Growing bulrushes on the Somerset Levels

Will Barnard is not afraid of trying something new. When he took on his family farm on the Somerset Levels, he couldn't make livestock pay. Instead, he started experimenting with growing bulrushes, or typha, and processing the fluffy seedheads to make insulation for puffer jackets.

It hasn't been a simple journey. Although typha grows happily in ditches on the Levels, Will had to tempt it into his fields. That meant allowing the water table to rise and re-wet the peat soil. He's worked with a local machinery company to create a prototype harvester, and with a local clothing brand to transform the seedheads into a usable product.

As climate change continues to impact weather conditions on the Levels the risk of flooding is ever-present and Will hopes this crop, that can grow in wet ground, could be a new opportunity for Somerset's farmers.

Presented by Sarah Swadling
Produced by Toby Field