eco and ethical statement

Here’s the place to check on our green and ethical credentials at dove farm.

We are not the greenest of families, or the most eco of farms, but like everyone else who cares about the environment we live in – we try to be environmentally conscious and do our best to live our lives responsibly.

It is important for us to be honest and authentic about what we are doing – and only shout about the things that we can successfully continue with. Isn’t that what being sustainable is all about?

As a farming business, we have a strong connection to the land. We respect the land and our environment. If we look after it, it will look after us. We are mindful of the fact, that we are custodians of a little piece of countryside that was here long before we were, and will hopefully be here, long after we are gone.

In the meantime, we do what we can to care for our farm, and be respectful to the natural environment that thrives alongside us.

Animal welfare is a high priority for us, and it is central to our animal husbandry practices on the farm.

As a tourism business, we are mindful of the negative impact people activity can bring to the environment. However, we do still want to encourage all the good awareness raising and enjoyment that comes from being out and about in the countryside. We do our best to minimise harm and enhance benefits.

We believe in living responsibly, and responsible travel is part of that way of life. We actively encourage our guests to enjoy their time at dove farm, in a way that is ethical and compatible with shared values regarding eco-breaks, green tourism, eco-friendly holiday cottages and responsible travel.

At dove farm, we apply our family values and fairness, not only to our customer service but to our pricing policy too. We do not charge inflated rates for school holidays or public holidays* (Christmas and New Year breaks attract a premium) so that quality

farmstay experiences, and special occasion weekends, are within the reach of everyone, especially those looking for family holidays on a farm.

We are trying to make our footprint smaller and our steps greener, all the time....

Here are some of the measures we have adopted:

Farming

We are assessed each year, as part of an accredited Farm Assurance Scheme.

This endorses responsible farming practices.

By law, all farms need to operate according to strict regulations set out by DEFRA, regarding use of fertilizers, pesticides and manure – we adhere to these regulations.

We have not submitted Dove Farm for certification as an organic farm, however our inputs are minimal and we maintain traditional, non-intensive farming methods.

Wherever possible, animals reared for meat, are taken to a local slaughter house, and we sell the meat directly from our farm. We are proud to promote provenance and low food miles.

We have been approved to join the Higher Level Scheme (HLS) as part of the UK agri- environment programme. We have pledged a number of environmental and conservation measures as part of this scheme, including:

Reversion of pasture to water meadow and wetland, to attract ground nesting birds, wading birds and a rich array of wetland plants.

• Planting and maintenance of hedgerows
• Tree planting
• Reversion of grazing land to traditional wildflower meadows
• Spring cropping on arable fields, to leave winter stubble for bird feed and cover
• Maintaining wide margins around the edge of ploughed fields, to ensure wildlife havens
• Pond creation and restoration

Tourism

Dove Farm supports and works in association with a range of other local businesses and suppliers. We believe in supporting our local community, and we actively encourage our visitors and guests to buy local where this is possible.

We encourage our guests to enjoy the farm and its surroundings. We provide information on local flora and fauna, and provide binoculars for guests to borrow, when walking our farm trail.

We encourage cycling and walking - and provide information in the cottages, on suggested walks and trails in the wider area for guests to enjoy during their stay.

We provide eco-friendly cleaning products in the cottages, for you to try.

Certain items of furniture in the cottages, are reclaimed and revived. We try to buy new furniture locally.

We provide containers for you to recycle your household waste: — plastic, glass, cardboard, paper and cans

We provide composting facilities.

We have installed a bath in one cottage, but you will find showers in all the other bathrooms, to reduce water consumption.

We use toilet "hippos" to reduce the amount of water used in each flush.

Plants and flowers in the garden areas and in containers, are planted up in our own compost where possible, and selected to require minimal watering.

We harvest rainwater that runs off from roofs, and use this for watering where possible.

More than 95% of our promotion and advertising is online, rather than paper based.

We have the central heating system on timer switches, to avoid unnecessary wastage.

Nominated outside caterers, are local and have their own commitment to local produce.