Increased payments for Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive

Mark Spencer, DEFRA Farming Minister has recently (5th January 2023) announced Countryside Stewardship (CS) payments are to rise by an average of 10%. Capital payments will rise by an average of 48%. This is alongside other announcements which aim to make entering and administrating the scheme simpler and fairer. Feedback from farmers has led to […]

Posted on January 9th, 2023 by

Catchment Sensitive Farming – expansion to all farms

Yesterday, DEFRA announced the expansion of its Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) programme to cover every farm in England by March 2023. The CSF programme is a partnership between DEFRA, Natural England and the Environment Agency which offers farmers on-farm one-to-one advice in order to reduce water and air pollution. Currently CSF support is only available […]

Posted on August 3rd, 2021 by

Countryside Stewardship Wildlife Offer – All you need to know

Wildlife Offer Countryside Stewardship agreements provide a simplified scheme option for farmers with a set list of options under each Wildlife Offer type and provided the minimum requirements are met then an agreement will be offered. The aim of Wildlife Offer’s is as the name suggests, to support wildlife by providing sources of nectar and […]

Posted on March 17th, 2021 by

Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants

Capital grants are new for Countryside Stewardship 2021 and replace the former ‘Water capital grants’ and ‘Hedgerow and Boundary grants’. Whilst many of the options remain the same as in the previous schemes, a new area of grants has been included which aims to improve air quality. What does the grant offer funding for? The […]

Posted on March 17th, 2021 by

Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship – All you need to know

Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship is very similar to the old style ELS schemes. It is designed to provide environmental benefits at an on-farm level with a range of options that can be tailored to suit most farming systems. What do Mid-Tier Stewardship schemes fund? Grant funding is available for land management practices which protect and enhance […]

Posted on March 17th, 2021 by

The Transition Plan – the future of agriculture in England

The Transitional Plan, announced on Monday,  formally moves the agricultural responsibilities from the EU Commission to Defra. This is the first piece of post Brexit legislation. This policy will be shaped by decisions made in Whitehall and will no longer need to be negotiated with 27 member states. For example, a more proportionate approach to […]

Posted on December 2nd, 2020 by

Wildlife Offer Countryside Stewardship – all you need to know

Wildlife Offer Countryside Stewardship agreements provide a simplified scheme option for farmers with a set list of options under each Wildlife Offer type and provided the minimum requirements are met then an agreement will be offered. The aim of Wildlife Offer’s is as the name suggests, to support wildlife by providing sources of nectar and […]

Posted on June 9th, 2020 by

Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship – all you need to know

Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship is very similar to the old style ELS schemes. It is designed to provide environmental benefits at an on-farm level with a range of options that can suit most farming systems. What do Mid-Tier Stewardship schemes fund? Grant funding is available for land management practices which protect and enhance the natural environment, […]

Posted on June 8th, 2020 by

2020 application window deadline for Countryside Stewardship is fast approaching

    *** The deadline is fast approaching for 2020 Countryside Stewardship applications to be made *** Water Capital Only Grant: Contact to be made with Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer by 31st May 2020 Mid-Tier special options: Contact to be made with RPA by 31st May 2020 Mid-Tier application request: Application to be requested by […]

Posted on May 28th, 2020 by

Countryside Stewardship 2020 – Key Dates

With the upcoming changes to the subsidy regime, now is likely to be a good time for many farmers to consider entering into a Countryside Stewardship agreement.   From 2021, Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments will be starting to be phased out through to a complete phasing out by 2028 making this year the last […]

Posted on May 20th, 2020 by