From the ground up – Moss Lane Farm in The Lapwing

Moss Lane Farm features in the Winter 2025 issue of The Lapwing, the Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s member magazine, in “From the ground up” — reflections from the Great Manchester Wetlands Land Managers’ Group, by Jenny Bennion.

The group connects farmers, conservationists and land managers across the Manchester Mosses for knowledge sharing and exchange. Through the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund it has delivered workshops, training, visits and demonstrations, all focused on supporting willow tit, lowland raised bog and fen habitats, water quality and natural flood risk management.

Jannine McMahon, Moss Lane Farm & Sons, told the magazine:

“I moved onto my smallholding 10 years ago and have always been interested in managing my land environmentally. I’m delighted that we have a pair of breeding willow tit and will be working with a local community group to create a movement corridor for them.

“I’m also investigating growing a number of novel crops such as hemp, flax and sphagnum moss on areas of my land which are naturally wet. The group has also allowed me to make connections – I’ve met my neighbour, Steve, who I hadn’t met in 10 years! The farmers and land managers in the area feel like more of a community now.”

You can read the full piece in The Lapwing, Winter 2025, via the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.