The Meadow Makers' Network Forum

Hello Everyone,

I'm really excited that we have our very own Cornwall group on the More Meadows Forum.

Over the last few years I have been piloting a 'Meadow match' project at the University of Exeter (Based in Cornwall) to help link up donor and receptor meadows for green hay or hand collecting seed across Cornwall.

With the help of the wonderful Phillip and Firth Hambly at Lethytep and other-liked minded landowners we have started restoring 50ha of species-rich meadows over the last 2 years!

So if you would like to be part of 'Meadow Match'- if you have a wildflower meadow or would like a wildflower meadow please let me know!

Grace
Great news to hear that you are establishing a forum in Cornwall. I have just joined and trying to find my way around the forum - I think I may have e-mailed you directly but not sure! We have 3 acres near Helston which has just been cut for hay for 30 years - no fertiliser/pesticides/etc. This year Colin French did a botanical survey and we have had Eden and Penwith Landscape project seed collecting. We had a farmer collect and take away the hay but more recently, because the fertility has dropped and his tractor has got bigger, he is not longer interested and it has become increasingly difficult to find anyone to cut it. It was not cut last year and the only offer I have this year is to flail - although he is unreliable so may not actually turn up! So the main issue is actually finding someone to cut and remove. Any help appreciated.
Andrew

Hello Andrew,

That sounds so frustrating and is something i'm hearing more often. I am working with some contractors to see if they can invest in some specialist kit for smaller and more difficult sites but they are reluctant to invest unless they know there's a market for it. I do have some people interested in green hay in the Lizard area, so I could put you in touch with them, it is of course a bit late for the hay this year though so this may be a solution for next year as much of the seed would have dropped. Would you like to email me on g.twiston-davies@exeter.ac.uk and perhaps send over your species list and a postcode or grid ref of where the field is and we can go from there?
Speak soon,
Grace