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Farmer Stories

Bill Grayson: Using conservation grazing to benefit nature and farm

For three decades, Bill and Cath Grayson have combined farming and ecology to manage livestock on hundreds of hectares of land for nature at Morecambe Bay.

The Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape is a striking patchwork of limestone hills and pavements, ancient woodlands, rich pasture and wide wetlands, all nestled around the shores of Morecambe Bay where Cumbria meets and Lancashire.

This is where Bill and Cath Grayson have spent the past three decades developing the Morecambe Bay Conservation Grazing Company, which now manages cattle and sheep across 600 hectares of land that also serves as a haven for wildlife.

Originally trained as ecologists, Bill and Cath spent a decade as National Trust tenants before leaving to establish their own conservation grazing enterprise, firmly built on ecological principles. Their move into agriculture was driven by the growing realisation that increasingly intensive farming methods were taking a heavy toll on biodiversity.

“We could see that farming needed people who really understood how ecosystems worked,” says Bill. “Much of the land we now manage had been abandoned by the end of the ’80s because it was considered too unproductive. Although conservation bodies were looking after it, many sites had gone 10 to 20 years without grazing. As a result, these sites started to lose some of their most valuable biodiversity. They needed grazing livestock back.” 

Today, Bill and Cath graze their cattle and sheep across around 40 different sites. The largest blocks cover about 120 hectares, while the smallest measure just half a hectare. Most of this land is managed for nature by organisations such as RSPB, The Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust and Natural England. 

Many sites had gone 10 to 20 years without grazing. As a result, these sites started to lose some of their most valuable biodiversity. They needed grazing livestock back.

Bill Grayson

“All of them were looking essentially for the same thing,” says Bill, “Namely livestock that could graze year-round, cope with challenging conditions, and be managed by someone who understood this kind of farming was different from conventional farming.”

Bill ensures the livestock deliver the prescribed grazing regime for each site by providing the right number of animals at the right time of year. This careful management keeps the saltmarshes alive as vital breeding grounds for wading birds, encourages characteristic plants to bloom across the limestone grassland, and ensures traditional hay meadows remain rich with wildflowers and butterflies. 

Each year, Bill and Cath work with site managers to agree how the grazing will be carried out. Ultimately, the conservation objectives always take precedence over any production targets, though all parties share a firm commitment to maintaining high standards of animal welfare.

The grazing company mainly uses Red Poll cattle, a traditional breed that produces good yields of both meat and milk, and thrives in low-input, mixed farming systems. A small flock of sheep mainly graze the smaller sites.

Stocking densities are deliberately kept low - between 0.1 - 0.5 livestock units per hectare. This gives the animals maximum choice over what they eat. On larger sites, a set group of animals usually graze for longer periods, roaming freely and taking advantage of the variety of plants, shade and shelter available. Bill monitors the vegetation closely, , reducing or removing stock once the desired grazing level has been reached. Smaller sites are typically grazed in shorter bursts, with rest and recovery periods in between.

Sometimes, site managers prefer to delay grazing until autumn, after the flowers have set seed and pollinating insects have become dormant. While this benefits wildlife, it also reduces the nutritional quality of the forage, creating a difficult balancing act for Bill and Cath. In these cases, they often use older animals with lower dietary demands for grazing to graze the more challenging sites. 

Most of the cattle are outwintered, usually on sites with woodland that provides shelter during harsh weather. They feed mainly on whatever forage is available, though hay is provided when snow and ice cover the ground. The main exception is cows with suckling calves, which receive supplementary feeding if they start to lose weight before weaning. The cattle’s winter diet can be surprisingly varied with ivy, bramble and yew, along with notable amounts of bare twigs and shoot tips. Bill suspects the younger animals learnthis trick by watching their elders.

He believes the cattle’s seasonal movement - between the low-lying wetlands and salt marshes in summer and the higher limestone ground in winter - probably mirrors how large herbivores have used the Morecambe Bay landscape for thousands of years.

The Company is Pasture for Life certified and has been organic since its inception. Animals only receive medical treatment when a health issue is identified. The main concern is liver fluke, transmitted via water snails found in wetter habitats. Yet, Bill notes this has become much less of a problem in recent years, possibly because the cattle are developing greater natural resistance.

Cattle grow more slowly here than in conventional farming systems, partly because they feed on semi-natural vegetation, and partly because numbers are deliberately reduced in summer, when the grass is most nutritious, to allow plants to flower. However, Bill is not deterred by the longer finishing times or extended rearing periods, as the animals gain valuable experience in how to graze the habitats, and income continues to be  generated through agri-environment schemes.

We also benefit financially from not having huge input costs. That needs to be brought more to the forefront of people’s thinking, especially when farmers are struggling to afford fertiliser and feed. 

Bill Grayson

“We also benefit financially from not having huge input costs,” he says. “That needs to be brought more to the forefront of people’s thinking, especially when farmers are struggling to afford fertiliser and feed to sustain production levels far beyond what the land itself can support.” 

Marketing the finished animals can be more challenging. Apart from a few younger store cattle sold to other conservation graziers, cattle over three years old are often seen as past their prime. To overcome this, Bill and Cath sell directly to local customers and a gastro pub, earning a fairer price than they would through wholesale markets.

The grazing land includes large areas of wood pasture, which benefit both the cattle and wildlife - and provide Bill and Cath with all their own firewood.  

Bill is a strong advocate for sustainable mixed farming systems, with complementary roles for both sheep and cattle. Much of the grazing land is open access, so he regularly engages with visitors about the work they do.

“People walk their dogs here and bring their kids, so we’re always having exchanges, which 99% of the time are positive,” he says.  We’re often asked to host visits and walks for local groups, and sometimes we give illustrated talks.”

The grazing company’s approach has made a difference in how conservation grazing - working with nature while still farming - is perceived.

“When we started out, there weren't many farmers who thought it could work,” says Cath. “Bill has spent a lot of time explaining his practices to other farmers. I think it has really raised the profile of conservation grazing and made people reconsider its potential benefits for their business. Although Bill wouldn't want to admit it, it's something to be proud of as it has helped some people change the way they think about farming.”

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