What the action involves
This action’s aim is that from late winter until mid-spring there’s a mix of seeds spread on the ground at multiple feeding areas.
The purpose of this is to provide seed-eating farmland birds with supplementary food when:
- seed is in short supply in the late winter period (known as the hungry gap)
- their breeding season starts in early spring
What you must do
Advice to help you Published voluntary advice to help you do this action. It is do this action not part of this action’s requirements
How to do this action
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
- follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
- do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
If this action’s start date means it’s too late for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action’s start date.
In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until mid-spring, or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.
Evidence to keep
You must keep:
- a valid organic certificate and schedule for all land entered into this action – this must cover at least the full period of this action’s duration
- the required written feeding diary – this can be recorded on paper or electronically
If organic seed is unavailable, and you apply to your organic control body for a derogation, you must keep evidence of this.
You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.
Scheme Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions Same as base action
SFI 2023 actions Same as base action
CS options Same as base action
ES options Same as base action
SFI pilot Same as base action standards
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
- the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard
The same action appears in the other schemes under a different code. The work is broadly the same; the rate and the length of the commitment are not.
Where you can do it
You can only apply for this action if:
- action CAHL2 (winter bird food) or AHL2 in the SFI23 offer is included in your agreement
- the land you’ve entered into CAHL2 is registered as ‘fully organic’ or ‘in conversion’ by a Defra-licensed organic control body
If the land you’ve entered into CAHL2 (or AHL2) is not ‘fully organic’ or ‘in conversion’ you must apply for AHW2 (supplementary winter bird food) instead.
This action is not available for equivalent actions in a Countryside Stewardship agreement. This includes:
- OP2 (wild bird seed mixture)
- AB9 (winter bird food)
You must do this action on land that’s:
- firm and free draining, such as farm tracks or hard standing areas
- close to areas of existing winter bird food, enhanced overwinter stubbles or game cover