Defra celebrates Farm for the Future

This week, The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF) held an event at the House of Lords which brought together farm support groups, corporate partners, rural organisations and policymakers, including the Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner MP.

It celebrated the success of the past three years of the RCF’s Farm for the Future, which was a free-to-access programme that reached 1,987 farmers in England. It was funded by Defra’s Farming Resilience Fund and assisted family farms to adjust to the post-Brexit transformation in government support, which offers not only challenges but opportunities for their businesses. The RCF was the only charity among the 17 providers to farmers under this scheme.

On the evening, a new publication was launched evaluating the programme’s impact. Some of the key successes included 89% of participating farmers having an increased awareness of the new environmental land management schemes, 87% felt better connected to their peers, 85% demonstrated improved business planning skills, and a 97% overall satisfaction rate.

Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Royal Countryside Fund said: “The agricultural transition is one of the most significant changes farming has seen in a generation. Family farms are the lifeblood of the UK’s rural communities and at The Royal Countryside Fund, we recognise how important the financial and environmental sustainability of family farm businesses is for the stewardship of our rural landscape.

“Our Farm for the Future programme proved that trusted, local support makes all the difference. We are proud of what we have achieved in partnership with local organisations and Farm Support Groups and, most importantly, the farmers who put their trust in us.”

Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs said: “The Royal Countryside Fund’s work to provide help, support and advice to farmers is truly remarkable.

“We are moving to a different form of farming which absolutely prioritises food production, but at the same time enables people to work with nature and in a more environmentally sustainable way.

“The Royal Countryside Fund has been a key part of that effort as people make the transition and we go towards a very exciting new world.”

One of the major strengths of the programme was the role of its 14 delivery partners who reached farmers in 44 counties across England. These partners, which included farm support groups, national park authorities, rural colleges and organisations, and a virtual coordinator, played a vital role in engaging farming communities and providing tailored support.

Their on-the-ground networks, local credibility and deep understanding of regional farming needs enabled the programme to reach farmers who might otherwise have been left behind. Farmers also had the option to join a virtual group so that they could receive the benefits of the programme even if they were too busy to leave the farm or were too far from an in-person workshop.

Crispin, a participating farmer in Essex said: “When I signed up to the RCF’s Farm for the Future programme, the family farm had been struggling with profitability for several years and that had been taking its toll on me personally. My family said that they rarely saw me happy anymore.

“During the programme the topics that we covered were wide and varied. Almost everything was relevant or useful to me…I now find that I feel happy and more positive most of the time and much more able to deal with issues as they arrive. Whilst I have no idea what the future holds or whether the business will survive, which I think it will, the programme has given me the confidence and strength to fight on.”

The publication Farm for the Future: A review is now available to view: www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/farm-for-the-future-a-review/

To find out more about The Royal Countryside Fund, please visit: www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk