HUNDREDS of new trees have been planted at a farm in Bell Busk, near Coniston Cold, in a joint project between the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and agricultural business, Carr’s Group and Carrs Billington.

As part of the Clapham based YDMT charity’s Together for Trees campaign, more than 300 trees have been planted at the 360 acre Hesper Farm, home of Hesper Skyr, a type of fat free dairy product that originated in Iceland.

Carr’s Group has partnered with YDMT to create a lasting legacy for agriculture in the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding areas, and it will be helping to create new native broadleaf woodlands with Carrs Billington Agriculture - which has branches in Skipton and in Gisburn - providing sponsorship towards the trust’s woodland grants programme.

Brian Moorhouse, from Hesper Farm, said: “We’re excited to be planting new trees on the farm. As part of the grant, we’ve been able to construct a new fence which will be helpful in stopping stock getting into the ditch. It’s been really interesting to meet people from Carr’s and Carrs Billington, who we work really closely with here at Hesper, as well as the many groups who work with YDMT.”

The tree planting volunteers were joined by a trust outreach group from St Vincent’s in Leeds.

Jim McRobert, of Carrs Billington Agriculture, added: “Planting trees can provide a lot of benefits to the environment and to a farm like Hesper. It was great to come together to make a lasting difference for agriculture, and to see the work we’re supporting first-hand.”

Trees are hugely valuable as a habitat for wildlife and support some of our most endangered woodland animals, they also have a number of benefits on a farm, says the millennium trust.

The millennium trust says it has already planted almost 60,000 trees in the first two winters of its Together for Trees campaign.

Its woodland officer, Carol Douglas, said: “Our woodland creation programme is not just centred on planting trees, but also about bringing people together to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of creating new woodland. The new trees at Hesper will connect to existing woodland on the farm, helping to create wildlife corridors. They will also help to reduce some of the water flow on to the farm.”

The trust has planted almost 60,000 trees during the Together for Trees campaign,