Future Farming Resilience
Navigating the Agricultural Transition
The Future Farming Resilience programme runs across the South West. Please join our newsletter to receive updates about the programme, as well as additional agricultural support, grants schemes and news from Defra.
We are living through a period of huge change for the farming industry. Farmers are no longer receiving Direct Payments and, instead, are being supported to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare, and reduce carbon emissions.
Throughout this period of change, called the Agricultural Transition, Defra is funding the Future Farming Resilience project to support farmers and land managers.
There will be three levels of support aimed at paying for sustainable farming practices, creating habitats for nature recovery and making landscape-scale change such as establishing new woodland and other ecosystem services.
FFR support is freely available to any farmer or land manager who has been in receipt of BPS, has an SBI and more than 5ha of land, and who lives in Devon, Somerset, Dorset or Cornwall.
How we can help
Support is available through Agricultural Transition workshops which give a comprehensive overview of the changes in agriculture and the options available to farmers, one-to-one support with an agricultural advisor, and access to small group workshops focused on specific topics relevant to farmers in the South West.
WHICH AREA WOULD YOU LIKE HELP WITH?
Click on the buttons below to find more information:
Answering your questions
Through our FFR support, we’ll answer your questions and talk about the opportunities from the Agricultural Transition:
- What new funding opportunities are available for my farm now?
- Will the Sustainable Farming Incentive work on my farm?
- Are there new grants to grow my farm business?
- Where does organic or regenerative farming fit with the agricultural transition?
- How do I start to develop a succession plan for my business?
- Should I consider diversifying my business?
- Can I increase productivity to improve farm profits?
- How can I maintain cash flow and profitability?
- What other help is available to address the pressures on my farm business?
Podcast
What our agricultural clients say
About us
Our team of friendly agricultural advisors have a wealth of experience and expertise across all types of farm business. Through this free support, they can tailor the advice to your specific needs and prepare you for the changes ahead.
Find us at these forthcoming shows
Somerset
2nd October > Royal Bath & West Dairy Show
Areas we can help you with
One to One Advice
We have a local network of highly experienced consultants and advisors who can sit down with you and get under the skin of your farm business. They will work with you to assess your current position, how the changes are going to affect you and your farm and discuss the options available to you. Carried out in-person or remotely, they will perform a thorough, independent review of all your activities and help to develop an agreed action plan for the future.
Book a One-to-One Appointment
Agricultural Transition Workshops
Join us at one of our local agricultural transition workshops. They we will be running these throughout Devon initially from October 2022 and for the rest of the region from November. These sessions will outline the changes, how to handle the reduction in BPS payments, discuss new grant schemes and assess options for the future.
All of our available workshops can be found below.
Specialist Topic - Small Group Webinars
- Exiting the industry
- Woodland creation
- Family succession planning
- Business diversification
- Adding value to food and drink
- Productivity
- Environmental schemes
- Business planning and cashflow
- Marketing
- Grant schemes.
Digital Training
Digital agency and social enterprise, Cosmic will be providing training to help improve your digital skills, which will include free workshops, as well as one-to-one advice, and training to help build digital confidence and enable your to better manage the day-to-day running of the farm business.
This could include making applications and requesting payments for Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements, submitting tax online to HMRC, or promoting a diversified farm using social media, Google or paid online advertising. The sessions are delivered in a no-nonsense, practical, and supportive manner, free of jargon! They will:
- Help to identify your digital technology needs from the very basics through to advanced skills
- Provide training from highly skilled practitioners who have years of experience and the proven ability to tackle Digital and technology challenges
- Support you in a uniquely kind, friendly and inspiring way
- Grow your confidence and trust in technology in a safe and responsible way
- Increase your confidence, reduce isolation, and improve digital literacy
All of our available workshops can be found below.
Rural Support & Wellbeing
Living and working in the farming community can be hugely rewarding, but it also comes with its own unique challenges.
Maybe it’s the day-to-day practicalities of running your business. Maybe it’s worries about money, safety or rural crime. Or perhaps you have concerns about succession or you're feeling isolated and lonely. Whatever support you need, you can access help.
The Trading Standards Farming Partnership includes lots of organisations who all understand the challenges of farming and can support you to overcome them. Talk to their team and they can link you up with the support you need.
Mental Health Awareness Workshops
The Rural Support and Wellbeing project aims to raise awareness of the rural wellbeing support services available to the farming community through specialist workshops and representation at rural events, such as livestock markets and agricultural shows.
Over the course of the winter, the team will be running a series of winter wellbeing webinars to give you an opportunity to focus on particular topics to help you think about your own wellbeing, as well as your farm business. These will be running on the first Thursday of every month, from 6pm to 8pm.
If you missed the previous webinars in the series, you can watch them on the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service YouTube channel. Topics covered include:
Farm Safety & Holistic Wellbeing