MORE than 40 farmers and others attended the year's last farm walk, organised by North Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group at Kersey Green Farm, Marske, near Richmond.

The farm won the 2002 Tye Trophy for progress in farm conservation.

Mr and Mrs Jack Lynas, tenants of Sir Anthony Milbank, entered Defra's Countryside Stewardship Scheme in October 1997 with an ambitious drystone wall restoration plan. They now have three agreements, covering in-bye land and moorland management, tree planting and wall restoration.

An area of ancient semi-natural woodland is being regenerated with support from the Forestry Commission.

Entry into CSS has required a substantial cut in livestock grazing, and this extensive management has encouraged key Biodiversity Action Plan species such as black grouse, as well as other species.

The implications of the CAP mid-term review, and the benefits and problems of the major movement away from production support, were discussed.

Abandoning poorer land, or at least minimal management operations, could lead to the loss of species-rich grassland to scrub dominated areas.

It was suggested that agri-environment schemes might become key to keeping livestock on more marginal land, while more productive land became even more intensively farmed, but FWAG emphasised the importance of an integrated approach over the whole farm.