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New to harvesting wild flower meadow seeds

Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:16 pm
by MHF
Hi everyone, happy to be here. We have approx 20 acres of meadow on the borders of the Exmoor National Park, over half of which are mature wild flowers. We would like to start harvesting the existing seeds, enhancing the areas with little or no flowers and potentially having excess seeds to sell/share. Does anyone know where we can hire/borrow or buy a brush seed collector in the area so we can get started?

Thank you

Re: New to harvesting wild flower meadow seeds

Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:42 pm
by Steve Pollard
Exmoor NPA posted on Facebook earlier today about seed harvesting. I suggest you contact them about use of a harvester. You won't be able to sell/process wildflower seeds without a license, so one scenario would be for an organisation like the ENPA or DWT to harvest the seeds (if they are suitable) and for you to keep some of them for your own use or for sharing (in lieu of a payment from them) and for them to keep a percentage of the harvest. www.facebook.com/ExmoorNP/posts/4223821404378873

Re: New to harvesting wild flower meadow seeds

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:59 am
by Ali Hawkins
Hi there, great to read your post and to hear about your wildflower meadows on the edge of Exmoor National Park. As part of our very new Sowing the Seeds Project we have just purchased our own seed harvester which has been made possible through funding through Caremoor. We have been working with Devon Wildlife Trust who has been helping us with training and initial seed collection. We are delighted that there is also a new funding source through the Farming in Protected Landscapes Scheme https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/ ... pes-scheme to help with grassland restoration. We would love to hear from you so please get in touch with Heather hjharley@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk or Ali ahawkins@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk.