We have been completely bowled over by the response we received within days of sending out our Silvopasture appeal. It is clearly a direction of travel that you care about as deeply as us, and this has made us very happy. As such, we are taking the work a step further. As funds continue to come in, we are busy planning more ‘Living Barns’ at Fordhall. We are also looking at ways we can ensure the trees we plant have the best chance of survival, such as the mulches we use to ensure the grass growth does not out-compete them whilst they establish.
All-in-all, you have uplifted us with your generosity, kindness and wonderful words of support and encouragement. The support has been wide-ranging too, from offers to buy volunteer lunches, and donate Shropshire trees you have grown yourself, to volunteering your time to join the planting crew.
Not only that, you have facilitated our learning too! One of the many calls of support I received, for example, shared with me that our family name Hollins has links to the old practice of ‘Hollying’. This, according to the land steward I spoke to, is the practice of cutting the holly following its fresh spring growth and feeding it to the livestock during summer periods when the grass can be stunted by droughts, or in the winter when grass is in poor supply. Branches above eight feet or so rarely have spikes, perhaps as the need for them is less due to them being so far away from grazing livestock.
Cutting or pollarding the trees at this height does no harm to the tree and provides a valuable fodder for the livestock. Furthermore, it is thought to have blood purifying properties, been used to help rheumatism, and is incredibly beneficial to lungs and winter chest infections.
I also found out that holly groves or clusters of holly were known as ‘hollins’. Also known as a ‘hag of hollins’; where a hag can refer to an enclosure, a boundary hedge or a portion of woodland (often one ready for felling). Who knew!
Holly is on our planting list, but now it has pride of place, as we too will trial the art of Hollying at Fordhall.
If you have not donated yet, then please do not worry. We will be planting until the end of February, and we are likely to be planting more areas next winter too. We will make the funds go as far as we can, so if you would like to join our Silvopasture journey, please do go to our appeal page www.fordhallfarm.com/silvopastureappeal, click the donate link below, or give us a call on 01630 638696
Thank you for being treeemendous! (sorry I couldn’t resist!)
Charlotte Hollins, FCLI Manager
This article was first featured in the Winter 2023 edition of the Grazer magazine. For more info and to subscribe, visit:
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