THIS SPRING saw Keswick farmer, Steven Clarke, take a different direction in diversification when he planted 28 acres of willow.

Located in Braithwaite in the heart of the UK's biggest national park, the Lake District, Steven breeds both cattle and sheep on his 300-acre holding, where he also runs a milk distribution business.

It was natural for Steven, like all farmers, to think about energy issues and financial stability in the midst of the current market fluctuations and as a result he invested in a biomass boiler to supply his farm and office with home produced energy.

It was in May this year that Steven took another new step by planting 'short rotation coppice' willow "This was another stage in our diversification. As a farmer today you have to dare to try new things, even though it is a crop not grown by our forefathers," he explained.

It can be a scary and daunting decision for farmers used to feeding cattle and sheep and growing crops to consider growing a new crop and for a very different purpose. It was for those reasons that Steven chose to sign a long-term contract to supply biomass to the Iggesund mill at Workington.

This agreement with the Swedish paperboard giant gives him financial support to establish the willow crop and a price for his biomass which is index linked throughout the whole contract period.

"Now I know this land will give me a steady income for the next 22 years," he said. "One of several decisive factors was that Iggesund assumes responsibility for both harvesting and transporting the crop to their mill. All I need to di is make sure it grows well."

Iggesund Paperboard was founded in 1685 and forms part of the Swedish forestry group Holmen. In addition to paperboard, the company produces newsprint and sawn timber.

Since 2000, the company has invested more than £200 million to bring the Workington mill up to top international level. This is where Iggesund produces its paperboard Incada, one of the most widely used paperboards in the UK. Its biofuel boiler will be in operation for decades, creating a long-term sustainable market for energy crops in southern Scotland and Cumbria.

"We offer long-term contracts, planting advice, financial support for the transition, harvesting and transport services and a sustainable return through index linked pricing, meaning there is less risk than with other agricultural products," said the company's Neil Watkins.

Iggesund have themselves planted 10 acres of willow, in fields behind the Workington mill, both to fuel their biopower plant and as a demonstration site for farmers and landowners.

Sourcing locally-grown willow as a potential fuel for the biopower plant is an ongoing task for Mr Watkins and his colleagues and follows on the heels of an extensive campaign over last year's summer and autumn months when company representatives met with farmers at agricultural shows in a bid to encourage those with unutilised and spare land to diversify and consider willow growing.

Since Spring 2013, Iggesund's mill in Workington uses only bio-energy for its production, while the mill in Iggesund itself uses 95% bioenergy from its own raw material. The goal is soon to be completely self-sufficient in energy.

Willow thrives under short rotation coppice management, and is extremely well suited to the cool wet conditions and soil types of Scotland and northern England. It has been successfully cultivated for several decades in both the UK and Scandinavia. Importantly, growing willow does not require obtaining permission for a change of land use, as willow is classified in the UK as an agricultural crop.

In comparison to conventional crops, willow is comparatively simple to grow. During the first growing season, the inserted cuttings will produce 1-2 shoots with a maximum height of 2.5m. These are cutback as close as possible to ground level using a bar mower which leaves a clean cut. This cutback encourages the established cutting to produce multiple shoots, often 8-10 depending on the variety. Re-growth is rapid and vigorous with ground cover/canopy closure being achieved mid-summer of the following year. The coppice then enters a cropping cycle of between two and three years and by harvest will have attained a height of 7 to 8 metres. The plantation will have a life of 22-25 years and after the end of its productive life, the coppice can be dug up and the land returned to conventional cropping or another SRC willow crop.

So how does it benefit the farmer? Neil explained: "Our calculations done in consultation with agricultural experts indicated that well-managed willow plantations can give a good and sustainable return. A site's exact yield depends on a variety of conditions, from the soil's quality class, to the care taken cultivating the plantation".

"We at Iggesund are happy to share these calculations and to initiate discussions about possible contract cultivation."