Woodhead Farm

Farmer: Hugh Broad

Address: Woodhead, Gifford, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 4JL

Member since 2003 and LEAF Demonstration Farm since 2004

The Farm

Located in East Lothian, Woodhead Farm is a 217 hectare family run arable farm, providing contract farming services to five other local farms and producing a range of combinable crops. Its undulating land lies 135 meters above sea level and the soil type is Humbie series with an annual rainfall of 675mm. The farm is home to a range of diverse habitats including areas of ancient and semi-natural woodland, new plantations, species-rich permanent grassland and open arable farmland. Woodhead is divided by two burns, which link into wetlands and ponds. The marches and field boundaries are lined with hedges, ditches and dry stone dykes to form a rich mosaic. Sustainable intensification is practiced with crop production concentrated on the field centres, allowing good management of the biodiverse field margins. Winter wheat, spring malting barley, oil seed rape and milling oats are grown; Winter wheat and spring barley for the distilling trade and oats for Quaker.

Activities

The farm is managed with a view of protecting and enhancing biodiversity to form a wealth of valuable habitats for wildlife, including grey partridges, skylarks and brown hares. Over the years, a programme of tree, shrub and hedge planting has been implemented, construction of a conservation reservoir, fencing of species-rich waterside margins and establishing buffer strips next to all water courses. In addition, there are several beetle banks and conservation headlands on the farm that provide ground nesting for farmland birds and beneficial insects.

Visits

Come and visit Woodland and see how they are combining environmental sensitivity with running a profitable business. Visits can be arranged throughout the year through the LEAF office.

Visit this farm

Click here to arrange a visit to this LEAF Demonstration Farm.