![Hill farming countryside - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Hill_farming_countryside_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1007950.jpg)
Hill farming or
terrace farming is an
extensive farming
Extensive farming or extensive agriculture (as opposed to intensive farming) is an Agriculture production system that uses small inputs of labour, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed.
Systems
Extensive farming is ...
in
upland areas, primarily rearing
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
, although historically cattle were often reared extensively in
upland areas. Fell farming is the
farming
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
of
fell
A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
s, a fell being an area of uncultivated high ground used as common
grazing
In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible (by human gut) cellulose within grass and other ...
. It is a term commonly used in
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...
, especially in the
Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
and the
Pennine Dales. Elsewhere, the terms ''hill farming'' or
pastoral farming
Pastoral farming (also known in some regions as ranching, livestock farming or grazing) is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, ar ...
are more commonly used.
Cattle farming in the hills is usually restricted by a scarcity of winter
fodder
Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...
, and hill sheep, grazing at about two
hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
s per head, are often taken to
lowland
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of ...
areas for fattening.
Modern hill farming is often heavily dependent on
state subsidy, for example in the United Kingdom it received support from the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
's
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce the ...
. Improved, sown
pasture
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
and drained
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
can be stocked more heavily, at approximately one sheep per 0.26 hectares.
Hill farming location and organization
![United Kingdom relief location map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/United_Kingdom_relief_location_map.jpg)
Hill farming is a type of agricultural practice in the
UK in
upland regions. In
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, hill farms are located mainly in the North and South-Western regions, as well as a few areas bordering
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
.
[Hill farming - Detailed guidance - GOV.UK](_blank)
/ref> The Scottish highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
are another home for many hill farms. Sheep farms and mixed sheep and cattle farms constitute approximately 55% of the agricultural land in Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. These areas have a harsh climate, short growing seasons, relatively poor quality of soil and long winters. Therefore, these areas are considered to be disadvantaged and the animals raised there are generally less productive and farmers will often send them down to the lowlands to be fattened up.[Hill farming – Scottish Natural Heritage](_blank)
/ref>
Upland areas are not traditionally favourable for agricultural practices. The majority of Hill farming land in England is classified as Less Favoured Area (LFA), and the LFA constitutes 17% of land farmed in England. The LFA is further divided into Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDAs) and Disadvantaged Areas (DAs), which make up 67% and 33% of the LFA respectively. These areas are classified as such on account of poor climate, soils, and terrain which cause higher costs in production and transportation as well as lower yields and less productivity. The LFA is significant in England's farming on a whole despite these disadvantages: 30% of beef cows and 44% of breeding sheep come from LFAs. Farming distinctively shapes the ecosystems of these zones, and the agriculture practices in the uplands define and shape the environment and landscape.
Upland areas are usually covered with both dry and wet dwarf shrub heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...
and, rough and either managed or unmanaged improved grasslands
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...
. The typical hill farm is made up of three distinct zones: the High fell, the Alotment, and the Inbye.[BBC - Standard Grade Bitesize Geography - Hill farming : Revision](_blank)
/ref> The High fell includes peat moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
and rocky areas which provide poor grazing at the top. The Alotment follows below, an enclosed area with rough grazing. The Inbye is the lowest area at the bottom, which is used as the regular grazing area as well as for growing hay.
Hill farming throughout history
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous ...
National Park has over 10,000ha of prehistoric field systems, dating back to 1500BC. Archaeological evidence shows that these moors have been grazed for 3500 years. Because of the extent of historical farming in the UK uplands, hill farming has shaped the English uplands
Upland or Uplands may refer to:
Geography
*Hill, an area of higher land, generally
*Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points
*Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level
*I ...
both environmentally and culturally.
