Our working relationship with Vine House Farm Bird Foods of Lincolnshire is now in its eleventh year and they have so far raised over £1.25 million for The Wildlife Trusts. They are the UK’s largest grower of birdseed. By growing seeds on their wildlife friendly farm, this has enabled tens of thousands of people to experience the joy of wildlife in their own gardens.

It can be hard to access nature when you live in an urban area, but one thing that can be done is feeding the birds that live alongside you. Providing this simple connection to local garden birds gives people a greater love for our wildlife and the environment.

Farmer Nicholas Watts extensively surveyed local birds and noticed that their numbers had fallen significantly in just a decade. He wanted to help rectify this so decided to plant conscientiously and provide nesting boxes, by doing this he has been able to create pockets of habitat for local wildlife, help the birds to thrive and also prove that is is possible to have a profitable farm that is also abundant in wildlife.

From every Vine House Farm purchase, 4% is donated to The Wildlife Trusts, plus £10 per new Trust customer. Vine House Farm has raised in excess of £1million for the Trusts; over £28,000 of it Derbyshire Wildlife Trust received.

The money raised goes towards the upkeep of 47 nature reserves, the restoration of six living landscapes, and work on more than 170 projects across the county. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have been vaccinating badgers, monitoring peregrine falcons, saving swifts and looking after Derbyshire’s waterways. While the money received from Vine House Farm’s donations doesn’t fund all that they do it certainly does help – and the Trust are so grateful that farms such as Vine House exist, and continue to do so well.

To find out more about Vine House Farm and to buy food direct from their conservation award-winning farm visit www.vinehousefarm.co.uk