New partnership to make a positive impact for birds

17 Nov 2023 | No. 2023-27

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has announced today that it is forging a long-term partnership with family-run Lincolnshire-based bird-care business Vine House Farm.

It is estimated that more than half of all households in the UK engage in feeding birds in their gardens. BTO has long been at the forefront of monitoring and researching the effects of food provision on wild birds. This work has yielded fascinating insights into how the UK public’s bird feeding habits have impacted wild bird populations, and helped to produce best practice guidance for feeding birds safely.

The new partnership between BTO and Vine House Farm will provide an opportunity to engage many more people in the enjoyable habit of feeding garden birds and to help them learn how to do this in the best ways for their birds.

Vine House Farm is a conservation-award-winning farm, managed with wildlife in mind and environmental responsibility to the fore. The family behind this business has been associated with BTO since 1960, with Nicholas Watts MBE contributing to many BTO surveys and monitoring schemes.

Professor Juliet Vickery, BTO Chief Executive Officer, said “BTO is delighted to be joining Vine House Farm in a partnership that recognises the joy that feeding birds in gardens brings to thousands of people and the need to ensure that this food is high quality and sustainably sourced. Their support of BTO will help us to engage more people in discovering birds and help to conserve and understand them on our doorstep and further afield.”

Lucy Taylor, Nicholas’ daughter, and General Manager of Vine House Farm Bird Foods, said “BTO is a natural partner for Vine House Farm and this partnership will help our customers understand more about the birds they feed and enable us to contribute even more to bird conservation.”

Vine House Farm is a traditional arable farm with wildlife and care of the wider environment at its heart. It has been in the family for four generations and is situated in the Lincolnshire Fenlands. Vine House Farm Bird Foods started back in 1993 and supplies customers with high quality products direct from the farm. It’s a hands-on family business, growing as much of the bird seed sold as possible, which is processed, packed, and supplied from the farm premises – which all helps to keep carbon footprint relatively low. Vine House Farm financially support several charities which share our values, with the main one being the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology). www.vinehousefarm.co.uk

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