Medium to long-term monitoring undertaken in our Farming in Protected Landscapes project, 2024-25
We are committed to regenerative grazing to improve soil health, support biodiversity, and improve pasture resilience. We are always looking for ways to improve our management to deliver better outcomes.
As part of our FiPL Monitoring Project, we used a GPS device to map both our existing infrastructure and the improvements needed to optimize regenerative grazing. This mapping process also played a vital role in our Phase 1 Botanical Surveys, helping us better understand our plant communities and ecosystem health.
Another critical component of our monitoring process involved Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) analysis, which provides insights into soil quality, compaction, and water infiltration.
Together, these methods help us refine our grazing strategies to maximize both productivity and ecological benefits.
Mapping Existing and Future Infrastructure
A key aspect of successful regenerative grazing is having the right infrastructure in place. For us, this includes:
✔ Electric fence posts – for controlled grazing.
✔ Polywire – to section off paddocks for high-density grazing.
✔ Secure perimeter fencing.
✔ Drag troughs – ensuring mobile water access for livestock.
✔ And/or in-line drinkers if streams are present.
Secure perimeter fence; in-line drinker
These elements are vital for effective pasture management, ensuring that livestock can be moved efficiently while maintaining healthy forage growth.
By mapping our current setup with a GPS device, we created a clear digital record of our existing infrastructure. This allowed us to identify gaps where additional fencing, water sources, or grazing paddocks are needed to improve efficiency.
This mapping process will also help us monitor how infrastructure changes impact grazing outcomes over time. By having a digital record of where these features are located, we can adapt our grazing management strategies as plant communities evolve, ensuring a balance between productivity and ecological health.
Botanical Phase 1 Surveys: Understanding Plant Communities
Alongside our infrastructure mapping, we conducted Phase 1 Botanical Surveys to establish a baseline of plant diversity across our grazing land. These surveys included a description of the field, current management, target notes and opportunities for the future. Here's an example of one of our completed surveys.
Using the GPS device, we recorded key ecological features that influence grazing strategies. These included native grasses that are essential for soil health and carbon sequestration, wildflower-rich areas that provide important habitats for pollinators, and wetland patches dominated by rushes that support biodiversity in low-lying areas.
These surveys allow us to assess how different sections of the farm respond to regenerative grazing practices. By tracking plant species over time, we can evaluate whether our grazing management is successfully increasing biodiversity and improving pasture resilience. This information is crucial for tailoring our approach, ensuring that we maintain a diverse range of plant species that contribute to soil stability, water retention, and ecosystem function.
Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) and Why It Matters
In addition to completing the botanical surveys, we carried out VESS analysis across 37 fields. This method involves visually assessing soil structure by examining the size, shape, and porosity of soil aggregates. A well-structured soil will have loose, crumbly aggregates that allow for good water infiltration and root penetration, whereas a compacted soil will be more resistant to plant growth and hold less moisture.
By integrating VESS analysis with botanical surveys, we can identify areas of soil compaction and poor drainage, helping us adjust grazing strategies accordingly. If an area is found to have poor soil structure, we can implement practices such as longer rest periods or strategic bale grazing to improve soil health.
The results of the VESS analysis will also be used to:
Establish a baseline for soil health across our pastures.
Identify target plant species that could help improve soil conditions.
Track long-term improvements as regenerative grazing enhances soil microbial life and organic matter content.
Soil health is fundamental to the success of regenerative grazing, as it influences forage production, water retention, and carbon sequestration. By regularly monitoring soil structure and integrating these insights into our grazing plans, we can ensure that our pastures continue to improve in both productivity and ecological function.
Mapping Points of Interest in the Field
Beyond mapping infrastructure and plant communities, we also used the GPS device to mark key ecological and management points within the landscape. These included locations where we plan to introduce new habitat features, such as scrapes for water retention, areas where past grazing or soil management has led to significant ecological changes, and sites with high plant diversity or species-rich hay meadows that require careful grazing management.
