Rebecca Pow MP has visited a farm in Aylesbury to see how a recently created floodplain is delivering high quality food whilst protecting the environment.

The Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience paid a visit to Rose Dale’s Organic Farm at Manor Farm in the village of Chearsley, run by the owner and farmer Rose Dale who has worked closely with River Thame Conservation Trust and Freshwater Habitats Trust

The farm has carefully designed and excavated a network of ponds across a field that is also used to graze cattle.

The project has created a range of habitats which is enabling birds, plants and insects to thrive with the creation of a new “backwater” which connects to the adjacent River Thame, providing a refuge for fish and helping fish populations to become more resilient to floods.

The creation of new floodplain ponds, in turn, provides opportunities for cattle to drink, and their low intensity trampling is helping a range of plants and insects to become established. 

The MP was given a tour of the floodplain and project partners had the opportunity to highlight to the Minister the importance of incorporating wildlife and water friendly measures into farming.

They also shared how collaborative working between NGOs, government agencies, and local landowners through the Thame Catchment Partnership (co-hosted by River Thame Conservation Trust and Freshwater Habitat Trust), can create mutually-beneficial opportunities.

Rose Dale said: "I believe that farming and agriculture should not and must not damage our precious planet but instead contribute positively by enhancing biodiversity, improving the health of our soils, the quality of the air that we breathe and the cleanliness of the water in our rivers and streams.  

“This is why my livestock are only fed on grass and other plants that are grown on the farm and we do not use any chemicals such as pesticides or fertilisers. 

"All farmers need to become more sustainable and implement regenerative practices where they can so I am very grateful to The River Thame Conservation Trust and Freshwater Habitats Trust and of course to The Environment Agency for their support in helping to make this a reality on my farm.  The Government must support farmers to make this transition.”

CEO of the River Thame Conservation Trust David Fraser said:  “A key policy challenge for the Government is how to ensure food security, whilst also managing the land for environmental priorities such as net zero and flood risk alleviation and promoting nature conservation.

"River Thame Conservation Trust has a key role to play in identifying and facilitating such opportunities thus enabling local farms to be sustainable, as businesses and for the river and its catchment.”