How a Devon farm uses silvopasture and wetland creation to help weather climate extremes
About this episode
The episode discusses how Springwater Farm in Devon is adapting to climate extremes through innovative farming practices.
In this story we speak with David Thomas and Jason Greenway at Springwater Farm, on the Killerton Estate in Devon. David is a senior land advisor who works on natural flood management (leaky dams, scrapes and bunds), and Jason runs Springwater Farm with his wife Amelia. Together they have designed a small patch of wetland to slow the flow of water, reduce flooding, encourage vegetation during droughts, and make space for wildlife. When Jason and Amelia took the land on, it was a heavy input farm, and since then they have been experimenting with agroforestry, silvopasteur, and wetland creation. As they explain in the story, for them building a sustainably profitable farm is about adapting to drier summers and wetter winters — and finding ways to keep their farm both resilient and financially viable in response to climate change pressures.
People in this episode
Guests: David Thomas, Jason Greenway
Topics covered
- agroforestry
- silvopasture
- wetland creation
- climate change
- sustainable farming
Keywords
- climate extremes
- flood management
- sustainable farming
- agroforestry
- wetland creation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Springwater Farm
Places: Devon, Killerton Estate
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- The Stockport family learning to live with the rising risk of flooding
- How changing weather is putting pressure on Britain’s beekeepers
- How a village pub is feeling the pressure of floods, rising bills, and climate change
- How a Cornish harbour is using clean engine tech to future proof fishing
- How a village’s first flood changed one man’s view on climate change
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