In this post, we’ll provide updates on the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and the resources you need to prepare. Alongside the date from which we’ll start accepting applications, we also include details of an accelerated payment to help with cashflow.
Updated 21 September
If you are a farmer or landowner in England, you can apply for woodland creation grants to support tree planting projects of all shapes and sizes. In this post, we’ll explain how planting the right trees in the right place can diversify your business, boost income, support food production, and enhance the environment. We’ll also share links for you to find out about the grants on offer.
In this episode of the Farming podcast, Jonathan Marsden, Head of Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) talks to Claire Robinson, Senior Countryside Adviser for the National Farmers Union (NFU). The pair discuss what you need to know as a farmer to get ready for SFI this year.
Through the Feasibility Studies competition, grants are available to support new solutions that address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities. I said I’d blog again when the competition opened. I’m pleased to say it’s now open!
You can now apply for a grant to support better calf housing. In this post, Gwyn Jones provides a recap of the grant and explains how to apply. He also shares how the grant was developed with farmers, vets and other experts through co-design.
On Wednesday 6 September, we held a webinar for farmers to learn more about the funding available in England. In this post, you can watch a recording of the session.
Landscape Recovery funds large-scale, long-term, unique projects which seek to enhance the natural environment and deliver significant environmental benefits. In this post, I'll share some of the lessons we’ve learnt and outline how the scheme continues to evolve with insight from participants and prospective participants.
In June, we launched a consultation on hedgerow protections in England. With 2 weeks to go before the consultation closes, I wanted to remind you that there’s still time for you to help shape future regulations so that they work for wildlife, the environment and farmers.
The North Norfolk: Wilder, Wetter, Better for Nature project is part of the first round of Landscape Recovery. Alongside sustainable food production, the project aims to create new habitats for nature, restore rivers and boost biodiversity on the Holkham Estate. We visited the team to see how the project will work in practice.
When we launched the Annual Health and Welfare Review, a funded annual vet visit, we said that we would continue to improve with feedback from farmers and vets. In this post, we’d like to share an update on our work which includes simplifying the process to apply, bringing BVD testing for beef in line with CHECS and BVD Free requirements and clarifying how to use the review to enable exports to the EU. We also include a video of a farmer and vet who took part in a Review.
I’m pleased to say that the Small R&D Partnership Projects competition is now open. Through this competition, we want to enable UK-based businesses to collaboratively develop solutions which improve productivity, sustainability, resilience in farming and realise our net zero ambitions.