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Transition support

There’s still time to get free business advice

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Rare breed pig farmers Sarah and Byron Odell are visited on their Shropshire farm by adviser Karen Fisher from the Soil Association. They stand in a field with pigs in the background.

The Farming Resilience Fund offers free, tailored business support to help farmers and land managers plan during the early years of the agricultural transition. With over 100 actions available through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) a range of grants to explore and with the advice offer ending in early 2025, now is a good time to talk to an adviser and plan for the future. 

Watch Bodbury Farm: our experience accessing free business advice

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Sarah and Byron Odell stand in a field on their Shropshire pig farm

Through the Farming Resilience Fund, farmers and land managers who receive BPS payments can access free, independent business advice. In this film, we travel to Shropshire to meet rare breed pig farmers Sarah and Byron Odell. Together with their adviser Karen Fisher, they describe their business objectives and the advice they were given. 

Farming podcast: How to access free business advice through the Farming Resilience Fund

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graphic for Defra Farming podcast resilience fund episode

The Farming Resilience Fund provides business support to farmers and land managers in the first few years of adapting to agricultural transition. If you currently receive direct payments you can receive this support and it is free of charge. In this podcast, Defra's Andrew Powley talks to the NFU's Richard Wordsworth about this offer. They are joined by beef and sheep farmer Richard Findlay.

Free business advice: latest list of providers

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Future Farming and Countryside Programme, Transition support
Wild flower meadow in Somerset

Through the Future Farming Resilience Fund, any farmer or land manager in England who receives BPS (Basic Payment Scheme payments) is eligible to receive free business advice. In this post, I share the latest list of advice providers and explain how to get in touch.

Free business advice: next phase to start in October

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Any farmer or land manager who receives BPS in England is eligible for free business advice during the early years of the agricultural transition. The current phase of support will close at the end of August. So far, 6,600 farmers have made use of this free advice. The final phase of support will open in October and will be scaled up.

How we’re making sure all farm businesses can fairly access money released from Basic Payments

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Countryside Stewardship, Transition support

The government has committed to maintain the farming budget for England at £2.4 billion per year throughout this parliament. We will be gradually reducing spending on Basic Payments each year over the next 6 years. Instead, we will make the money available to farmers through one-off grants for capital investment in equipment and technology, and ongoing payments for environmental actions and related advice and support. Farmers will be able to get paid for a combination of actions that they choose, to suit their farm business, food production and the environment.

The Future Farming Resilience Fund: an opportunity for advice providers and a call for farmer feedback

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Cattle grazing fields with mute swans in ditch

One of the ways we’re supporting farmers is through the Future Farming Resilience Fund. Through the fund, independent advisers can provide free business advice to farmers in England. In this post, I’ll share 2 new pieces of information about the fund. The first is a new opportunity for advice providers. The second is a request for farmers to give us feedback on the advice they’ve received through the fund.