Fearn’s

  • Redford Farm, Garvock, Laurencekirk
  • Waterlair Farm, Fordoun, Laurencekirk

Farmer: Allan, Ann, James and Mike Fearn

The Farms

Redford and Waterlair Farms are 511 acres of land lying close to the coast in the heart of Kincardineshire, 30 minutes drive south of Aberdeen, Scotland.  

The Crops

Both Redford and Waterlair Farms grow mainly cereals (barley for malting and wheat for feeding) and we also rent out fields for potatoes, beans and grass for grazing.  Fearn’s are well known for its Swede crop which stretches from Aberdeenshire to Perth.

Conservation

Since coming to this area from Angus some 20 years ago, the Fearn family have done everything they can to encourage and maximise the wildlife habitats here on their farms.

Tree and hedge planting, water management and soil conditioning form the backbone of our environmental management.  Initially tree planting was a priority as there were very few trees and hedges on the farm.  We manage our hedges sensitively and only carry out hedge trimming every two years.  Three ponds have been created on Redford Farm which now host a multitude of wildlife including, ducks, moor hens, the odd heron, geese, frogs, toads and other indigenous water species.

Since planting the trees and hedgerows, and now that they are more mature, we are experiencing many more species nesting on the farms, from larks to wrens, wagtails, blackbirds, thrushes, robins, blue tits and a wealth of other birds.   Field conservation and management methods have allowed the reintroduction of lapwings onto the farm.   With the increase in numbers and types of birds we have also seen a sizeable increase in the buzzard, falcon and kestrel population around the farm.  The bird population on the farm has been documented by the RSPB. Fearn’s is a member of LEAF (Linking the Environment and Farming).