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Know How / Environmental schemes

Each of the UK’s devolved administrations has its own agri-environment scheme – for example, the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in England and the Agri-environment Climate Scheme in Scotland.

Find out what’s involved in signing up to a ‘green scheme’ and get practical tips on putting together your application.

Advice and tips

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

A guide to staying SFI compliant

Unlike more rigid support schemes of the past, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is all about giving farmers greater flexibility to make actions work for their farm, while simultaneously delivering…

ARABLE

Tips on achieving healthy hedgerows on farm

Hedges are a defining feature of our countryside and one of the best habitats for wildlife on any farm.  Far more than being a boundary, they also support farm business…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

Nutrient mitigation market merits careful consideration

Headlines about housebuilding being held up by environmental measures have abated to some extent, but the need to ensure that new development does not increase the nitrogen and phosphate loading…

ARABLE

How SFI grassy corners and blocks can work most effectively

Grassy corners and blocks are perhaps potentially one of simplest of all the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) options to implement, but, as ever, to deliver the maximum benefit for the…

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Case studies

CROP MANAGEMENT

Why one Essex arable farm faces difficult decisions in 2025

Essex farmer Tom Streeter admits that he and his brother Will have some difficult decisions to make about the future of the family farming business, having looked at the details…

ARABLE

No-till provides zero cost way into support scheme

Kent grower Richard Day is set to use his adoption of direct drilling and precision fertiliser techniques under new environment schemes to gain more than 40% of his old direct…

NEWS

FW Awards: Environmental Champion of the Year 2024

David and Helen Brass of The Lakes Free Range Egg Co, Cumbria are the Farmers Weekly Environmental Champion of the Year 2024 winners. Environmental delivery is a concept that has…

ARABLE

How a sustainability scoring system is helping Kent farm

Knowing how the farm is performing across six different environmental impact areas is important for Kent grower Alan Clifton-Holt, who wants to make the most of any new market opportunities…

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Insights

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

Learnings from pioneering Landscape Recovery project

The North East Cotswold Farmer Cluster (NECFC) is almost two years into the project development phase for its Evenlode Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme application. The group represents 160 members covering…

ARABLE

How to get arable land ditches working for wildlife

There are 500,000km of ditches in the British countryside, reaching almost every corner of the land. Found in most parts of the lowlands and surprisingly far up in the hills,…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

Development drive brings plan to change nutrient mitigation

A new approach to nutrient mitigation is planned by setting up a body to deliver measures to address nitrogen and phosphate pollution across many river catchments in England, alongside other…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme: All you need to know

A year later than expected, the stage is now set for a 2026 launch of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in Wales. Beset by delays and a not insubstantial measure…

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News

BUSINESS

Scots farmers to receive £46m in capital grants

Farmers and crofters across Scotland are set to benefit from a £20m boost in capital support this year, with a further £26m allocated for next year, first minister John Swinney…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Delays to CS Mid Tier payment deepen cashflow crisis

Cash-strapped farmers in England who are still awaiting their Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier payments are being urged by Rural Payment Agency officials to contact the Farming Community Network charity for…

FARM POLICY

Farmers frustrated by limited Defra support schemes

Farmers across England are raising concerns over the limited scope of Defra’s funding schemes, with many feeling sidelined unless they focus on woodland creation. Despite recent government claims of record…

ARABLE

Birdsong recorders enable farmers to monitor biodiversity

An innovative project has been launched which uses birdsong to monitor wildlife, thereby enabling farmers to make informed decisions about sustainable practices. A collaboration between the UK Agri-Tech Centre and…

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