Farming on Exmoor
In 1988 there were roughly 500,000 sheep in Exmoor National Park compared with a human population of just over 10,000; a ratio of about 50 to 1. Sheep have grazed on Exmoor for more than 3,000 years together with smaller numbers of cattle and horses. By consuming heather and tough moorland grasses as well as tree seedlings, these animals have helped to create the Exmoor scenery we know today. At present there are about 600 farms within the National Park and it is only recently that tourism has overtaken agriculture as the main occupation of people living in the Park.
Exmoor is mainly a hill farming region, although to the north and east, in Porlock Vale and on the Brendon Hills, arable crops are grown. In Porlock Vale there are areas of Grade 2 (i.e. very good) land capable of producing high yields of cereals, vining peas, linseed, swedes, potatoes and grapes. The few dairy farms are mostly situated on the perimeter of the National Park where the climate is milder.
In addition to the traditional commercial farming systems there are some 'diversified' enterprises. The most common diversification schemes are linked with the tourist industry and include farm bed and breakfast, pony trekking, camp sites, cream teas and holiday cottages.
There are a few fish farms and deer farms within our National Park. Two small farms are operated almost entirely by heavy horses and these horses are sometimes hired out to work inaccessible land where it is not possible to use modern machinery. A few farms keep rare or unusual breeds such as Longhorn cattle and, in one case, alpacas.
These new enterprises provide useful additional income for farmers whose income from traditional farming has dropped because of altered agricultural policies.
Farming and the environment
These days there is increased pressure on farmers to manage their land in an environmentally friendly way. Schemes are being developed which offer financial incentives for organic farmers and for long term 'set aside' land (land taken out of crop production) where there is benefit to wildlife habitats.
Exmoor was designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) in January 1993. The purpose of this Government scheme is to maintain the traditional Exmoor landscape by involving farmers who can receive payments for environmental management and grants for conservation works such as hedge-laying and repairs to traditional farm buildings. Around 60% of Exmoor farmers eligible for the scheme have put in applications. The scheme is to reviewed in 1997.
The NPA is running an experimental Farm Conservation Scheme similar to the ESA scheme with an emphasis on monitoring the environmental benefits and assessing whether it is good value compared with other schemes.
Hill farming
The hill farming economy is based on sheep and beef cattle. Stock needs to be hardy to survive on the exposed moorlands in a wet climate and the local Exmoor Horn sheep and Red Devon cattle, while not as common as they used to be, are still found on many farms. Other breeds of sheep, including Scottish Blackface, Cheviot and Welsh, have been introduced to Exmoor and cope as well as local breeds. Other hardy breeds of cattle kept on Exmoor are Aberdeen Angus, Welsh Blacks and Hereford crosses. Continental bulls such as Charolais and Limousin commonly sire upland cows, producing a bigger muscled calf.
Most hill farms have access to a combination of moorland for grazing, enclosed pasture and improved grazing where silage, hay and root crops for winter feed can be grown
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Both sheep and cattle are managed traditionally, with lambing and calving in the spring when the weather is improving and grass starting to grow. 'Fat' (ready for the butcher) lambs and weaned calves are sold in the autumn. The autumn calf sales are generally busy as lowland farmers look for stock to keep over the winter on lower ground. Some hill farmers will keep their weaned calves and either sell them in the spring or keep them right through the next year to be sold ready for the butcher at 18 months. There are markets on the moor at Cutcombe and Blackmoor Gate and nearby at Barnstaple, Taunton and South Molton.
Farming and the landscape
It is hill-farming that has created the unique and varied Exmoor landscape - the intricate mixture of moorland, farmland and woodland that people value so much these days. 38,000 ha of farmland and 19,000 ha of moorland make up 83% of Exmoor's land surface.
Changing pressures on the farming community are reflected in changes in the landscape. For example, in the late 1960s when there was a demand for increased productivity, large areas of open moorland were ploughed up and enclosed to provide improved grassland. Significant areas of moorland habitat were lost and the landscape altered. In order to prevent further moorland conversion, the NPA entered into Management Agreements which compensated farmers for not ploughing the moorland. In certain cases the best solution was for the NPA to buy and manage the land themselves.
The farming community is essential to the rural economy of Exmoor. Many of the farms, whether they are owner-occupied or tenanted, have been farmed by the same family for generations. The farmers' knowledge of Exmoor and its history is unique and the NPA tries to support their role in the local community wherever possible. The NPA employs a Farm Liaison Officer who is responsible for running the Farm Conservation Scheme and for telling farmers about the many grants that are now available to encourage and support conservation and diversification.
- State of farming 2004 (PDF, 3MB)