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Blog Farming

Organisations:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

How we're supporting hedgerows

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farm visits, Payments to improve tree health, Payments to plant trees and manage woodland

Last month, members of the team gathered at Hockey’s Farm in Hampshire situated on the edge of the New Forest. Together, we planted 1,500 small trees to establish a new native hedgerow across pastural farmland. In this post, I'll share more about the day and some of the ways through which we're supporting hedgerows in our schemes.

Slurry Infrastructure grants: first round summary and our next steps

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for equipment, technology and infrastructure, Things we're doing
Cows on the Fursdon Estate, Cadbury

Offered alongside better advice and fairer, more effective regulation, the Slurry Infrastructure grant is designed to help livestock farmers make better use of their slurries to meet crop need and cut pollution. In December, we opened the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant for applications. In this post, I’ll explain how we prioritised projects and what will happen next. I’ll also describe some changes we are making to the payment process in light of the high demand for the scheme.

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.

New Entrant Support Scheme: an update on our pilots

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for entering farming, Things we're doing
Helen Dale, The Good Life Meat Company with pigs in a field

Through 5 pilots, we’re exploring different ways to support new entrants to develop successful land-based businesses in England. We’re now over halfway through. In this post, I’ll share a brief overview of our participants, what we’ve learned and our next steps.

Making the rules for farming easier to find

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Content design, Things we're doing
Computer showing GOV.UK's Rules for farmers and land managers

Farming legislation affects all farmers and land managers. As content designers, part of our job is to make sure that the rules about farming on GOV.UK are easy to find. We asked a group of volunteers to share their experience finding the rules. In this post, I’ll share a summary of what they told us and what we did to improve things.

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.

Watch: How the Sustainable Farming Incentive works hand in hand with arable crop production

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, Sustainable Farming Incentive
SFI and arable farming Caroline-Knox

We went to the Isle of Wight to meet SFI agreement holder Caroline Knox. In this film, Caroline explains how the Sustainable Farming Incentive works hand in hand with commercial maize and rye production on her farm.

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About us

This blog is managed by Defra’s Farming and Countryside Programme.

On this blog, we explain the reforms to agricultural policy in England.

We share what we’re working on, what we’re learning and how you can get involved.

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Talk to us

On 15 March, we are attending Borderway UK Dairy Expo in Carlisle.

Come and say hello to our team.

You can also find us at these agricultural shows and conferences in 2025.

Funding for farmers, growers and land managers in England

GOV.UK is the place to find official guidance and information.

Funding for farmers, growers and land managers sets out every payment on offer with links to learn more.

Get advice

The Farming Advice Service (FAS) provide free, confidential advice to farmers and advisers.

Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) helps farmers in England protect water, air and soil. CSF advisers can provide advice on best practices and specific actions that will benefit your farm business and the environment.

We’ve compiled a list of organisations offering wellbeing support to those in the farming community.

Webinars in 2025

Attend upcoming webinars and watch recordings.

BPS and delinked payments

Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in England will be replaced with delinked payments in 2024.

Learn how they’re calculated and who’s eligible.

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