Earlier this month I had the pleasure of joining South Devon National Landscape representatives Roger English and Diane Lethbridge on a site visit across parts of the constituency.
We began at the Flete Estate, where we discussed the impactful £4.4m Life on The Edge initiative, which aims to restore coastal habitats for endangered invertebrates. John Mildmay-White joined us as we explored the successes of the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme.
Next, I visited Newton Downs Farm in Newton Ferrers, where Jake and Leah Harris shared their innovative farming techniques. As part of a field lab, they are exploring strip tilling methods (a drainage system that removes excess sub-surface water) to improve soil health, a key sustainability focus for local farmers. This is essential to their work growing for Riverford. Both visits highlighted the important role farming plays in looking after the environment in rural constituencies such as South West Devon.
Find out more South Devon Protected Landscapes at https://www.southdevon-nl.org.uk/
