Rycote Farm: BNG that delivers lasting returns - for people, development and nature

Our mission to restore nature, enable housing development and drive sustainable British farming is well underway with the opening of our most recent Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat site at Rycote Farm in Oxfordshire.

Partnership: Pathway to nature restoration

"We are 3rd generation farm owners in Oxfordshire, looking to create more biodiversity on our land to improve long term farming practice, food production and financial sustainability. 

We identified small parcels of our land that would be viable for nature recovery and opted for BNG as the most credible new income stream in the rural economy.

It was important to us that we engaged an active partner that offered a sensible split of responsibilities and benefit sharing. The collaboration with Biofarm is proving to be the right choice - productive, pragmatic and equitable.”

Alain, Landowner, Rycote Farm.

Working in partnership with landowner Alain - a third-generation farmer stewarding a 300-acre farm rich in British heritage and nestled near Thame is South Oxfordshire - we’re embarking on an ambitious 33-year nature recovery programme.

A collaboration rooted in shared values: sustainability, productivity, and a belief that restoring nature through BNG is the underpinning of growth.

BNG is a simple idea with powerful consequences: when developers build, they must leave nature in a better state than they found it. It means development and nature work hand-in-hand – construction funding restoration; restoration sustaining the economy. 

The biodiversity work we are undertaking

Spanning an initial 11.36 hectares across four field parcels, this BNG habitat site will transform overworked and unproductive land into a rich mosaic of habitats. Restored grasslands and scrub will support pollinators, birds, and other key British wildlife bringing benefits to soil health, water quality, and air purity.

Scrub Creation

We will introduce shrubs, trees, herbs and wildflowers to guide the landscape’s natural shift back to woodland, using thorny hawthorn to protect seeds hoarded by British corvids (crows, jays, and magpies) to create a natural nursery for new young trees to establish.

The scrub will be intentionally dense, with an intricate network of rides (linear open tracks) and glades (non-linear clearing scattered within the trees) mapped into the landscape to create ‘ecotones’ (areas where two ecological communities or ecosystems meet and blend), creating multiclimate homes for a range of plant communities, invertebrates, small mammals and birds.

In time, this woodland will draw harmful carbon from the atmosphere, creating a healthier home for people.

Grassland Restoration

Restoration of the area of grassland that fronts the River Thame will play a crucial role in delivering further upside for both the farm and wider community.

The grassland will help absorb excess nutrients that have built up in the soil over time, reducing the risk of these nutrients entering the river system and affecting downstream water quality. By cutting and removing the grass over seasons, these harmful nutrients will be sucked up and removed, returning the soils to natural/pre agricultural levels. This process will allow less competitive and more sensitive wildflowers such as cuckoo flower, cowslip, ox-eye daisy and meadow vetchling to emerge, creating a grassy meadow full of colour and life that supports pollinators and promotes a healthy farmland ecosystem.

Protecting the river in this way will reduce harmful algal blooms (algae that grows from high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus) from polluting the water, improving the water quality that serves the community and providing the public with safe waters to swim in. Cleaner waters will in turn attract the presence of species such as otters, lapwing and water voles, further helping to restore natural ecosystem balance.

“Rycote Farm can become a shining example of how working in harmony with nature can breathe new life into generational farms. It highlights the exciting potential of natural capital and regenerative farming, inspiring the local agricultural community with real-world insights. Nestled along the River Thame, Rycote is ideally positioned to flourish as a biodiversity hotspot and play a key role in expanding the vibrant river corridor.”

Evie Hymas, Biofarm Ecologist

The impact our work here will have

The biodiversity transformation at Rycote Farm will stretch well beyond improving just the long-term financial outlook, land resilience and food production on the farm. Its impact will be far reaching and benefit the community as a whole.

It is a project that truly reflects Biofarm’s commitment to intelligent, purpose-driven restoration—working hand-in-hand with landowners, developers and local communities to create landscapes that are productive, beautiful and ecologically rich.

Farm impact

BNG marks another step towards regenerative farming at Rycote Farm.

Restoring and enhancing natural systems, such as pollinator habitats and mycorrhizal (fungal) networks, the land will become healthier and crops will become more resilient.

Minimising land disturbance helps build the soil - improving water retention, reducing run-off, and making the land more resistant to drought and extreme weather.

These environmental gains can boost surrounding crop performance through improved pest control, pollination, and soil protection. This in turn helps maintain, and even increase, crop yields on productive land, supporting the long-term sustainability of the farm and the communities it serves.

The revenue generated from turning previously unproductive land into working BNG, providing the means to invest further in farm activities.

Community impact

This BNG habitat site will enable the development of much needed affordable housing and local services that support the livelihoods and wellbeing of communities throughout Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire and surrounding areas.

This fundamental work couldn’t be done without the support of our Developer partners, who are invested in habitat creation and building responsibly and sustainably for future generations to come.

Inspired by this project? Get involved.

If you want to learn more about our work, get involved, or invest in nature recovery success, we’d love to hear from you. Head over to contact us.