Our priorities for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments to improve animal health and welfare
Mix breed cattle

Today, we published our initial priorities for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. They represent some of the best opportunities for improving animal health and welfare we have across each livestock sector. In this post, I’ll share those priorities. 

Slurry: making the best of it 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, Things we're doing, Things we've learned, Ways to get involved
Slurry spreading in fields, Shaftesbury

Slurry contains lots of nutrients including nitrates, phosphate and potash as well as a host of other things that can benefit soil health and support crop growth. It can, however, create significant pollution to our water and air. Through co-design, our team joined with a group of farmers, industry leaders and experts to explore the …

How we’re developing slurry grants 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for equipment, technology and infrastructure

Today, we've blogged about how we're working with farmers and others across the industry to use slurry to our advantage. Farmers told us that finance often stands in the way of improving their slurry and nutrient management systems. Investing in slurry equipment and infrastructure is expensive. Particularly when it comes to integrating new technologies, techniques and …

Co-design in 2022: reflections, plans and principles

Posted by: , and , Posted on: - Categories: Future Farming and Countryside Programme
Three people in conversation at Dairy Day

More than 4,000 people from across the farming community in England are now working with us to design, pilot, test and trial new farming policies and schemes. In this post, we’ll explain how we’re working with the farming community. We'll also share the 7 co-design principles we’re encouraging groups to follow.

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

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Transition support
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 …

Watch Episode 1: Land Management Plans and the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

In the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, we provided farmers with 3 different land management plan templates. In this video, find out how participants Liz and Bryan, used land management planning to prepare their farm business for the future. 

An update on the Lump Sum Exit Scheme and delinked payments 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farmers, Things we're doing, Things we've learned, Ways to get involved

It can be difficult for farmers who wish to retire or leave the industry to do so. A lack of capital can prevent them. We think that our Lump Sum Exit Scheme could help them.  Last year, we ran a consultation with farmers and other experts, and the findings supported this view. In this post, …

Future Farming Podcast: Tim Parton on nitrogen-fixing bacteria and nutrient-dense food 

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Conversations we're having, Future Farming Podcast

In the sixth episode of the Future Farming Podcast, Programme Director Janet Hughes talks to Tim Parton. Tim is Farm Manager at Brewood Park Farm, Staffordshire, where he manages 300 hectares using regenerative agriculture methods. Find out how Tim moved to no-till, reduced insecticide and fungicide use and brewed his own nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Landscape Recovery: first round now open for applications

The Landscape Recovery scheme is for landowners and managers who want to take a more radical and large-scale approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land. I’m pleased to say that the application window for the first round of Landscape Recovery pilot projects is now open.