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THE Heath Project, with the help of Penwith District Council, the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership and the Penwith Farm Business Centre, has purchased a cattle crush to help farmers access their animals while they are grazing away from the farm, on local heathland.

The crush is driven on to heathland and cattle herded in while protecting both stockmen and livestock.

The machinery can be hired by farmers as part of the farm share scheme, which is a non-profit making scheme to help farmers share machinery which they couldn't afford themselves.

If anyone is interested in finding more out about the scheme they should contact John Forster at Penwith Farm Business Centre.

Robert Poole, Penwith District Council, explained: "If livestock become ill while grazing on heathland it's often very difficult for a farmer or vet to get to them. The crush enables the farmer to enclose livestock so the vet can treat the animal or test it there and then."

John Forster, Penwith Farm Business Centre, added: "This crush also provides farmers with the equipment needed to weigh their animals. This is essential in securing the right price for their livestock when they go to market. We have been working with the Meat and Livestock Commission to ensure farmers earn as much as they can from their livestock and it's vital they know how much each animal weighs."

Pete Maxted, Cornwall AONB Partnership, said: "Anything the AONB Partnership can do to help farmers in our region during these difficult times is really worthwhile. Cattle grazing is an essential land management method of keeping the landscape in good condition and the new crush will help it continue. Without the hard work of the Penwith farming community our beautiful landscape would quickly return to featureless, bracken-covered wasteland."

Ross Champion, Heath Project manager added: "It's great that the Heath Project can provide practical help to rural farmers to help them return grazing livestock to heathland areas."

The Heath Project, agriculture, tourism and heritage) is working with heathland owners, managers and farmers in West Cornwall to help with the re-introduction of grazing, archaeological understanding and economic development of heathland. It aims to help landowners, managers and farmers restore heathland in a sustainable way to achieve its full potential for wildlife.

The project is a partnership including local farmers, commoners, Natural England, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, The National Trust, Eden Project, Cornwall County Council - Historic Environment Service and Penwith District Council.

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