Next years forage

[Bettenham]

I find myself in the enviable? position of having an entire 600 acre arable farm being signed up to the Sustainable Farming Incentive and I am smack bang in the middle of it. I'm trying to find out what mix has been sown but I think it includes white and red clovers amongst others. Can anyone hazard a guess as to the effect on next years bee activity, (honey bee and other bees) and also what will happen, when in 2 years time it will presumably revert to cereal production?

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I find myself in the enviable? position of having an entire 600 acre arable farm being signed up to the Sustainable Farming Incentive and I am smack bang in the middle of it. I'm trying to find out what mix has been sown but I think it includes white and red clovers amongst others. Can anyone hazard a guess as to the effect on next years bee activity, (honey bee and other bees) and also what will happen, when in 2 years time it will presumably revert to cereal production?

Make the most of it while you can, our farmers are saying its a three year cash cow that gives 3/4 the income of a field of wheat without the risk.
I believe that the type of planting depends upon when the land is sown & which part of the scheme it is on.
We have some wildlife mix that's already in and pollinator mixs to go in the ground after January, the difference I don't know.
Then there's nitrogen fixers, which will be mostly some sort of brassica mix.
I've noticed
Phacila
Borage
Yellow rattle
Linseed
Radish
Mustard
Sainfoin
Clover
Buckwheat
There's more that I can't remember.
I profess I should take more interest, but we have cropping plans and that's where the hives are placed, mainly because it's always easy access and this year we have done really well on them.