Video Diary: Farmer Jess Brooks on the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, environmental land management schemes, Farmers, Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, Things we've learned

The Brooks Family joined the pilot to help us improve the Sustainable Farming Incentive. For over a century, the family has worked on South Thorness Farm, which is found on the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight, within the Hamstead Heritage Coast Area Of Natural Beauty. Listen to how sisters Jess and Sarah, along …

Grazing, agri-environment schemes and environmental outcomes in the uplands

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments to better understand moorland
Livestock on hillside

Grazing is an important part of our farming industry and, for many, management of livestock is more than an occupation: it is a way of life. In this guest post, Rob Cooke, Director of the Greener Farming and Fisheries Programme in Natural England explains the relationship between grazing and environmental outcomes.

Landscape Recovery: your questions answered

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

In February, we launched the first round of the Landscape Recovery pilot. Landscape Recovery is 1 of our 3 environmental land management schemes. To support potential bidders, we hosted a webinar to share information on the application process and answer questions from those thinking of applying. As you can imagine, we received a lot of questions …

Watch episode 3: Land management plans and the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, environmental land management schemes, Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot
Growing-the-goods thumbnail

Through tests and trials, we want to understand the role that land management plans could play in our future schemes.  In the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, we provided farmers with 3 different land management plan templates. Each template was developed through tests and trials. One of these templates was developed by the Growing the Goods test and trial group. …

Sustainable Farming Incentive: standards, payment rates, and how to prepare

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes, Payments to better understand moorland, Payments to improve soil health, Sustainable Farming Incentive
Dry stone walls, Derbyshire Dales

We plan to launch the Sustainable Farming Incentive in June. Today we can share the final standards and payment rates, our approach to the applications process and how to prepare, In this post, I’ll provide an overview and share links to further information on GOV.UK. I’ll also explain how farmers have directly shaped the scheme …

Fertiliser: updates and support

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

The price of fertiliser has risen dramatically over the past year, but especially in recent months. Multiple global issues, including the war in Ukraine, have reduced gas and ammonium nitrate supply, forcing prices up. We know the impact of this affects the productivity and profit of farms in this country. We want to support our …

Monitoring, evaluating and learning in the Future Farming and Countryside Programme

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming and Countryside Team
Small fields surrounded by mature hedgerows.

In previous blog posts we’ve written about how we’re adopting a test-and-learn approach across the Future Farming and Countryside Programme. We’re doing this to make sure our schemes, services and policies work for users before we scale them up. To make sure we’re on track to deliver our ambitions, we have a strategy to help …

Animal Health and Welfare Grants: your chance to suggest items

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments to improve animal health and welfare, Ways to get involved

Farmers will be able to apply for grants to buy equipment, technology and infrastructure to improve the health and welfare of their animals. To make sure we are funding the items that farmers need to make a difference, we want to get a better idea of what we should include. Let us know your thoughts …

The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: towards a new welfare state for farm animals

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Guest post, Payments to improve animal health and welfare
Dyer's greenweed and resting cattle Genista tinctoria Hampshire

In this guest post, Dr. Julia Wrathall shares her views on the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Julia is an expert in farm welfare and served as the RSPCA's Chief Scientific Officer. She helped to shape species-specific priorities through co-design.