DEVON Wildlife Trust has awarded the first of its capital works grants to a landowner in North Devon as part of the charity's Working Wetlands project. Lesley Prior, from Westcott Farm, Rackenford, has used the grant to create separate fields within a larger area, allowing better overall management of the site and helping her Culm grassland.

She farms cashmere goats for their fibre, which she turns into yarn.

Working Wetlands has a total of £20,000 to give out each year, and landowners with holdings of Culm grassland who are seeking support should contact the Working Wetlands team on 01409 221823.

THERE is a vacancy for a one-bedroomed bungalow at Trevorva, the ARC Addington Fund development at Probus, near Truro.

Applicants must be either working in, or retiring from, a land-based industry, be unable to rent or buy on the open market, and must live in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly. The phone number is 02476 690587.

DAIRY farmers will be getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bicton College dairy herd on Wednesday, when the unit opens its doors to give producers the chance to see and discuss the Anglo-New Zealand system operated there.

The open day will also see the launch of the new Bicton Dairy Club – an informal group where farmers will be able to meet, swap ideas and learn new technologies without the formality of charts, graphs and paperwork.

Bicton Home Farm maintains a very successful 200-cow crossbred dairy herd that is independently profitable. It provides an excellent example of a herd run on a low input/low output system broadly based on the New Zealand pasture approach, including out-wintering all cattle and once-a-day milking for part of the year.

The day is free and refreshments will be served. For information call Paul Redmore at Bicton Home Farm on 01395 567696.

SHORT notice, I appreciate, but the Devon Farm Management Association is organising an afternoon visit on Thursday to Hill Barton Business Park at Clyst St Mary, hosted by Troy Stuart.

His family firm, A E Stuart & Sons, has made significant investments and the visit gives an opportunity to learn about the decision-making processes – financial planning, and the very modern and labour-reducing design of the cattle buildings.

It starts at 2.30pm, and more details are available on 01884 266500.