The Duchy of Cornwall Estate has been a pioneer in sustainable land management for centuries, dating all the way back to 1337. Originally established to provide an income for the Prince of Wales, it now covers over 130,000 acres across 23 counties, including a substantial amount of land here in Herefordshire. But it’s not just about landownership – the Duchy is all about taking care of the land, promoting conservation, and supporting sustainable communities for the future.
Today, the Duchy is leading the way in regenerative agriculture, focusing on improving the environment, supporting rural economies, and ensuring the land is managed with future generations in mind. This involves everything from organic farming and biodiversity projects to improving soil health and fostering ecological resilience.
The Duchy Estate in Herefordshire
Here in Herefordshire, the Duchy Estate plays a big role in driving sustainable farming and conservation efforts across its land. It is supporting us to implement regenerative farming practices that keep the land healthy and productive.
Lower Blakemere Farm: Regenerative Agriculture in Action
At Lower Blakemere Farm, one of the Duchy’s tenant farms, we’ve embraced regenerative agriculture over the last few years, having experienced the challenges of conventional farming first hand – in terms of costs and soil erosion. Now, our main focus is to restore soil health, boost biodiversity, and use farming practices that are sustainable for the long term.
We’re also part of the Duchy Estate’s Focus Farm Project, which is designed to share the challenges, knowledge and experiences with other farms across the estate. The idea is to be a model for sustainable farming, showing how regenerative techniques can work in practice.
Royal Visits and Recognition
We’ve been lucky enough to discuss agriculture and in particular our farm several times with our landlords direcly, and we’ve even had two visits from His Royal Highness, The King (back when he was still The Prince of Wales). His visits in 2004 and 2020 were really special moments for our whole team. Just for the record he had an Earl Grey Tea with Honey…
Carrying on the Tradition
We’re proud to be part of the Duchy and to be involved in projects like the Focus Farm initiative, we’re playing our part in pushing farming forward and keeping it sustainable.