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Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Watch: Farming in protected landscapes in the Lake District

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes, Payments to restore landscapes and ecosystems

In the second of our series of films from the Lake District, local farm facilitator Danny Teasdale took us to meet Jasmine Holliday. Jasmine is a Farming Officer in the Lake District National Park and she works on the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. In this video, Jasmine talks about the ambitions of the programme, which type of projects can get funding, and what works best in the Lake District National Park.

How we used co-design to create vet visits 

Posted by: , and , Posted on: - Categories: Conversations we're having, Payments to improve animal health and welfare, Things we're doing, Things we've learned

Farmers, vets, industry representatives, and colleagues in government are shaping the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway together. The first step of the pathway is the Annual Health and Welfare Review. In this post, we share how we used co-design to create the yearly vet visits. 

Funding available for robotics and automation in farming

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for research and innovation, Things we're doing
Device controlling agricultural robot

From 9 January 2023, farmers, growers and agritech businesses in England will be able to apply for funding to develop innovative ideas in the areas of robotics and automation. In this post, I’ll give an overview of the competition, dates for your diary and links for you to find out more.

An update on the first round of Landscape Recovery projects

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, Payments to restore landscapes and ecosystems
Darent Valley Farm Cluster.

In summer, we announced the 22 projects chosen for the first round of Landscape Recovery. We initially said we would recruit up to 15 projects, but we were so impressed with the quality of applications that we ended up extending this to 22. In this post, I’ll share more about the projects, including how they were assessed and selected.

Apply for a Slurry Infrastructure grant

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for equipment, technology and infrastructure
Laptop open on Slurry Infrastructure grant checker

A fortnight ago, we made full guidance for the new Slurry Infrastructure grant available on GOV.UK.  I said I’d blog again when it was time to apply. I’m pleased to say that the first round is now open for applications and it will stay open until 31 January 2023.  

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.

New Entrant Support Scheme: apply for the pilot

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for entering farming
Landscape with mist

We want to better support those who want to enter farming and develop land-based businesses. One idea that we said we were keen to test through a pilot was incubation: providing tactical support to young businesses through the early stages of development. We put out a call for proposals from organisations to lead these projects through the new entrant support pilot. The bids we received over the summer were impressive. Now that we have pilot leads, you can apply to take part in the pilot. 

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.

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

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

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