By identifying and recording these points of interest, we can make more informed decisions about where and when to graze different areas. This ensures that livestock management supports ecological goals, such as increasing species diversity, maintaining wetland habitats, and preventing overgrazing in sensitive areas.
Why This Matters for Regenerative Grazing
The use of GPS technology to map our infrastructure, plant communities, and key ecological features has provided us with valuable insights that will shape the future of our regenerative grazing system. By having an accurate, data-driven understanding of the land, we can make better-informed decisions about grazing rotations, infrastructure investments, and habitat conservation.
This approach allows us to plan more effectively, ensuring that infrastructure improvements are made in the areas where they will have the greatest impact. It also helps us support long-term ecosystem health by managing grazing in a way that promotes biodiversity and enhances soil function. Most importantly, our GPS mapping enables us to monitor changes over time, providing a dynamic and adaptable framework for refining and improving our grazing practices.
As we continue to implement new infrastructure and track how plant communities respond, our GPS data will play a crucial role in optimizing regenerative grazing for both livestock and nature. This project represents an exciting step forward in combining technology and ecological stewardship to create a more sustainable, biodiverse, and productive grazing system.
Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to refine our approach and share insights from our monitoring project.
Any questions? Please get in touch.
Our cows
Fertile
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Large rumen capacity – excellent forage converters
Perfect udders
Strong feet and legs
Good temperament
PROFITABLE
Our bulls
Fertile
Long lived
Moderate frame size of high quality
Excellent forage converters
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Testimonials
“After visiting Rob and seeing how he manages his grass and testing his genetics, I was very keen to purchase some of his cattle. I didn’t need to see them, I just put an order in of what I wanted, and Rob did the rest. It’s very reassuring when you find a breeder who really knows his cattle and can be trusted to send you exactly what you want. We will be purchasing more in the future.”
Geraint Powell
Nuffield Scholar
“We bought a bull from Phepson Angus as we wanted to shift our maternal line to a smaller more efficient cow, high fertility and easy calving. The bull we bought has delivered on everything we wanted. We will certainly be a repeat customer.”
Silas Hedley-Lawrence
FAI Farms
We bought 2 bulls from Rob because we wanted easy calving, fertile, hardy bulls. Very happy with initial results on 62 heifers with 100% in calf, 73% bred in the 1st cycle. Bulls didn't go lame or lose condition while working
Oliver Chedgey
2022 Organic Dairy Farmer of the Year
We have PHEPSON ANGUS bulls available from January 2025
Please get in touch if you would like more information about available bulls. We have sold out for the last 3 years so please get in touch early to secure your breeding bull.
Free Consultancy
We often get requests for consultancy on both grassland and cattle management in holistic management systems. While we do take on some advisory work in limited situations we do tend to try and sign-post to other advisers in the regenerative agriculture sector. However, ALL PHEPSON ANGUS CUSTOMERS receive a FREE consultation with their purchase and for our customers we are always available on the phone. So if you are interested in saving money through your grazing systems and would like to add some proven fertility genetics to your herd then get in touch.
Kaiser, Senior Herd Sire
Semen straws available for UK and International export.
Your opportunity to buy into our programme
Excellent producer of easy-calving, fertile, moderate females for grass production
Will reduce frame size while still maintaining commercial scale.
Extremely fertile Bull - producing over 1000 straws per jump on collection on several occasions (bulls usually produce 150 - 350 straw per jump)
Line bred 4 times to Champion Bull "Evesund of Dupplin" who was known as the "Great Fixer of Udders"
We find Kaiser will correct poor udder structure in the 1st cross/generation
Huge rumen capacity - weighs 1000kg in working clothes - 53 inches at the hip
Kaiser is the foundation of our maternal bull lines, and is now available to you
Semen straws and genetics available for UK and
International export.
Contact Rob or Lizzie for an order form.
Rob - 07973771832
Lizzie - 07799127066
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