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The Team

We're working with farms to improve the way we regulate and support farming and the environment.

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Improving and extending our offer for upland farmers

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Future Farming and Countryside Programme

It is our mission to create an offer that is workable for every farmer and farm type in England. Upland farmers are a crucial part of our rural communities, economies and landscapes – they are central to the production of high-quality food and other goods. In this post, we set out the offer for upland farmers and share the work we are doing to make sure that it is accessible, broad and rewarding, and that it helps us to achieve our ambitions for food production, productivity and the environment.

Countryside Stewardship: delivering for farmers and the environment

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Countryside Stewardship, environmental land management schemes

Countryside Stewardship provides financial incentives for farmers, foresters and land managers to look after and improve the environment. Through the scheme, thousands of farmers are being paid for the valuable work they do. In this post, we’ll give you a refresher, share some facts and figures and explain how you can get involved.  

The Green Finance Strategy and Nature Markets Framework: what they mean for you

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Things we're doing
English countryside

Alongside government funding, there are a range of private sector opportunities for farmers and land managers to access new income streams to invest in their holdings. We want farmers and land managers to be able to confidently and securely access payments from both the public and private sector for the environmental benefits they produce. Published today, the Nature Markets Framework and the new Green Finance Strategy set out how we will enable this.

Animal Health and Welfare grants: apply now

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments to improve animal health and welfare
Two friendly cows

We recently blogged to introduce Animal Health and Welfare grants. These grants, of between £1,000 and £25,000, go towards the cost of items from a list which are designed to improve the health and welfare of your livestock. We're very pleased to say that the first window to apply is now open. In this post, we'll share more about the grant, why you might want to consider it and how to apply.

Environmental land management schemes: progress update

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Conversations we're having, environmental land management schemes

Yesterday, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries and Janet Hughes, Programme Director, Future Farming and Countryside Programme appeared before the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The session was part of a committee inquiry into the rollout of the new environmental land management schemes.

Future Farming Podcast: Young people in farming

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Graphic for the Future Farming Podcast featuring the participants

To celebrate National Young Farmers' Week 2022, Matt McGuire welcomes 3 up-and-coming young people in farming to the podcast. Charlie Beaty, Ed Dungait and Charlotte Garbutt discuss how to get started in farming, the importance of education and the range of roles in agriculture. They also discuss the benefits new talent can bring to the sector.

Sustainable Farming Incentive: more farmers can apply without being invited

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes, Things we're doing
Farmland pastoral scene in Bradninch, Devon.

From 1 September, if you have land in a Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship agreement, but not on common land, you can now apply online directly by signing into the Rural Payments service.

Future Farming Podcast: Tenants, landlords and our new environmental schemes

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In episode 9 of the Future Farming podcast, Defra's farming strategy lead, Briony Turner, talks to land use adviser Harry Greenfield of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and farm adviser Lynette Steel, of the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) about new environmental schemes.