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Our response to the Rock Review: one year on

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Tenanted sector
View of the estate with livestock grazing in background amid generally verdant scene.

Our response to the Rock Review set out our commitments in light of its recommendations. It is now one year since we published our response. And, of the 75 commitments, we have completed or are working on 64. In this post, we’ll summarise the progress we have made over the last year. We also shine a light on the role of the Farm Tenancy Forum and the collaborative approach of one farm in Oxfordshire. 

Webinar follow up: livestock and grassland

We recently held a webinar for livestock and grassland farmers in England. In the webinar, we gave an overview of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer and how the scheme supports both productivity and the environment. We also covered the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway and the grants on offer through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. In this post, we summarise what we covered and include the recording and links for you to learn more.

Why we’re putting area limits on some SFI actions

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Sustainable Farming Incentive
Up on the hill the farmer is turning the grass to help it dry and so get a crop of hay rather than sileage. Photo taken in High Birkwith.

Since we opened the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for applications, we’ve continued to refine the scheme. One of the things we’ve been monitoring is the impact of those actions which take land out of food production. In this post, we’ll explain why we’re putting area limits on some SFI actions.

The evidence we use to develop our environmental land management schemes 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes
A patchwork of fields including sheep and cows taken in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire.

We’re committed to ensuring that the policies underpinning our environmental land management schemes are based on the very latest and best possible evidence. One evidence source is the recently published qualitative environmental impact assessment (QEIA). In this post I’ll give an overview.  

The future of hedgerow protections in England: consultation response

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Future Farming and Countryside Programme

In June 2023, we launched a consultation on hedgerow protections in England. Today, we published the summary of the responses alongside the government's response. This includes proposed exemptions to the requirements. In this post, I'll share a summary.

FiPL spotlight: improving nutrient use and reducing nitrate and phosphate pollution in the Broads

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments to support parks, National Landscapes and the Broads
Person in a green field being down to test nutrient levels

In this Farming in Protected Landscapes spotlight post, we hear from Juliette Howlett of the Broads Authority. Working with the Waveney Farming Cluster, this FiPL project seeks to improve the efficiency of nutrient use and reduce nitrate and phosphate pollution.

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2024: guidance now available

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for equipment, technology and infrastructure
Three cows walking through tall grass in Lewes

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024 includes 3 grants to help you buy items to improve productivity, manage slurry and improve animal health and welfare. Today, we published the grant guidance on GOV.UK. In this post, I’ll give an overview, include links and share details of an upcoming webinar on 12 March for you to learn more.

A test and trials spotlight: Weald to Waves

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes
Thumbnail image showing a clip of a participant at a desk with a map

Farmers and land managers participating in Weald to Waves share their experiences of taking part in tests and trials. The test is part of a wider project, led by Knepp Estate, which aims to build a wildlife corridor stretching from Ashdown Forest to the Sussex coast. Along the way, they share with us how they brought together farmers on the route to develop group agreements, management plans and funding mechanisms for the corridor.