Marden Farmer Cluster
Marden farmers are using novel conservation and regenerative farming ideas to enhance the landscape for wildlife. Working with Marden Wildlife group, they are boosting populations of scarce farmland birds like turtle doves and yellowhammers. Extending areas of rare weald meadow is benefitting plants and insects too. But these are just the tip of the iceberg!
Crucial to working as a farmer cluster are regular meet ups in order to share ideas, findings and encourage each other to help make more farmland work for wildlife as well as food production. Last December, the Marden Wildlife group and farmers within the cluster wrote and published a book, with a section on farming and wildlife, which sold close to 300 copies locally, helping to bring a better understanding of the farmed landscape to those living in the area.
How to Join
If you live or farm in Marden and want to get involved, check out the Marden Wildlife website and Facebook group.
If you are a farmer and interested in joining this or another local farm cluster group, please email [email protected]
Alexa Murray-Mujtaba provides the facilitation of the Marden Farmer Cluster, helping to coordinate meetings and sign post to funding opportunities for farmers.
Our Cluster
Marden Wildlife group support us with citizen science and promote farming and biodiversity through a thriving FB group of over 450 members, a website and a core of highly knowledgeable naturalists. Cooperating in work on cluster initiatives, and monitoring wildlife on members’ farms has strengthened bonds between farmers and the wider community. Natural England has been a big part of this story, looking to Marden and its farmers and citizen scientists for inspiration.Member of the Marden Farmer Cluster