburn Valley in Lower Wharfedale, Yorkshire. For decades, much of the improved grassland has produced silage but is a ryegrass monoculture. IN 2022 we took a strategic decision to re-focus the farm towards biodiversity integrated with a less intensive farming system. We will do this by re-establishing species-rich grassland and creating a mosaic of habitats incorporating existing permanent pasture, wet grassland, river catchment and ancient woodland. OUR aim is for the ecological changes to be a catalyst for income generation to supplement farming income, which is under pressure as British farming makes a transition away from the European Union subsidy system. 2023 is Year 1 in this transition.