When we talk about out wintering, we aren’t just talking about feeding cattle.  Amongst the bales of  silage, this cover crop mix of plant varieties – mustard, buck wheat, vetches, tillage radish, sunflowers, linseed, phacelia – provides a late food source for pollinators, a seed source for birds, and an important energy source for  insects and invertebrates and microorganisms within the soil.  Cows have evolved to live life outdoors; their shaggy coats and ability to conserve energy to keep warm means they are well equipped to deal with harsh winter weather.  However, on a farm their options are limited as ground conditions need to be able to support their weight and their feed requirements.  Cows can cause significant damage to soils if they are not properly protected, leading to soil erosion and escaped nutrients leaching into ground water.   The main benefit of using a diverse cover crop like this one, rather than a traditional turnip and kale fodder crop, is its ability to hold nutrients in the soil over the winter through the varied root structures of its numerous components.  Not only will they hold onto these nutrients, plant roots will naturally cultivate the soil, whilst worm populations will pull the trampled surface cover down into the soils below so by February everything will have been consumed and converted into soil organic matter.  Through holistic grazing techniques like this one, we are giving nature what it needs to work its magic so we can feed ourselves whilst continuing to nourish, conserve and protect those natural processes that we depend on.