Backed by years of farming experience and a deep understanding of the land, Mike set out to design a habitat site that ticked all his visual, environmental and BNG boxes. As the project progressed, our BNG Specialist Harry Reed and Director Vicki Mordue advised on design refinements, the emerging BNG market and the registration process.

Green Acres has already sold over a quarter of its units to local developers. But for Mike, the true measure of success lies in the lasting benefits it will bring to local wildlife, community and future generations.

Building on early success, Mike and business partner Matt Haycock are in the process of establishing a second site and we are thrilled to support their journey and mission. 

Find out what inspired Mike to take the plunge into the world of BNG and habitat banks, his design approach, community outreach, challenges and parting advice for other landowners and farmers.

What inspired you to establish a habitat bank?

I’m a lifelong farmer and the habitat bank is located on part of our farmland.

I’m very passionate about cutting down on artificial inputs for the future of farming. That’s why we’re currently looking at regenerating soil through natural methods.

Our BNG habitat bank is on a piece of low-quality land that was wet, stony, and difficult to access. Producing a viable arable crop required a lot of artificial inputs, which didn’t make sense environmentally or commercially.

In my mind every farm should do something environmental, but that doesn’t mean taking productive land out of use.

For us, the habitat bank offered a more appropriate and valuable future for an area that wasn’t well suited to arable farming. 

How did you approach the design of the first site?

I worked on the layout and what we wanted to put on the land and set out a plan.

I then spoke to Harry and Vicki about the design from a farming, environmental and BNG perspective. We looked firstly into how we could benefit the environment and then what units were available on the land.

I used them as a sounding board asking: ‘Do you think this will complement that? Do you think these will work together? Will they look good?’

We had already carried out soil monitoring as part of our wider regenerative farming work. That gave us a good understanding of the conditions across the site and the types of habitats that could realistically be established.

It was really important that the habitats worked, and it certainly wasn’t a case of, ‘Right, we’ve got the land. How many units can we cram on there?’

What habitats have Green Acres created?

We’ve got around 10 habitat types now.

We have hedgerows, traditional orchards, deciduous and mixed woodland, lowland meadow, other neutral grassland, mixed scrub and ponds.

Our habitats were selected for the site’s conditions, but also for local demand and BNG trading rules. 

A habitat bank needs to respond to local needs, otherwise you end up with beautiful land, but it doesn’t compensate for the ecological impacts happening in your area.

The first site has helped us build a much clearer picture of local demand, which is helping us plan our second site.

Practical challenges of running a habitat bank?

Establishing a habitat bank is significantly more demanding than it might initially appear.

The responsibility to create, manage and maintain the habitats for at least 30 years can be difficult as demonstrated by the drought we had this summer. 

Keeping large numbers of newly planted trees and areas of grassland alive requires time and practical experience and in the case of droughts, specialist watering equipment.

As a farmer, I can draw on existing machinery and livestock like my sheep and cattle that are part of our grassland management approach but these are all practical considerations.

What does long-term success look like?

For us, there’s the pride in knowing how much work has gone into the site and seeing it develop continuously over time, knowing we’re doing the right thing.

We can’t wait to see how the two sites develop. They sit around a housing development that breaks up three villages so we’re really pleased to be making our mark. We love that we can say these areas won’t be built on.

Our agreements are for thirty years but we’ve got this in forevermore. The joy for us is that the most pleasing result isn’t going to be monetary.

How do you connect with the local community?

 We do a lot of community work on the back of the habitat bank.

We visit schools near BNG client sites and explain the benefits of farming, the environment, wildlife and nature for mental and physical health - it’s really important.

For us, there's a bit more in it than just that transactional process. 

How has Biodiverse  supported Green Acres?

We could not be doing what we’re doing without Biodiverse Consulting’s support.

I mentioned earlier the early initial help, and now we’re opening a new site with their design and BNG advice. We have more data in our pockets this time round.

Harry has also helped us with every allocation. There's no way I'd have managed on my own so being able to pick up the phone and get it sorted is an absolute godsend. 

Also, in terms of checking metrics and what units people want, I’ll go straight to Harry because I know it’ll be right.

would you reccommend us?

Absolutely!

Our relationship has grown very naturally from the first chat. We really appreciate what Biodiverse Consulting do and you keep us right!

We have a really good two way relationship and I hope it carries on for a long time.

Parting advice for landowners

I would say if you’re a farmer it’s definitely worth thinking about because you can apply your skill set. 

It's a very interesting area, and people should have a look at it but be prepared to be committed. It’s harder than people think.