NEW FOOTPATH SIGNS HELP ORGANIC FARMS STAND OUT

05 January 2002

Countryside lovers, ramblers and bird watchers alike will be able to tell if they are walking through an organic farm, rich in wildlife and plant species, from January onwards thanks to new footpath signs being erected by members of the Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative (OMSCo).

Information boards, designed to increase understanding of the benefits of organic farming for the countryside and encourage people to drink organic milk are appearing along countryside footpaths as members of (OMSCo) make people aware of their surroundings and the organic methods behind what they see.

Organic dairy farmers are encouraging countryside lovers, wildlife lovers and ramblers of all ages to make use of the public footpaths crossing their farms, as part of a nationwide initiative to make the almost forgotten link between a thriving countryside and farming practices.

Organic dairy farmers are justly proud of the environmental benefits which their organic practices have brought and want to educate consumers. In a recent member survey conducted by OMSCo, most had noticed increases in wildlife on their farm since going organic. 85% of OMSCo farmers asked had noticed an increase in worms, insects and birds on their farm. 58% of members had noticed an increase in mammals after adopting environmentally friendly practices such as biennial hedge cutting, which encourages wildlife, and after scrapping the use of synthetic pesticides.

In recent years, there has been a dramatic decline in our farmland wildlife from birds to wildflowers. For example, almost half of the 44 species of butterflies breeding in lowland grassland are in decline and farmland birds have declined by 30% since 1970.

Organic farming practices are generally accepted as helping increase biodiversity. For example, in one study measuring levels of biodiversity on different farms, 18 of the top 20 farms were organic.3 Organic farms have also been found to contain 5 times as many wild plants and 57 more plant species than conventional farm4.

Organic farmers have adopted a range of practices which benefit wildlife that has led leading wildlife groups to acknowledge the environmental benefits of organic farming. English Nature says: wider adoption of the environmental considerations which are now the hall-mark of the organic farming system would be helpful& this is necessary to help reserve the serious decline of wildlife on farmland.

The Council for the Protection of Rural England has concluded that organic farming encourages maintenance of mixed farming which can be important in landscape terms and supports diversity of wildlife habitats and the RSPB believes that organic farming systems benefit the environment.

Sally Bagenal, Chief Executive of The Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative said: We want to encourage all those who can, to visit their beautiful countryside.

Our members positively welcome the use of public footpaths on their farms by walkers and ramblers young or old! You never know, you may even see a Sky Lark or a Lapwing, which are now in steep decline in England.

Our farmers are offering you a great opportunity for you to go, see and learn about organic dairy farming and its environmentally friendly methods.

If you want details of an OMSCo farm near you then call 01934 750 244.

Ends

For further information please contact:
The Drink Organic team at Grayling PR, on 0117 922 77 99.

Editors Notes:
The RSPB is converting 20% of its grazed land to organic, is supporting the Organic Targets Bills and is campaigning for increased government funding for organic farming.

References:
1. National Farmers Union, 1998, Landscape in Peril, NFU, London, p11
2. Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999 Quality of Life Counts. Indicators for a strategy for sustainable development of the United Kingdom: a baseline assessment. DETR, London p318.
3. Unpublished work by Dr Lisa Norton, National Environmental Research Council.
4. David Nicholson-Lord, The Independent 7 July 2001