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Case study: Dale Grange Farm

Dale Grange Farm is located near Chelmorton in The White Peak area of Derbyshire. The Wheeldon family have owned a farm on this site since 1620, and the current farm business has been owned and run since 1976 by two of the Wheeldon family brothers working in partnership. The farm employs 5 people and covers 127ha of land, which is predominantly used as pasture for stock grazing and hay/silage. The farm previously had around 300 livestock but has successfully reduced this to 40, without any negative impact on profitability, as part of the nature-based solutions (NBS) they have implemented over 2024/2025.

Before actively supporting NBS, most of the site was classified as modified grassland and was considered overgrazed and in poor condition. The farm contained some small areas of woodland. Field boundaries were primarily demarcated by drystone walls which were also in poor condition and disrepair. However, part of the site lies within the Deep Dale SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), a high value habitat noted for its wide variety of orchid species and species-rich grassland scree.

A farmer stands in front of a herd of cows.
Dale Grange Farm partner and landowner, Mr Richard Wheeldon

Nature-based solutions

Dale Grange Farm partner and landowner, Mr Richard Wheeldon, approached the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) in 2024 to see if they could help create wood pasture on their farmland. Wild Solutions, an ecological consultancy owned by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, carried out baseline habitat surveys which enabled Dale Grange Farm to apply to the Derwent Living Forest programme, also run by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. The Wild Solutions baseline report provided practical advice on how to use NBS on Dale Grange Farm, proposing changes to the maintenance and restoration of areas of species-rich grassland (some lying within the Deep Dale SSI) herbal leys, and removing some land areas from production. External funding was drawn upon to undertake the project from the Countryside Stewardship government grant.

Nature-based solutions funded

As a result of the collaboration between Dale Grange Farm and the DWT in 2024, the following proposed changes have been implemented in 2025:

Barriers to NBS implementation in farming include:

Under current market conditions, the adoption of NBS, such as rewilding, has had a negative impact on the value of the farmland. This is because modified land is considered of higher value than nature restored land in the current market.

There is a high level of uncertainty about whether NBS and increasing biodiversity will be monetised by the government in the future. This is causing agricultural communities to hold back from implementing NBS strategies.

The financial risks of transitioning to more biodiverse landscapes – such as the devaluation which occurs when switching from modified to nature-restored land – are currently not being counterbalanced by funding initiatives, causing many landowners to wait to see how things develop before taking proactive action to support nature.

Adapting farming methods to include NBS fundamentally challenges the professional identity of the farming community. Currently, to implement NBS in the farming sector means to go against embedded cultural norms, which can impact farmers personal relationships and social standing as well as business operations and finances.

There is a cultural resistance exacerbated by a lack of high-profile role models who could effectively ‘welcome in’ the agricultural sector to NBS.

Lack of contextualised knowledge about regenerative farming and economic, and social challenges that come with that creates an ‘idealised’ NBS proposition for farming and land management.

The lack of support available to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and how to apply that in individual agricultural settings can make knowledge sharing difficult.

A widespread media representation of agriculture as the root of many environmental issues has led to the agricultural sector resisting engagement in NBS. The overarching narrative in the media is that wildlife organisations and agriculture were working against each other, without any positive portrayal of how they can work together.

Full width image - leaves

NBS enablers

Enablers to NBS implementation at Dale Grange Farm include:

External support from organisations like DWT was needed to help contextualise the extensive knowledge about the site the brothers already had. This informed how their specific NBS supported the wider habitats and ecosystems in the area. Equally, DWT benefitted from understanding how these ecosystems and natural habitats impacted Dale Grange Farm. This collaboration was based on two-way knowledge sharing rather than one-way consultancy.

The funding for NBS work was provided by the Countryside Stewardship government grant, which is available to landowners, farmers and foresters for the improvement and protection of their land.

Effective collaboration for NBS is based on shared values, knowledge and information sharing and trust.

It was a chance encounter with the National Wildlife Trust Team at a Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival that accelerated Dale Grange Farm’s implementation of NBS. The Festival brings those interested in the environment, share expertise and learn about the theory and practicalities of regenerative farming systems. Networking enabled exchange of ideas and stimulated practice sharing and referrals to other organisations.

Understanding your land and how it enriches local nature and community is rewarding because it safeguards both your land and the wider surrounding landscape from environmental damage.

Learning points about NBS implementation

1. Understanding the heritage of land management can help farmers conceptualise how to implement NBS solutions today, and what benefits this may bring them. Methods that work with existing natural ecological rhythms and cycles are core to successful NBS strategy adoption. Whilst industrial advances have previously meant implementing farming methods which manipulate nature, NBS look at working with nature to support farming methods.
2. Mitigating climate change impacts through NBS. Dale Grange Farm previously consisted exclusively of one species of grassland and drystone walling. Whilst this was good for feeding and managing cattle, it was not resilient to the changes in climate that were being observed. By introducing up to 60 species of grass and 40 species of tree, Dale Grange Farm has worked with nature to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
3. Two-way collaboration and learning better than one-way consultancy. Developing effective collaborative relationship with a reputable NBS advisor can accelerate NBS adoption, energise innovation and deliver reputational benefits.

“You're not to be collaborated at; you're to be collaborated with.”

NBS implementation tips

1. Get advice early. The shared expertise of academics, wildlife experts and farmers is important if NBS projects are to succeed. Whilst it is possible to gain small pots of funding for small changes, fully transitioning to NBS needs a broad range of complimentary knowledge to make large scale changes.
2. Hear and accept the advice given. Getting advice will mean connecting with unfamiliar sources and organisations. Whilst there is a natural inclination to mistrust other experts outside one’s area of expertise, it’s this knowledge sharing across specialisms that truly makes NBS work. Be prepared to listen to what those people have to say, and act on it.
3. Make sure you find a common language when collaborating. Combining multiple knowledge bases can be confusing if not approached in the right way. When reaching out to different, often insular, communities like agriculture, it’s important to communicate in their language, listen to their perspective and use examples that are meaningful to them.

“...a lot of farmers are kind of kinaesthetic. They want to see, they want to feel, they want to understand. And most they want to work with people that do.”