Projects delivering more than 1200 hectares of habitat improvement for biodiversity, along with 800 metres of new hedgerows, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improved water quality have been awarded funding in the North York Moors National Park.
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme has celebrated a successful end to its first year, after allocating more than £360k to farmers and land managers in the North York Moors. The programme runs until 2024 and is expected to award £1.8million within the National Park in that time. It focuses on key challenges facing farmers in protected landscapes, including helping to address the climate crisis, improving people’s engagement with farming and nature and supporting sustainable rural businesses and communities.
Amongst those to receive a grant is Aidan Foord of Wilds Slack and Lawnsgate Farms near Whitby, whose project has benefitted both the local environment and those who visit the family’s picturesque caravan and camping sites. A novel frozen vending machine was installed to provide home-reared produce such and sausages and burgers direct to their customers. A heavily-used livestock area also received a new roof to prevent feed and slurry washing into nearby water courses, hedgerows were gapped-up to create wildlife corridors and a new rainwater storage tank was fitted.
Aidan said: “The vending machine has brought together the two different sides of our business and it feels great to be demonstrating to our campsite visitors who we are and what we do. The farm-to-fork journey is as short as it can be, and this reduces the environmental and climate impact of what we produce.
“As a whole the work has benefitted our business while also helping nature and setting us up for a sustainable future.”
Rebecca Thompson, Head of Farming and Land Management at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said:
“Agriculture is in an important but challenging period of transition as the government phases out traditional farm payments and instead rewards landowners for producing things such as clean air, clean water and thriving plants and wildlife. These are the ‘public goods’ that society values alongside the production of food. This is a very different approach to how farming has been supported in the past and often requires a shift in thinking, but the outcomes are crucial.
“Aidan’s project is a fantastic example as you can see it clearly delivers for nature, climate, people and place – all four cornerstones of the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.”
One of the first recipients of a grant under the scheme was Christine Thompson of Agricultural Business Training (based at Reagarth Farm, Helmsley), who received £1,970 to allow her to run a series of workshops to help other farmers be better prepared for a future without subsidies.
Christine said: “Agriculture is going through its biggest change in 60 years. We’re tenant farmers ourselves, and it’s going to affect us in the same way it affects everybody else.
“The grant from Farming in Protected Landscapes, which was matched with a contribution from Grow Yorkshire, allowed us to organise a series of free-to-attend, on-farm workshops to encourage people to look at their own businesses and understand where they’re at now, so that they can effectively plan for the future. We hope the workshops will help establish an informal local network, so that together we can keep abreast of the changes in policy and ensure that we have what we need to be successful throughout and beyond this period on transition.”
Rebecca Thompson added:
“We know first-hand from farmers how much they’ve appreciated having support at a local level from a team who can visit their business, attend regional meetings and be available on the phone for advice. The programme is delivering brilliant things, such as supporting moves to a more regenerative style of farming, but we also understand that it is a step-change and being able to talk to someone about it can be really helpful.”
Farming in Protected Landscapes is a DEFRA programme, administered in the North York Moors by the National Park Authority.
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