The UK government has designated different areas in the upland as specifically valuable by certain terms of the environment, biodiversity, archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, cultural heritage and landscape, and seeks to protect these regions for such reasons. According to the UK government, these designated areas and their qualifications as such are:
* National parks
** "These protect and conserve the character of landscapes, facilities for access, wildlife habitats and historic features"
* Areas of outstanding natural beauty
** "These conserve and enhance naturally beautiful landscapes"
* Countryside character areas
** "Areas of cultural heritage which should be preserved"
* Natural England natural areas
** "Each area has a unique identity created by its mix of natural features and human activities and provides a broad context for local nature conservation work"
* Common land
** "Areas where people who do not own the land have rights to use it for farming or other purposes"
* National nature reserves
** "These protect and provide public access to important wildlife and geological sites"
* Special areas of conservation
** "These protect various wild animals, plants and habitats under the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
’s Habitats Directive"
* Special protection areas
** "These protect rare and vulnerable birds and migratory species as well as geological and physiographical heritage"
*Upland experiment areas
** "Two upland areas where Natural England/Defra predecessor bodies piloted an integrated approach to rural development and nature conservation between 1999 and 2001"
* Ancient woodland
** "Land that has had continuous tree cover since at least 1600"
Over the past century, Hill farming and the upland environment have undergone a number of changes.
Since 1900 there has been:
* An approximately 500% increase in the number of sheep livestock.[Armsworth 2009]
* A decrease in medium-sized farms, due to increase in large farms businesses and the emergence of small-scale hobby farmers.
* Increased specialization in livestock and a movement away from tradition mixed farming methods.
* Fairly consistent labour employment on account of constant agricultural intensification offsetting reductions in labour output made possible by technological advancements.
* A high turnover rates in upland ecosystem habitat types. For example, although the percentage of land classified as dwarf shrub moor remained relatively stable between 1913 and 2000, only 55% of the dwarf moor shrub land in 1913 occupied the same area as it does in 2000.
Hill farming and uplands ecosystems
A large number of upland ecosystems have been shaped by humans for centuries, particularly by farming and agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
. Because of this, many upland ecosystems have become dependent on hill farm land management.
Hill farming practices play a significant role in supporting surrounding flora and fauna in the uplands. Through grazing, sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
and cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
maintain a variety of tall grasses and short vegetation. This in turn supports local wildlife, as the short vegetation provides breeding and nesting grounds for many species of waders, including the lapwing, redshank, and golden plover. The taller grasses are an important part of the Curlew habitat, which is another species of wader. Cattle dung provides nutrition for many species of insects and carrion provides food for various species of scavenging birds.
During winter farmers will usually keep the animals indoors, supplementing the livestock's diet with hay
Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...
or silage. The land used to grow winter feed that are not mowed are able to provide protection for a variety of birds including skylark
''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...
s, partridge
A partridge is a medium-sized Galliformes, galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide Indigenous (ecology), native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They a ...
, and corncrakes who build on their nests on the ground.
Agricultural use, burning, and grazing by both livestock and wild life such as deer, helps to sustain the upland grasslands, moorland and bogs. If these ecosystems were not maintained they would be colonized by trees and scrub.
Sustainable careful maintenance is highly important in hill farming in order to protect the delicate relationship that farm manage has on the biodiversity of native plant and animal species.
Upland ecosystems have seen a shift in the last century, associated with widespread habitat deterioration caused by human actions and exploitation.
The decline in grazing animals accompanied with the milder winters experienced in recent years has caused an overgrowth in vegetation, putting the ecosystem, as well as various archaeological sites at risk. The Dartmoor Vision initiative is trying to return Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous ...
to its former predominantly cattle, sheep, and pony grazed landscape.
Government support and subsidies
Hill farm incomes in the UK have recently seen great decrease following drops in lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
and beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
prices. Therefore, subsidy support has become vital for Hill farm survival, and the policies have been changing in response to continuous uncertainty in the sector.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
Hill farming has been supported by both the British government and EU policies, one of the most influential EU scheme being The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP provided production-based direct (headage) which gave incentive to stock beef cattle and sheep at high densities. This led to, in some circumstances, overgrazing which damages natural and semi-natural vegetation. Because of overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
and issues with the accumulation of surpluses, the CAP was reformed. The two most recent reforms to the CAP were Agenda 2000 in 1999 and the Mid Term Review of June 2003 and April 2004. These changes are phasing out support and protections linked to production, and are providing more support on environmental and rural developments.
