Farming Methods

Galloway CattleFarming in the National Park is based on an extensive, low input system of livestock rearing that is largely in sympathy with the environment.  

In the post war years agricultural policy had been geared towards maximising productivity and the subsidy systems paid to farmers had encouraged them to increase the numbers of sheep and cattle they kept. This over production coupled with the loss of overseas export markets had led to a dramatic fall in farming income.

Fortunately for the National Park the trend of increasing stock numbers is slowly being reversed. Government policy has changed and more and more farmers are entering schemes such as Environmental Stewardship which pay farmers subsidies to farm in an environmentally friendly way.