Know How / Biodiversity BIODIVERSITYFarming in Protected Landscapes gets £10m boostThe Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme has been extended by Defra until March 2025 with an additional £10m in funding due to be provided each year. The move is… ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMESHow a Scottish farmer transformed farm biodiversity with treesA Scottish farmer with a passion for nature has created a 100-acre “wildlife corridor” by transforming his land, with new, native broadleaf trees, with preserving farm biodiversity core to his… ENVIRONMENTAttempts to ban heather burning criticised by scientistsPolicymakers have been accused of ignoring the scientific evidence when it comes to moorland burning, and of pandering to special interest groups “which regularly ignore or distort evidence in order… SOILSFive-year farm trial aims to find ultimate soil rejuvenatorFor farming duo William and Andrew Pitts, a five-year trial hopes to pin-point a sustainable farming system which promotes food production, soil health and biodiversity. On a quest to find… HEALTH AND WELFAREWhy you should stop blanket cattle worming and how to do itMany cattle farmers are still taking a blanket approach to using wormers, which could render them useless while damaging the fragile ecosystem that makes livestock farming viable. This is the… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTransition Farm Walk visits carbon-negative arable unitFarmers Weekly Transition Farmer Andy Bason provided an insight into his carbon-negative, Hampshire-based arable unit during a recent farm walk. The Transition Farm Walk saw more than 80 visitors descend… ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMESHow to deliver landscape-scale change through farm clustersFarmer cluster groups are meeting local environmental priorities both on their own farms and beyond their boundaries. The term “cluster” was adopted, because it describes how members of these groups… ARABLETips on establishing perennial wildflower strips for beesEstablishing perennial wildflower strips is one way to attract bees into fields, but sometimes it can prove frustrating, with some species failing to establish, limiting the value to pollinators. Bees… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT4 farmers outline bale grazing benefits in field lab trialA group of farmers is taking part in a four-year project to explore the impact of bale grazing on forage quality and soil health. The Innovative Farmers field lab will… ENVIRONMENTFarmers consulted on hedgerow protection viewsFarmers and contractors in England are being asked for their views on hedgerow protection, including whether there is still a need for 2m buffer strips and whether the dates for… FARM POLICYFarming needs £4.4bn a year, say green lobby groupsTougher environmental targets and higher costs to achieve them mean a substantial increase in Treasury funding for farm support is needed, according to a new report from green lobby groups.… SOILSWhy one landowner is opting for a biodiversity net gain schemeAn Essex landowner is likely to take up to 17% of his 400ha of arable out of production in favour of a biodiversity net gain scheme, while potentially producing and… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTFirst-gen farmer revives livestock farm with focus on natureFirst-generation farmer Olly Walker has improved the financial performance and environmental value of his farm by redesigning the landscape to revolve around “nature-focused farming”. Essebeare Farm, a 95ha (235-acre) organic… ENVIRONMENT£15m available to help farmers enhance the landscapeThe second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme is now open for applications in England. It will provide funding for farmers and landowners to create new habitats for wildlife, help… CARBONApp to improve farmers' soil management set for trialFarmers and growers will soon have access to an app that can help them record their soil analysis and then better manage the health and productivity of their fields. The… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow selection pressure is building a resilient beef herdNew farming entrants Nikki and James Yoxall take a tough line when selecting replacements for their steadily growing herd of beef cattle. Faced with more frequent extremes in weather brought… BIODIVERSITYBenefits of switching to cattle and virtual fencingVirtual fencing technology is helping give livestock production a future on a north Devon farm with one of England’s steepest and most spectacular coastlines. David and Debbie Kennard, who farm… LIVESTOCKHow multispecies leys carried cattle through summer droughtDeep-rooting legumes and herbs were key to keeping food in front of Ian Boyd’s Hereford herd at Whittington Lodge Farm as the 2022 drought challenged grassland farmers. Multispecies leys provided… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSNew BNG detail includes 'stacking payments' optionLandowners and occupiers will be able to stack biodiversity net gain payments alongside nutrient mitigation credits and other environmental payments on the same land. Confirmation that stacking will be allowed… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONHow upland farmers are pooling resources to plug funding gapAs Defra starts to roll out more of its Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, ministers and civil servants have been quick to claim there is plenty in it for upland…
