A farmer who spent 25 years making wine in South Africa’s Paarl region has traded vineyards for wetlands and wildlife restoration in rural England.
Stephen Richardson returned to his Norfolk farm in 2021 after selling his South African winery, choosing to focus on one business and spend more time closer to family.
Now, instead of grapes, he is transforming 55 acres of farmland into a large-scale nature recovery project, using private money from developers.
The move comes as farmers face climate pressures, shrinking subsidies and uncertainty around traditional farming income.
From Paarl to Norfolk
Richardson said he began reconsidering the future of the farm after moving back from South Africa.
“When I came back from South Africa in 2021, I was looking at how I could restructure everything,” he told Eastern Daily Press.
The project is linked to the UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) scheme.
Under the system, developers must compensate for environmental damage caused by new building projects by funding habitat restoration elsewhere.
Landowners can then earn income by turning lower-performing farmland into protected natural areas.
“This is marginal land which didn’t always consistently grow standard crops,” Richardson said. “But this [BNG] brings a more guaranteed income.”
He partnered with Environment Bank to create a “habitat bank” designed to generate long-term biodiversity credits.
Restoring rare fen habitat
Part of the project includes restoring a rare fen habitat – a type of waterlogged wetland rich in plants, insects and birdlife.
The site will also include ponds, grasslands, orchards, scrub and native trees.
“We’re creating a fen habitat down the bottom with ponds and scrapes,” Richardson explained.
The restoration also includes reviving an old “ghost pond” discovered through historical maps and aerial photography.
According to Environment Bank ecologist Eleanor Walker, Norfolk contains around 85% of the world’s remaining fen habitat.
Species such as swallowtail butterflies, dragonflies and marsh harriers could eventually return to the area.
Richardson said the project offers more long-term security than conventional farming alone.
“I think buying a vineyard and developing a winery in South Africa is a fair risk,” he said.
“But this is a 30-year arrangement so whatever happens in the future there is a safeguard there.”
