Advice to Farmers thinking of grazing cattle in our wildflower meadow. Irrespective of what AVBC may tell you, there are two options. One is to have all the fencing on the north side of the brook with the cattle drinking from a trough which will be subject to vandalism including drug users dropping their needles into the trough. The second is for your cattle to have access to the brook where they can drink fresh rain and spring water, from a vandal proof source. Have shade from the sun in the coolest part of the meadow. This is how cattle were kept in the meadow from the 17th century through to the end of farming in Belper Parks in 1985. AVBC has permission for this from the Environment Agency, this was gained for them in writing by the Friends of Belper Parks on the 6th July 2012. Click here to see the two plans and a list of the advantages and disadvantages of both schemes.
