Credit: The Lockinge Estate The tenanted farming sector is a vital part of the rural economy.  In 2022, the Rock Review, an independent report of tenant farming in England, was published.  It included a number of recommendations to ensure the longevity and prosperity of the sector.   Our response to the Rock Review set out our commitments in light of its recommendations.   It is now one year on from the publication of our response.  And, of the 75 commitments, we have completed or are working on 64.  Today, we laid a Written Ministerial Statement in Parliament r ..read more

Climate change affects the amount and timing of water availability, as well as demand. We want to support farmers and growers to plan for and secure a more resilient water supply. So, from today, small groups of farmers in England can apply for a Local Resource Option (LRO) screening study.  An LRO is a water resources scheme that improves the resilience or supply of water in a local area.  LRO screening studies are one way farmers and growers can better understand their options to improve the supply or resilience of water.  They complement the other actions that support water ..read more

Dartmoor is a distinctive landscape. Open, windswept moorland sheltered woodland valleys, enclosed farmland, varied geology and unrivalled opportunities for recreation are just a few reasons why it was designated as a National Park in 1951.  It is home to 35,000 people, a place for work for 10,000 and a source of enjoyment for millions. Farming has been the main land use for more than 5,000 years. Today, around 90% of the land within the National Park is used for farming.  Farming on Dartmoor  Much of this is moorland, where livestock is grazed, and the remainder is made up of f ..read more

Credit: 35mmMan In my last post on hedgerows, I outlined our approach to the future of hedgerow protections and summarised the responses to the consultation held last year.  It was clear from responses that there was overwhelming agreement that hedgerows are valuable assets for wildlife and the environment. Those who responded clearly supported hedgerow protections and we confirmed our commitment to bring in the new regulation.   We are pleased to tell you that legislation to protect hedgerows has today been laid in both Houses of Parliament.  If approved by Parliament, the Ma ..read more

On Wednesday 27 March, we held a webinar on the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) schemes for upland farmers.  In this post, I’ll summarise what we covered and include links for you to learn more. We were pleased to be joined by Daniel Procter, a 5th generation sheep farmer, farming in the hills between Lancashire and Yorkshire.  Daniel is part of the SFI pilot and he is also an SFI agreement holder. He shared the actions he included in his agreement, how he found the process to apply and that he was eager to add more actions when they’re available ..read more

We recently held a webinar for livestock and grassland farmers in England. A recording is embedded above. In the webinar, we gave an overview of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer and how the scheme supports both productivity and the environment. We talked through the wide range of actions including for soils, nutrient management and integrated pest management. We also covered the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway and the grants on offer through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. We were very pleased to be joined by Mathew Cole, a beef and sheep hill farmer in the SFI pilot ..read more

Credit: Stuart Allen  Dartmoor is one of England’s most loved landscapes, with wide open moorland framed by steep woodland valleys and rolling hills.  People are drawn to Dartmoor to immerse themselves in its nature and history. Generations of farmers working with the natural landscape have created a truly special place.   For farming on Dartmoor to achieve its aims, it needs healthy and varied habitats working in harmony with food production.  We will continue to support the agriculture sector to do what it does best; produce food hand in hand with preserving the di ..read more

Credit: William Hook Groups of farmers in England can now apply for a grant to improve freshwater habitats. Through the new Water Restoration Fund, local groups can apply for funding to bolster their capacity and capabilities for delivery of on-the-ground projects which improve the water environment.  The fund, announced in Defra’s Plan for Water, is funded through environmental fines and penalties issued to water companies between April 2022 and October 2023.   In this post, we'll give an overview. Overview   The Water Restoration Fund offers grants to support proje ..read more

Credit: Mike Finn Storm Henk caused significant damage to large swathes of the country. Thousands of acres of farmland were left under water as a result.   Eligible farmers in England who suffered damage to their land during Storm Henk that was uninsurable, will be contacted by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) about a grant to help cover the costs of returning the land to the condition it was in before it flooded. In this post, we'll give an overview of this support including details of eligibility.   Background  The Farming Recovery Fund supports the cost of reinstating agricu ..read more

Credit: Andrew Whether you’re designing a new product or policy, testing and gradual rollouts allow teams to gather feedback, grow in understanding and make improvements in a controlled way. From the beginning — and for all our schemes — this has been our approach. We designed SFI with farmers, for farmers. One of the most important things that they asked for was flexibility around how to achieve the aims of the actions. They also wanted the administration to be as simple as possible. For that reason, we didn’t place limits on any actions. Rather, we wanted to see how farmers responded to th ..read more