A Buckinghamshire cattle farm has been highlighted as a national showcase for how nature can be restored using pasture-fed livestock.

Local farmer Tom Morrison who runs Hogshaw Hill Farm near Quainton in North Buckinghamshire has taken part in a biodiversity case study series by Pasture for Life that showcases how farmers are restoring nature with 100 per cent pasture-fed livestock.

Hogshaw Hill Farm is a 168 acre, all grass farm in the heart of rural Buckinghamshire which is managed under the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship.

A central feature is a greensand hill, once a bronze-age fort, 370 feet above sea level at the top, offering views into six counties. 

Tom Morrison has worked towards transitioning the farm to 100% pasture-fed farming and using no synthetic fertilisers and pesticides on the farm.

The farm now uses regenerative grazing methods to restore the soil, through its herd of traditional breed Aberdeen Angus cattle which are rotationally grazed on the ancient species-rich pasture, which has a huge variety of herbs, wild flowers, white and red clover and other legumes.

The cows only drink natural spring water emerging from the Quainton Hills.

Having completed the farm’s transition and becoming Pasture for Life certified, the farm has taken part in a long range study using monitored and recorded observation over the years that has revealed an increase in the number and variety of wildlife and plantlife, including a wide range of birds, bats, butterflies and plants in the permanent pasture.

The farm sells its higher-quality beef exclusively through the local butchery in the village of Haddenham not far from the farm.

Tom Morrison from Hogshaw Hill Farm said: “The changes seen on the farm are unsurprising.

"We regard the cattle at Hogshaw Hill Farm as management partners of this regenerative Pasture for Life farming system and biodiversity.

"The farm would be much less biodiverse without the nature-friendly farming Pasture for Life approach - It would also sequester less carbon, and thus would lose potential future income from biodiversity offset and carbon capture.

"Teams from Oxford and Reading University are currently working on a way to quantify the benefits we are witnessing on the farm."

Director of Pasture for Life Jimmy Woodrow added: “Pasture for Life champions the positive impacts of pasture-fed farming on nature, human health and animal welfare, while safeguarding the future viability and sustainability of British livestock farmers.

"Our membership is made up of all different types of farms, butchers, artisans, academics, vets and more, as well as members of the public interested in our work, all working together for restorative ways of farming and to be a part of efforts to enhance food, farming and the countryside.”