Landscape Recovery funds large-scale, long-term, unique projects which seek to enhance the natural environment and deliver significant environmental benefits. In this post, I'll share some of the lessons we’ve learnt and outline how the scheme continues to evolve with insight from participants and prospective participants.
In June, we launched a consultation on hedgerow protections in England. With 2 weeks to go before the consultation closes, I wanted to remind you that there’s still time for you to help shape future regulations so that they work for wildlife, the environment and farmers.
This month, we will open another round of the Small R&D Partnership Projects competition and, in September, another round of the Feasibility Studies competition will follow. In this post, I’ll give you a brief overview of the competitions. I'll also include links to guidance, share details of upcoming webinars and include dates to note.
In this post, we share the next steps of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Through the first round of the Animal Health and Welfare Equipment and Technology grant, over £19 million will be awarded to more than 3,000 pig, cattle, poultry and sheep farmers. A new Animal Health and Welfare Infrastructure grant is also on the way: the Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant.
In this film, farming facilitator Danny Teasdale took us to Strickley Farm in Cumbria, to meet dairy farmer James Robinson. Danny and James show us a piece of farmland that has always been unproductive and prone to flooding. James and Danny explain how they re-meandered the stream through the flooded area to create a natural habitat for wildlife that can also be used for grazing livestock.
There’s still time for you to apply for a Water Management grant before the window closes on 12 July. The grant is available to horticultural and arable businesses growing, or intending to grow, irrigated food crops, ornamentals, or forestry nurseries. The maximum grant available is £500,000 per applicant per funding round. The minimum grant you can apply for is £35,000.
This year, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer will be bigger and more flexible. We'll start accepting applications for the new offer in a controlled rollout from August. Learn how SFI can provide a steady income, help make your farm more productive and support you to produce food sustainably.
We recently asked you to help us shape the list of items under the Productivity and Slurry theme of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF). The survey was due to close on 3 July. However, in response to requests to keep the survey open for a little longer, we’ve extended the deadline to midday, Wednesday 12 July.
In the latest in our series of films from the Lake District, we visit Miller Farming in Penruddock. Upland farmers, Garry and Hazel Miller, have sheep, cows, and free-range hens. They talk about how they’ve increased productivity and enhanced nature at the same time.
If you have an ambitious research and development project which supports productivity and sustainability, you can now apply for a share of £12.5 million to fund it.