Half of the land at Seaham Grange (42 hectares) is sown with a nectar and pollen rich grass, wild bird seed feeding areas and bumble bee mixes. The grass is known as legume fallow and is part of HM Government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). This is a land management scheme managed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) which is designed to help nature recovery. Our extensive grassland is a mix of at least six flowering species, including legumes, to improve soil health, provide food for wildlife, and support integrated pest management. This scheme was implemented in 2023 and builds on the work undertaken over the last 15 years with the Higher-Level Stewardship (HLS) which no longer exists.

Each year, 42 hectares of land are sown to help with nature recovery by providing dedicated food sources for all flora and fauna at the farm. Its dense canopy also helps protect against predation for a range of ground nesting birds at the farm as well as providing a huge source of nectar and pollen for the foraging bees and other invertebrates located on the farm.