Balfour Winery Sustainability Report 2022 (1) - Flipbook - Page 4
3) The estate, in the vineyards and surrounding ecosystems.
Hush Heath Estate is a patchwork of different natural habitats and areas of
human land use. There has been a concerted effort to farm with natural
ecosystems in mind, from considered land management techniques, regenerating
land (e.g., planting wildflower meadows), to specialised waste recycling and
reuse (e.g., grape waste.).
Below are examples of ecosystems found on the estate and the service these
ecosystems provide:
We planted approximately 10/15 acres of wildflower meadows.
The presence of wildflowers with nectar-rich plants helps support dwindling
populations of native pollinators including butterflies, moths, and bees, helping
to sustain insects that pollinate our food crops. This is particularly important in
increasingly built-up environments.
We have wider grass margins.
Field margin strips can be important in linking habitats whilst also providing a
habitat in their own right. Field margin strips can also help to protect boundary
features from operations in the field, acting as a buffer zone from pesticides and
fertilisers.