WORKING with and involving the whole village in his farm at Sydling St Nicholas gave Chris Legg the winning edge in the farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Otter Trophy competition this year.

Chris and Suzanne Legg from Dollens Farm in the Sydling valley, hosted a fantastic day in September, attended by FWAG farmer members and the competition sponsors who came to see what they are doing at the farm.

Guests were treated to a trailer ride around the 700-acre organic dairy and arable farm, during which Chris Legg explained how he was managing the organic SSSI downland and arable fields in the picturesque Sydling valley and what he was doing in his Organic Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship agreements, including management of the SSSI, creation of species-rich chalk grassland and hedgerow restoration.

FWAG adviser Clare Buckerfield said: “Chris’s HLS agreement is in its fourth year and he has had a lot to do to deliver the management required by his agreement which includes the creation of new chalk grassland using seed harvested from existing species-rich grassland. The results are fantastic, with several important chalk grassland plants established.

“He has sympathetically restored hedges and the farm boasts good numbers of Adonis blue butterflies. His home-grown cereal feed is managed in such a way as to support farmland birds such as the yellowhammer.”

Chris’s passion for the land he farms is apparent within moments of meeting him, and second only to the enthusiasm he has for being involved in the local community and in turn involving the local community in the farm.

He is convinced that by sharing what he has with the village, they in turn understand his business and land management and are additional ‘eyes and ears’ for him.

Judge Shirley Preston comments that he ‘ticks all boxes for enthusiasm and involvement with community – restoring and developing habitat for the enjoyment of all.’ Chris has installed new paths, a seat and actively encourages villagers to make use of all his land for their leisure. In the summer he enlists the help of local youngsters to help with ragwort pulling and writes a regular farming article for the parish magazine.

Representatives from each of the competition sponsors, Patrick Woodford of Symonds & Sampson, Ruth Carpenter from Natural England and Shirley Preston of the NFU were present at the award presentation Joint second prize went to Mark Tory of Canada Farm near Blandford, who impressed the judges with the measures he has in place on his arable farm to benefit specialist farmland birds.

Mark has established something in each of his fields, including unsprayed margins, beetle banks and wild bird plant mix.

James Selby Bennett, joint runner-up, impressed with his heathland grazing.