Ben Wharfe’s Post

DEFRA have announced the first endorsed SFI action available to farmers today. These actions are targeted at certain priority habitats or species and heritage features and need to be approved by a body such as Natural England or Historic England. They will usually come with more specific management requirements than standard SFI actions. These actions do attract some valuable payments but note many need to be in place for 5 years. https://lnkd.in/eqU6kQG3

As desirable land becomes scarce for home building in America, fewer new developments are being planned around golf courses. Instead, crops, orchards, or entire farms are the central spaces in "agrihoods," which may come with the added benefit of quicker permitting. https://lnkd.in/gpUgMX2T

In our latest newsletter, we share various updates that you should be aware of from across our #Agricultural & #Rural #Property sector team. Including Agricultural Relief and the Spring Budget, 7 fundamentals of The Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England, whether pop-up campsites are a good diversification option for your farm and look at changes to Permitted Development rights which are now in effect. #hereforyou #agricultureroundup

Its not a legal technicality, its an environmental bottom line that provides clarity, certainty and efficiency to the issue of non-point source discharges. Farmers  including me, had to apply for resource consents to farm for almost a decade. Why should Southland farmers not be required to internalize the costs of their externalities? Why should those who degrade the quality of the right (to clean rivers) of others not be required to gain permission to do so and be tied to enforceable consent conditions like those of us in canterbury? My only gripe is that farming activities should not be singled out.  Golf courses, equestrian activities, and residential areas with lawns and gardens should also have to have enforceable and monitored discharge consents. That would remove the cilurrent justifiable criticism of picking on farmers. https://lnkd.in/gyTSHcHb

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) 2024 saw a number of announcements regarding #countrysidestewardship (CS) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive #sfi. Payment rates are being increased as of 1st January 2024 and new options are being added to the schemes such as #agroforestry. Although CS is not yet open for applications, SFI is open all year round. By designing a scheme to suit your #land and #farming operations, income from #agrienvironment schemes is a useful top-up to #farm income and can play a major part in #naturalhabitat restoration and preservation. With increasing concerns around the impacts of #climatechange and #biodiversityloss, it has never been a more appropriate time to farm our land whilst enhancing the #naturalenvironment around it. Here are a few tips to guide you in embracing a nature-friendly approach to designing an agri-environment scheme for your land: 🐝 Create an environment on your farm in which #pollinators can thrive - for instance, you can cut grass less often and establish vigorous herb-rich and legume swards 🦉 Manage the land in a way to support priority habitat and #nativespecies - this can be done through offering over-winter feeding and establishing flower-rich habitats 🦔 Create #wildlife corridors around the farm - establish buffer strips around fields, manage #hedgerows allowing for species and structural diversity around the farm 🌊 Protect water features from run-off and #livestock poaching - buffer strips can also prevent #soil runoffs and support a better #soilstructure 🌱 Protect your soils - include winter cover in your rotation and minimise bare soils You can read our full blog post for much more tips and advice! https://lnkd.in/gu-_65wD And please get in touch with us if you would like to know more about who we are, what we do, and our accreditation process 🧐

“How much can I earn by planting trees?” Figuring out how to navigate the various grants available for woodland creation and management on your farm whilst also understanding the associated costs and benefits, can be challenging. That’s where Tilhill and CarbonStore comes in. https://lnkd.in/e2YN7QQj

#ForCommunities #ForDevelopment #ForCommunities #ForDevelopment As the #winter cropping season gathers pace, it is paramount that #farmers sign #water abstraction agreements so that their water allocations can be reserved in the #dams. Water abstraction agreements make the #efficient #sustainable and #equitable allocation of the limited available water resources possible. Marjorie Munyonga (MCIM) Waddilove Mandiziba Constance Rudo Makoni-Thodhlana https://lnkd.in/df35Vm5f

Changes to Permitted Development rights for agricultural buildings come into effect as of today (21st May 2024), to include an increase under Class Q (agricultural to residential) to the permitted number of dwellings and the maximum convertable space. Changes to Class R (agricultural to commercial) also come into effect today. The government has however stopped short of extending these PD rights into AONBs (now National Landscapes), a change which had been widely anticipated and which would have been welcomed by many. Key points are: Class Q: 10 dwellings (up from 5), 1000sqm max, equestrian barns only if forming part of a wider agricultural unit Class R: Conversion to Class B2 (General Industrial) and Class F29(c) (Outdoor sport and recreation, 1000sqm max (up from 500sqm) Talk to us at Simmons & Sons for more information on how we can help with rural diversification and planning. #farming #permitteddevelopment #ruralplanning #planning #barnconversion #ruraldiversification #classq #classr #ruralsurveyors #rural #countryside

It’s fair to say that in many aspects of modern life we are encouraged to be mindful of the impact we have on the environment. That’s certainly the case for most Turf Managers across the sporting spectrum, together with landscapers and those looking after green community spaces, some of whom face increasing pressure to operate more sustainably. Whether it’s for environmental reasons or a result of budget constraints, reducing fertiliser applications could be considered. With Microclover® from DLF, this can be achieved without a compromise on turf quality. https://lnkd.in/eNnPtTdi

This ruling seemed largely to be flying under the radar, but it is an important one. If you read nothing else, my last paragraphs are the takeaway. While I agree 100% with the concept that farm and ranch worker dwellings should support active agriculture, margins are thin for ag producers and some small farmers could have a supplemental income stream while educating consumers. And then those luxury subdivisions that happen to be on ag classified land - well the State should finally get around to change those to rural district. End of rant. https://lnkd.in/grDTysnh