Single Farm Payment
The Single Farm Payment replaced the older headage payments (CAP) in 2005. Analyses of the effects of economic incentives provided to hill farmers by decoupling and the introduction of the Single Farm Payment show that although these policies cause little change in average farm incomes they do encourage change in the way hill farms run. Specifically the policies promote the reduction of stocking densities, reduction of employment of additional farm labour, movement away from reliance on beef cattle, increased specialization, and to keep farming land in “good agricultural condition” rather than farm abandonment. The EU plans to phase out and progressively reduce the SFP, and the SFP is guaranteed until 2013.
Other policies
Other subsidy schemes from the British government are available to hill farmers, particularly the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (Uplands ELS) and agri-environment schemes. The Uplands ELS replaced the prior Hill Farm Allowance in 2010. Before the HFA, hill farms we subsidized by the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances which were active as headage support to eligible beef cows and ewes. Because the DAs are more profitable than the SDAs, active since 2008 DAs became ineligible for funding from the Hill Farming Allowance (HFA).
In addition to the Upland ELS, hill farmers in England's SDAs are supported by the Single Payment Scheme (SPS), which is the primary agricultural subsidy scheme under the EU. Subsidies from the SPS are not dependent on production, granting greater freedom to farmers to meet market demands. The SPS also claims to specifically support hill farmers who follow environmentally friendly farming practices.
In order to receive these subsidies, hill farmers must meet cross compliance rules and regulations, which mainly involves avoidance of overgrazing and unsuitable supplementary feeding on natural and semi-natural vegetation under GAEC (standard of good agricultural and environmental condition). These standards were implemented to protect significant habitats and to limit soil erosion and other negative effects of soil structure in the uplands.
Certain upland farmers and communities also have access to funding from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) team at Defra DEFRA may refer to:
* Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, United States law
* Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom government department
{{Disambiguation ...
. The reduction of farming subsidies that have taken place over the past few decades has created an uncertain future for farming in many parts of Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
Recent strain on hill farming
Without government subsidies, many hill farms would have a negative income.[Hard Times: A research report into hill farming and farming families in the Peak District](_blank)
/ref> The high cost of land and machinery keeps many hill farmers from expanding. Hill farmers in some parts of England have reported a 75% decrease in income over the past decade.
Hill farmer income is subject to large fluctuation above the influence of the farmers. The harsh terrain and climate of hill farms are hard on the animals, causing them to be relatively very unproductive. Because of this, hill farming can have economic strains on the farmers who generally have low income. Wet weather, as often experienced in the uplands, create additional animal feed costs for farmers.
Many hill farmers earn around £12,600, with some earning as little as £8,000. This is much below the annual £19,820 a single working adult requires to live in a village in England. In 2008, a farmer would receive a profit of £1 for a single moorland lamb. The average LFA farm in England only earns about 66% of their total revenue from farming. 22% of this revenue comes from the Single Farm Payment, and 10% from specific agri-environment payments. The 2% balance originated from non-farm activities, which are usually associated with contracting or tourism and recreation.
Hill farmers in Peak District National Park Peak or The Peak may refer to:
Basic meanings Geology
* Mountain peak
** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics
* Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion
* Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-di ...
(PDNP) constitute one of UK's most deprived farming communities, with farms in the LFA making an average loss of £16,000 per farm, generating an average headline Farm Business Income of £10,800 (supplemented by various government subsidies), creating a net income average per farm of about £6000.
The hill farming sector in southwest England, like farming in the rest of the country, has experienced a decade of much change associated with economic pressures and uncertainties.
