Soils and Sustainable Farming Incentive

One of Devon’s and Somerset’s less visible but important assets is its soils. From the peat soils of Dartmoor, the red sandstones in mid Devon to the clay soils in North West Devon and the Somerset Levels they all provide the raw material for both food production and the environment we all enjoy.

Maintaining and improving Devon’s and Somerset’s soils will be a feature of the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELM’s) that Defra will be introducing over the next 3 years as the Basic Payment Scheme method of supporting farmers is removed.

2022 brings the first element of this change with the introduction of grassland and arable soils standards under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) which is open to all farmers (including those currently in Countryside Stewardship). Applications open in June .

It offers payments between £28 and £58/ha on improved grass and £22 and £40/ ha on arable land for documenting the condition of the soil and testing for soil organic matter, introducing herbal grass mixtures, and reducing soil erosion. BIP is offering these workshops aimed at helping farmers and landowners understand their soils and how they will be able take part in this first element of the SFI.

The workshop will cover:

• The requirements of the SFI soil standards
• What you already have on farm to help comply with the scheme
• How to assess soil texture by hand
• Taking representative soil samples
• How to assess compaction and run off on your farm
• Assessing soil health through earthworm counts
• Creating or improving your soil management plan
• Herbal leys and cover crops

Eligibility:

To be eligible to attend this free workshop you or your business need to be based in Devon or Somerset (excluding Torridge, North Devon, North Somerset & BaNES). All businesses will have access to 12 hours of support.

If you are unsure, you can check by entering your postcode into the Government Council Checker. You can find further details about the eligibility criteria here.

 If you have any questions please call us on 01837 659 059 or email team@businessinfopoint.co.uk. Please check our privacy policy to see how we store and manage your submitted data.

The Heart of the South West Growth Hub Service for All is receiving up to £781,965 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The accountable body for this programme is Devon County Council.