Dumfries and Galloway is a region blessed with some of the most outstanding natural landscapes in the UK, and we are keenly aware of our place within that landscape.  Through centuries of working the land, people have created new habitats and environments which are every bit as important for our native wildlife as uncultivated wilderness can be.  From hedgerows and dry stane dykes to open, unimproved pastureland, traditional farming practices can provide outstanding breeding sites for many species of birds and mammals, as well as threatened meadow flowers.  Of course, native woodland is also important for such flagship species as the iconic red squirrel. 

 

At Cream o' Galloway, we are lucky enough to have the best of both worlds and we have worked hard to achieve this.  Our conversion to organic farming has seen the return of farming practices which benefit wildlife rather than threaten it, and our newly planted hedgerows and well maintained dykes provide a haven for wildlife.  Because we no longer use pesticides or herbicides wildflowers thrive in our pastures and offer safe refuge to countless bumblebees, dragonflies and butterflies. 

 

On top of this we are lucky to have a small area of ancient woodland at Cream o' Galloway, a stand of coppiced hazel, ash and oak which covers the picturesque Glen. In the last six years we have greatly increased our woodland by planting over 30,000 native broadleaf trees around our nature trails and cycle tracks.  These trees are now developing into fully-fledged young forests, extending their range by naturally re-seeding themselves and providing nesting places for around 60 species of native and migrant birds.  Watching these woodlands develop is one of the great joys of working at Cream o' Galloway and it's one which we're very keen to share. 

 

Our environmental responsibility is something we take very seriously and this extends to our consumption of energy and our waste management. The households on the farm have all been thoroughly insulated to reduce heating costs, as has the Burger Barn eating area at the visitor centre.  We also recycle as much material as possible, including aluminium cans, paper and cardboard and the plastic used on the farm.  Where our own packaging is concerned, we wash our empty ice cream tubs and encourage visitors to take them home for whatever use they like.  We know of tubs being used as seed planting trays, storage containers and water-bowls for dogs - see if you can surprise us with your ideas!

 

The best way to increase the sustainability of energy consumption is to use energy from renewable resources, and this is exactly what we try to do at Cream o' Galloway.  Scotland is not blessed with the sunniest climate in the world, however solar panels have provided roughly 50% of the water heating costs in our farm households and look set to repay their installation costs in the next few years. 

 

 What we lack in sun we more than make up for in wind, and 2007 saw the inauguration of Gatehouse of Fleet's community wind turbine at Cream o' Galloway.  This 32m turbine generates electricity whenever the wind rises above 12.5 mph - where once we cursed inclement weather for its effect on visitors' spirits, we now find ourselves thinking "Blow harder!  Blow harder!"  The turbine is already giving a good account of itself: over the course of a year we expect it to provide roughly a quater of all our electricity requirements. Because it is owned by the local community, we purchase the electricity from them and the proceeds go to community projects such as the upkeep of the town hall.  This is a fruitful relationship which we expect to continue for the coming decades.

 

Our last and perhaps most ambitious renewable energy project has still; to be completed - the heating of the Burger Barn using ground-source heat pumps.  We have installed 600m of underground piping beneath our cycle tracks through which we can circulate water which will be warmed by this constant ground temperature.  The heat from the water will then be pumped into our under-floor heating system inside the Burger Barn keeping it comfortably warm even on those chilly autumn days.  This is a work in progress at the moment but we're looking forward to it being completed in the future.