Fellfoot Forward on-farm information events

On the 7 and 15 of July, farmers were invited to join the North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Farmer Network at Croglin and Hallbankgate to learn about new opportunities to build resilience in the future. Representatives from the Woodland Trust, RSPB, Farming Community Network as well as North Pennines AONB Partnership and Farmer Network were on hand to give information about programmes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL), England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) and Princes Farm Resilience Programme.

Attendees were also given the opportunity to tour each farm and discuss the practicalities of funded environmental projects such as hedgerow creation. Often such projects provide direct benefits to farmers, for example through livestock shelter and boundary security alongside broader environmental benefits such as natural flood management and habitat creation.

As DEFRA moves forward with its agricultural transition plan, farmers are increasingly being asked to provide services or ‘public goods’ like clean water, clean air, healthy soils, carbon storage, biodiversity and access to the countryside alongside producing food for the nation. Programmes such as FiPL and EWCO offer new ways of providing support for farmers to deliver on those goals.

Many thanks to all who gave their time to attend the event, and to the farmers who hosted us. Find out more about Farming in Protected Landscapes here