On average, the financial position of hill farms in South West England, like the rest of the country, is precarious. The average southwest English hill farm system in unable to match labour and capital invest in the business.
Many farmers rely on a Single Farm Payment as a source of income. These payments are expected to arrive in November or December, but sometimes farmers do not receive the money until June. Due to this farmers are often unable to pay their bills or fix their machinery. Some farmers have to cut back on the feed given to their animals, leading to a decrease in meat production and therefore lower profit. By 2012 the Single Payment Scheme (or SPS), will only take into consideration the area of the farm. This will decrease the income in moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
farmers to only 70% of what it was 20 years ago.
The income from calves and lambs has remained constant, while the costs of farm upkeep have risen sharply (including items such as feed, straw, fuel, or fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
). Because hill farming is becoming increasingly less profitable an increasing number of farmers have switched from the traditional hearty but less profitable animals which graze the moors to mainstream more profitable animals.
Opportunities for farmers to supplement their farm income by working in industries such as quarrying or mining are largely no longer available. The financial burden has taken a toll on many hill farmers, causing them to exhibit signs of mental health issues. Many hill farmers are forced to generate supplemental income outside their farms or to take out loans. Because of these economic factors, there is little incentive for younger generations to continue on with the hill farming.
Problems
As discussed in an article on the Carnegie UK Trust Rural Community Development Programme site:
The Foot and Mouth outbreak in Cumbria in 2001 led to the culling of over a million sheep. It also showed that the hill (fell) farming communities were as vulnerable as the pastoral system they have created over many generations.
See also
* Environmental philosophy
Environmental philosophy is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with the natural environment and humans' place within it. It asks crucial questions about human environmental relations such as "What do we mean when we talk about nature?" "What ...
* Hill Farming Act 1946
The Hill Farming Act 1946 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was passed during the Labour government of Clement Attlee. This Act aimed to encourage the expansion of pastoral farming
Pastoral farming (also known in some regio ...
* Pastoral farming
Pastoral farming (also known in some regions as ranching, livestock farming or grazing) is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, ar ...
* Sheepdog trials
A sheepdog trial (also herding event, stock dog trial or simply dog trial) — is a competition or test for working abilities of Herding dog, herding breeds dogs. It is a type of List of dog sports, dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zeala ...
References
;Specific
{{reflist, 30em
;General
* Natural England, September 10, 2012
''Hill Farming'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012
* Harvey, D., Scott, C. February, 2012
''Farm Business Survey 2010/2011 Hill Farming in England.'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012.
* BBC
''Bite Size Geography: Hill Farming.'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012.
* Dartmoor Vision Group, April 2008
''Moor Farming Delivering the Dartmoor Vision.'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012.
* Armsworth, Paul et al. (2009). ''A Landscape-Scale Analysis of the Sustainability of the Hill Farming Economy and Impact of Farm Production Decisions on Upland Landscapes and Biodiversity: Full Research Report'' ESRC End of Award Report, RES-227-25-0028. Swindon: ESRC
* Scottish Natural Heritage, September 6, 2012
''Hill Farming'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012.
* UK Data Archive, 2007–2008
''Study Number 6363: Sustainability of Hill Farming.'' Retrieved October 31, 2012.
* UTASS and Rose Regeneration for Oxfam, 2012
''Challenges Facing Farmers.'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012.
* Turner, M., Robbins, K., Silcock, P., June 20, 2008
''Hill Farming in South West England: Economic Viability and the Delivery of Public Goods.'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012
* Peak District Rural Deprivation Forum, 2004
''Hard Times.'' Retrieved on October 31, 2012.
External links
Leader+ Fells and Dales project
The Rough Fell Sheep Breeders' Association
Hill Farm - Scottish Natural Heritage
Environmental Stewardship - UK Government
Farming in Dartmoor Fact Sheet - Dartmoor National Park Authority
Agriculture by type
Agriculture in the United Kingdom